No matter what type of termites you have or the severity of the infestation, finding out you have termites is obviously bad news for your house and belongings. Termites are a problem that need to be addressed quickly and aggressively to keep them from getting out of control. Fortunately, if you have termites in NJ, Termiguard has effective and affordable options for getting rid of them for good. Termiguard can work with you to evaluate the extent of your termite problem and build a personalized termite control plan to safely and efficiently rid your home of termites for good. But before looking into the available remedies, it’s important to know what type of termites you have and what their behavior is like.
What Types of Termites Thrive in NJ?
There are dozens of different types of termites in the US, but pretty much all of the types of termites in NJ fall into the category of subterranean termites. Subterranean termites are not only the most common termite in New Jersey but the most common termite in the whole country. But just because they are common does not mean that they are not unusually destructive.
In fact, subterranean termites are capable of causing more damage to our home or building than any other type of termite. They are often found in damp wood and can eat through so much wood that you might first notice their presence by finding that a wooden structure sounds hollow upon tapping it. Some subterranean termites have wings, but the more common “worker” termites have no wings and are less than half an inch in body length.
Identifying the Type of Termite Infestation
When it comes to identifying types of termites in NJ, one sign that indicates you have a subterranean termite infestation is finding “mud tubes” on the outside or inside of wood in your home. Mud tubes are basically tiny tunnels made out of dirt that subterranean termites build while they are eating through your wood. Other signs that you might have subterranean termites in NJ include the paint over your wooden structures beginning to crack, or finding tiny insect wings around wooden doors or windows in your house. Once you have identified that you have subterranean termites, it is best to contact an extermination professional like the ones at Termiguard to address the problem.
It is also possible, though unlikely, that you have a different type of termite in NJ. If you find termites in dry wood that came to NJ recently from another part of the country, it is possible that they are drywood termites. Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites do not need moisture from dirt, mud, or damp wood to survive. Drywood termites can live directly in dry furniture or wooden structures and can eventually consume entire structures of wood. These termites are not native to NJ. But it cannot be ruled out if you have recently brought wooden furniture from another state or country. Although NJ doesn’t have drywood termites, many states in the American South, Midwest, and Northwest regions do.
Another type of termite that is not in NJ is the Formosan termite. New Jersey residents should feel very lucky that the common types of termites in NJ do not include Formosan termites. These termites are sometimes informally called “super termites” because they are so fast and aggressive in their consumption of wood. Formosan termites can unfortunately be found in almost any type of wood if these termites are common in your state, and they have even been known to eat through floorboards, virtually destroying whole houses that they infest. Although you shouldn’t have to be worried about Formosan termites if you ate in NJ, residents of southern states such as Alabama, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas should know that there are these ferocious “super termites” in their states.
Preventing Termites
Even before identifying the termites, there are steps you can take to decrease the likelihood that you ever find a termite in your house in the first place, or to prevent them from coming back if you have had a termite infestation in the past.
Most important to eliminating the possibility of the subterranean type of termite in NJ is to make sure you don’t have wet or damp wood in or around your house. This means that you need to immediately address any sort of pipe or faucet leakage in your house, especially if there is a leak in a room with a lot of wood in it. Another important part of avoiding damp or wet wood is to get rid of standing water which may be collecting on your roof. This means that regularly clearing and cleaning your gutters, or hiring a professional to do so, is also key to avoiding a subterranean termite infestation. Finally, in order to avoid water building up in the wood in your house’s foundation, it’s crucial to avoid running lots of water towards your house’s base when working outside. If you are using a hose for an extended period of time outside your house, make sure the water is running away from your house rather than towards its foundation so that it doesn’t lead to soaking wet wood.
Because it is damp wood that provides the best environment for subterranean termites, it is especially important to take preventative measures if you live near a body of water. It is also important to pay attention to the changing seasons – springtime is when termite attacks are the most likely, as most termite species mate in the springtime and are therefore more active and numerous during this time.
Getting Rid of Termites
Once you have identified these types of termites in NJ in your home, the options for getting rid of them yourself are fairly limited. The surefire way of dealing with a termite infestation is to reach out to Termiguard. We have been helping NJ customers get rid of termites and other pests for over 20 years. However, there are a few steps that you can take on your own that might help in addressing a termite infestation.
The most important thing to do when you have termites in your home is to try to get rid of everything that the termites might be feeding on so that they have nothing to eat and eventually die off. This means getting rid of any stumps or logs in or around your house, especially if they are damp or rotting. You should also cover any vents or openings into your house with screens or grates that have holes that are too small for termites to get through to prevent them from invading your house further. You should also make sure that the wood on the outside of your house is not making direct contact with the soil below your house.
You can also buy special termite insecticides at your local hardware or gardening store and treat affected areas with it. This type of insecticide can be applied directly to the soil in which termites are living or to the wood on your house that has been infested. Make sure to follow the directions carefully on the specific insecticide that you buy, and insecticides can be dangerous if used improperly and might not work well without expert guidance. Ultimately, it’s best to hire an extermination professional, like the ones at Termiguard, as we have abundant experience in using insecticides and other tools in a safe and effective way.
When you work with the termite exterminators at Termiguard, we can offer you much more than just insecticides and help with applying them. Termiguard termite treatments involve a completely free initial consultation, in which our experts will evaluate the extent of the termite problem and the best course of action, and then the implementation of our signature 4 Step Process. Termiguard exterminators will visit your home as much as is necessary to completely rid your house of termites. Our professionals will also work with you to implement the best available preventative measures to ensure that the termites will never return. No matter what type of termite you have in NJ, contact us today to put your mind at ease.
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