A sighting of several termite control trucks appearing at your neighbor’s house could be cause for concern. But just because termites have decided to knock on the door of your friend’s home doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to pack your bags. However, it could mean that you are more at risk, which warrants precautionary measures to be taken. Here’s what you need to know before you map out a plan of action.
Termites can spread in multiple ways
Subterranean termites, which are prevalent in the Greater Baton Rouge area, generally travel through flying or swarming during the reproductive season. While swarming season occurs in the Spring, a colony can also spread through mud tubes and through exterior wood, like firewood or furniture, any time of year. So if you were to borrow a wooden bench from your neighbor that was unknowingly infested with termites, then you could have inadvertently offered them a new dwelling place in your home.
Termites like to expand to similar structures
If you live in a community where many of the homes were built around the same time and with the same materials, your soil moisture level is probably also similar. Since subterranean termites travel through the soil looking for new cellulose-based food sources, close proximity could make your property an easy target. Once they zero in on a new structure, there’s nothing stopping them from easily entering into your foundation without your knowledge.
Termites often pop up during new construction
Whether your home is the new one on the block, or new houses are going up in close vicinity to you, termites are often identified as a result of new construction projects. Because the land used for a new-build could already have a number of active termites hidden in its soil that become disrupted when the process begins, they are left with no choice but to find a new place to feed. This often happens when developers take out old termite-infested trees and bury them under the new soil of a neighborhood.
Professionals are required to properly stop the spread of termites
Termites can tunnel and swarm the length of a football field, making a verified infestation next door too close for comfort. The best way to protect yourself? Take preventative measures with a professional termite control company as soon as (or before) you move in so that you won’t have to worry about what happens at your neighbor’s house in the future. However, if you didn’t have preventative measures in place and your neighbor spots termites, a professional termite control company is the only failsafe way to have your home properly inspected and to begin any necessary treatment. As the greater Baton Rouge area’s leader in termite protection, The Bug Man has the expertise and innovative means to deliver the most cutting-edge inspection and treatment solutions. Contact us today to learn more about our termite control services.
