How to Prevent Termites in Your Home

Boston is a great place to live, with a variety of local sights and attractions. There is a lot to take advantage of here! With Fenway Park, many local parks and museums, and all of the historical parts of our city dating back to the Revolutionary War, what is there not to like? Unfortunately for us, termites have made the greater Boston area their home as well, and they also seem to love it here. As termite control professionals, we wanted to share some advice on how to protect your home from these damaging insects.

HOW TO PREVENT TERMITES:

• Standing water. Check your home inside and out for standing water, and fix any problems right away.
• Wood. Keep firewood and spare construction materials as far from your home as possible – at least 30 feet away. Remove any dead trees or stumps from your property.
• Vegetation. Thick vegetation can house termites, so inspect these areas and make sure all vegetation is at least 6-8 feet away from your house.
• Mulch. If you use mulch, don’t use it in areas close to your home. Termites can live here and quickly move from the mulch to your foundation.

HOW TO GET RID OF TERMITES:

• Clove bud oil. This will kill termites. Just put some in a spray bottle and spray areas where they are living or any termites you see.
• Aloe. Crush the plant and put it in a sprayer. Add a lot of water so the plant is submerged and wait a few hours, then strain the liquid and add 5 parts water for every 1 part of the aloe solution. Spray this onto termites to kill them.
• Vinegar. This will deter other termites from entering your home while also eradicating existing termites. You can use vinegar in its pure form or diluted 50/50 with water.
• Wet cardboard. Use cardboard boxes to set up a termite trap. Wet the cardboard and place it near a possible termite colony. Once these pests start feeding on the cellulose in the box, you can remove it and burn it.

TERMITES ARE A BIG PROBLEM IN THE BOSTON AREA

Every year, termites cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Preventing termites from infesting the wood of your home can save you lots of money and stress. If your home becomes infested, you’ll have to call professionals like ourselves to exterminate them, and you have to repair all of the structural damage they caused. Termite control is what we do best, and we hope these tips make it so they never infest your home.