What To Do About Termite Infestations In Louisiana

What Do Termites Look Like?

Termites are technically a relative of the cockroach, but they look a lot more like tiny, white ants to the naked eye. Like ants, termites are social insects. They live in huge colonies with a strict social hierarchy with a queen on the top and workers on the bottom. Also similar to ants, queens are the reproductive members of the colony. 

However, knowing that termites look very similar to white ants may not do you any good because your chances of seeing termites are slim – even if you have a significant infestation. Termites eat the wood they infest, so they rarely leave the nest and are almost never spotted in the open. 

The one time termites do leave the safety of the colony is when they swarm. This is when mature termite colonies send out males and females with long, white wings to mate and start new colonies nearby. These winged adults don’t travel far before pairing off, so if you see a termite swarm on your property, there’s a good chance you have a termite colony. 

What Is The Best Way To Identify Termite Damage?

Termite damage can be subtle at first, but you’ll know it when it starts to progress. A lot of termite damage can look similar to water damage. So “water” damage around your house is a concern, especially if there’s no moisture. Other termite damage can include:

• Bulging walls
• Sagging ceilings
• Bucked floors
• Hollow sounding walls
• Pinholes in drywall
• Warped decking or railing 
• Tunnels through exposed wood

If you start to see signs of damage around your home that you can’t explain, you need to get in contact with a Louisiana pest control company specializing in termites right away. 

Is There A Way To Prevent Termites For Good?

Termite removal is exponentially more expensive than termite prevention. That’s why you need to take steps to keep termites in the wild where they belong. You can do this through a combination of moisture control, wood-to-ground contact elimination, and physical barriers. 

• Use dehumidifiers to prevent condensation in places like basements and crawl spaces. 
• Fix moisture issues like leaky pipes or clogged drainage. 
• Store firewood off the ground and away from your home’s exterior.
• Trim branches and shrubs away from your home’s exterior. 
• Leave at least six inches of bare ground or gravel between your home’s foundation and any mulch. 
• Seal up cracks and holes in your home’s siding and foundation to keep termites out.

Having an annual termite inspection from a qualified pest control company is another effective step you can take to stop termite infestations in their tracks. 

Professional Termite Control In Louisiana

If you see signs of termites in your home, don’t try to deal with it on your own. DIY termite control is rarely effective at eliminating the entire infestation. Most of the time, these approaches just make the termites move around or temporarily reduce their numbers. The only way to truly get rid of a termite infestation is to let the experts at Havard Pest Control handle it. We’ve got the tools and techniques to eliminate every termite on your property.