• First remember that termites thrive on water and wood. They need both to survive.
• Keep firewood away from the house. Termites love to meet for brunch on dead firewood, so keep it away from the dwelling.
• Store firewood outdoors until needed.
• Stack firewood so that air easily flows through the pile.
• Keep firewood raised off the ground.
• If you find wood destroying insects in your firewood, burn all the wood promptly.
• Repair plumbing and roof leaks promptly.
• Regularly clean gutters and downspouts.
• Direct water runoff away from your home.
• Seal up cracked cement joints around the base of your home. Termites can enter a crack 1/32 of an inch wide.
• Never allow moisture around your foundation.
• Reduce humidity in crawl spaces using proper ventilation openings.
• Do not allow vegetation to grow over your vents.
• When renovating, never bury wood scraps.
• Make sure that lattice work is at least 6-8 inches off the ground.
• Pea gravel and crushed stone are preferable to landscaping mulch. If mulch is used, avoid contact with wood siding. Use mulch sparingly close to the structure.
• Make sure that wood steps are off the ground.
• Avoid all wood-to-ground contact.
• Check fences, stairs and trellises for damage.
• Avoid affixing wooden trellises to your home.
• Check around dryer vents and air conditioner condensation pipes for possible access points.
• Pre-treat prior to construction.
• Remove tree stumps.
• Never allow standing water near your home.
• Remember that infested wood may look rotten.
• Your weekly lawn maintenance time is a good opportunity to keep watch for potential problems.

If you sign a contract to purchase a home and the termite inspection turns up damage, don't be too alarmed. Advise the seller to get a different company to provide an estimate of the damage. Sometimes the termite companies who perform the inspections figure that they are a shoe-in to get the repair work so they inflate the repair costs. Advise the seller to obtain a repair quote from the company who performed the inspection as well as a repair estimate from a separate company. Make sure that the repair work has been completed prior to closing.  

Termite Video:

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