Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year. The holiday kicks off a season of gratitude and giving. One of the mainstays of Thanksgiving is the traditional meal. Many pictures and paintings depict a happy family gathered around a table filled with harvest vegetables, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, apple strudel, stuffing, and, of course, the turkey. While some families change the type of foods spread out before them, termites enjoy the same meal day in and day out. They will nibble on houses twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The result leads to billions of dollars of damage to homes across America, including in Hayward. You can thwart their attempts on your home with a termite inspection from a reputable pest control company.
The Humble Termite’s Path to Their Feast
It is common knowledge that termites eat wood. Their voracity for eating wood has been depicted in cartoons for decades. Their appetite is insatiable, but it is also helpful out in nature since they break down cellulose. Unfortunately, when these pests are in your home, it can get frustrating. Often, you only know there has been an invasion once much damage has been done. Understanding how they find their sources can help you ensure you don’t lay out a delectable spread for them to partake in:
1. They eat all things cellulose based. Think about everything that has cellulose in it. For example, wood, plants, carpet, insulation, cardboard, sheetrock paper, fabric, and animal feces have cellulose.
2. Finding food is a matter of rooting around until they get lucky. The fact is that cellulose is abundant both above and below ground. If termites tunnel long enough, they will hit gold.
3. They follow their senses. Termites will follow objects like rocks, tree roots, and cracks in your foundation to find food sources. They will seek out moisture and fungi, too.
4. Workers head out in droves to locate food. The wider you cast your net, the more fish you catch. The more workers tunneling dirt, the better their odds of finding food.
5. Teamwork makes the dream work. These bugs are experts in helping one another. When one termite finds a source of food, he gets reinforcements. They can find their way back to your house by leaving a chemical trail.
6. Weird things with cellulose in them. You may not even think about some of the items in your home being attractive to a bug, but you might be surprised at what has cellulose in it: books, headphones, paper money, shoes, and towels!
Don’t Feed the Uninvited Guests – Get a Termite Inspection This Fall
Enjoy the season of thanksgiving with a termite-free home. Times Up Termite can make that happen with our thorough termite inspections. We methodically trace through your house and crawlspace, looking for evidence of wood-boring pests. We will provide you with a report with our recommended solutions upon completion. A couple of options include the eco-friendly, reduced-risk pesticide, Altriset. Often it is used in homes with children, pets, or pregnant moms. We also recommend Trelona bait traps by BASF to eradicate termites. Schedule your free inspection today!
Call 510-568-7200 to speak with our team of experienced, licensed professionals at Times Up Termite, Inc. You can also contact us online to request a free termite inspection in Hayward.