As cooler fall and winter weather arrives, certain pests such as termites may not be as visible as they are during the spring and summer months. This does not mean that they are hibernating or are inactive, but that they have often just gone further underground or may be inhabiting places where they can benefit from the heat of your home, such as in your crawl spaces and attics. Just because you do not see termites during winter weather, do not let your guard down. There are a few things that you will want to ensure that you do not do, if you want to ensure that they do damage your home come spring. 

Do Not Pile Wood Up Near Your Home

Wintertime often means a roaring fire in your fireplace. The flames of the fire may be keeping you and your family nice and toasty, but your woodpile may be providing a nice toasty home for a colony of termites. Although you may be tempted to create a woodpile up against your home where it will be convenient to reach, this is not a good idea.

There are approximately 3,000 species of termites. Of these approximately 50 species are found in North America. Most of them are a part of three ecological groups. These are: 

• Subterranean
• Dry wood
• Moist wood

While the Subterranean termites live underground the other two groups are attracted to wood and cellulose. Creating a woodpile near your home not only gives the termites a warm, dry place to winter, but it will also allow them access to the wood products in your home. 

Do Not Disturb A Termite Nest

Termites give new meaning to survival of the fittest. They are eusocial creatures who work towards the common goal of the survival of the colony. This means that if they suspect something is threatening the colony, they will close off the colony to the threat even if it means sacrificing some of the lives of some of the members.

What this means is when you find and disturb a nest of termites, they immediately begin to find ways to minimize the threat that you, or any pesticides that you may attempt to use, will pose to the colony. This will often mean that they will go deeper into the ground, block off the section of the colony you have disturbed, or even relocate the colony until they feel that the threat has passed. Unfortunately, relocation may mean deeper into your home, and not seeing them does not mean that they are actually gone. 

Do Not Attempt To Get Rid Of Them On Your Own

Although there are many DIY termite products on the market, many of them will only get rid of the termites that you can see. It often has very little effect on those that you cannot see. As previously stated, any attempt on your part to exterminate them will only allow them to build up additional defenses against the tactics you are using.

If you suspect that you have a termite infestation in or around your home, contact a professional pest exterminating company, such as E & R Exterminating Company, Inc. They will have the tools, knowledge, and resources to not only inspect your home to see if you have an infestation, but to deal with any infestation that they may find.

Professional exterminators have access to various pest control options which may include liquid and solid baits, as well as various monitoring devices, which will ensure that the termites are gone once and for all. They will know how to use various means of extermination in a manner that will not be hazardous to you, your pets, or your family members. Termites can do substantial damage to your home in a short period of time. Do not take a chance, call for an inspection before the weather gets cold.