Termite Infestation Damage | How You Can Prevent It

If you live in what Modesto termite control companies identify as high termite areas, you need to have your home checked for these pests at least once a year. These termite inspections can help you protect your home against termites that fly from their main colony in search of a new home to attack. If you wait too long, termites can enter your home and undermine its structural integrity and its value.

Fixing termite infestation damage can cost you a small fortune. This is why it is essential to be constantly on your toes and to enforce the necessary controls to prevent a termite invasion.

What Do Termites Thrive On?

Before termites cause extreme damage, there must be a few elements in place. First, termites need moisture and if your home has a steady supply of moisture, it becomes highly vulnerable. Another key element required for termite damage is access. This access may come in the form of wood in contact with the ground, moist crawl spaces, and cracks in the foundation.

It should be noted that termites can be quite resourceful and can wind up inside your house even if there are no noticeable access areas or even moisture. Some colonies bring moisture from the ground and get inside your home through an unseen crack.

How fast can termite infestation damage accumulate?

According to experts, it will take a single termite 3,144 years to eat all the wood inside a 1,000 square foot property. Not much damage, you might think. However, be aware that termites live in colonies with populations that can number anywhere between a few thousand to millions.

On top of that, some properties can be invaded by not just one colony, bringing the amount of potential damage to your home to an extreme level.

On average, it will take between two to three years for a single colony to become mature with a population of 60,000. Subterranean termites, on the other hand, can easily breach the millionth mark or more.

An average colony can eat through a foot of a 2X4 timber in just six months. From this computation, a termite colony may take about 8,500 years to fully consume your home. That pace can become quicker if your home is attacked by Formosan termites. That may seem like a long period of time, but don’t let these numbers fool you. In just a short amount of time, termites can wreak serious damage, compromising the structural integrity of your home and putting your family in serious danger.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to handle the expenses that termite infestation damage can create. Call the professionals at AAI Pest Control and have termite inspection done. Prevention is key when it comes to these pesky insects.