Downspouts are designed to channel rainwater from the gutters to the ground. When downspouts are discharging water directly at the foundation of the home, it leads to moist soil which termites love.

Downspout extenders can be purchased at most hardware stores and are less than $10 each. These extenders will allow the rainwater to flow further away from the house which reduces the likelihood of termites.

Clogged, misaligned, or damaged gutters can allow rainwater to overflow. The water often overflows the gutter and ends up directly next to the foundation causing moisture to build up.

Ensuring that your gutters are clean and working properly will reduce the amount of water near your foundation and prevent termite infestations.

Another cause of moisture near a foundation of a home is from the garden hose. Hoses can sometimes leak where they attach to the house, from damage or a hole in the hose, or from a small leak at the tip.

By keeping your garden hose off when not in use, and ensuring it is in good working order can help reduce termite problems.

Another cause of moisture issues around a home’s foundation is from rainwater directly. If the soil or concrete around a home is channeling the rainwater towards the house, it can build up and cause moisture problems.

Ensure that the soil and concrete around your home are channeling and funneling the water AWAY from the house.

Mulch around a house can make your landscaping look beautiful. Too much mulch though, can trap moisture and provide a perfect habitat for termites.

Ensure that your mulch isn’t trapping water and moisture by making sure it doesn’t get too deep.

Additionally, mulch is made of wood which is the primary food source of termites.

Sump pumps are designed to remove water from under a home’s foundation. The water collects in a sump pit and is pumped outside.

Ensure that your sump pump is discharging the water AWAY from the house. Just like with your downspouts, the hardware store sells extensions for the sump pump that allow the water to discharge farther from the house.

Any wood in contact with the ground can lead to termite issues. Termites primary food source is wood so avoid having any wood being in direct contact with the ground.

This includes lumber, firewood, and any other wood products being directly on the ground.

In nature, termites provide a very beneficial job in the forest which is to help decompose and remove fallen trees. This job becomes a problem when the tree stump or its root systems are near the house.

Trees should be planted away from the house. If you have a tree that was removed from near the house, the stump should be removed.

By removing tree stumps and roots, we remove a termite food source near the house.

When you can’t avoid having wood in contact with the soil, then using treated lumber is critical in preventing termites.

Whether the wood itself is treated, or the material of the wood is naturally insect-resistant, the wood must be protected against termites.

Never use un-treated wood for any structure or support that will be in direct contact with the soil or ground.

Since the termites we have in Pennsylvania are subterranean, you can use termite monitors that go into the soil. Termite monitors have a wood or cellulose material in them which will “attract” termites.

Termite monitors will not treat the termites or eradicate them. The monitors only allow you to see if you have termites before they infest the house.

If termites are found in the monitors, then a termite treatment should be performed to prevent termite infestations to the home.

There are termite monitors that also can treat for termites as well. These monitoring and baiting stations provide visual inspection of termites and actively treat the termite colony.

Annual and regular termite inspections can help you discover termite activity before it becomes a big problem.

We have a whole series on what termite activity looks like that you can find here.

Most pest control companies provide termite inspections for a small fee.

Finding termite activity early can prevent massive termite damage later.

Termite control companies also provide preventative termite treatments. For new construction jobs, termite preventative services are required before the concrete foundations are poured.

For existing homes, a preventative termite treatment can be performed. We like to use the very best termite control product available called Termidor HE.

Only a licensed professional such as Prudential Pest Solutions can provide this service and it should not be attempted by a homeowner.

Prudential Pest Solutions services all of Southeastern Pennsylvania including:

• Berks County PA
• Chester County PA
• Lancaster County PA
• Many More