Termites burrow underground in constant search for dead wood to eat. If they come across your home’s foundation during their search for wood, they will follow any cracks in the foundation looking for a passage to you home’s wood frame above the slab. They can also enter through:
- any spaces where underground plumbing pipes penetrate the building slab
- places where exterior wood on you home contacts soil
- mud tunnels constructed on the exterior foundation wall connecting the ground with the home’s above slab wood frame
- any firewood which may be stacked against you home
A termite colony of 250,000 termites can eat over 20 feet of 2×4 lumber per year. Signs that termites are sharing your home with you include:
- sudden appearance of winged termites
- piles of termite wings
- existence of mud tunnels indicated above
- finding an actual termite (chances are he is not alone)
Steps to avoid creating an environment conducive to termites include:
- keep shrubbery trimmed away from house (don’t let bushes touch the home)
- store firewood away from building
- keep watch for bubbling paint or mud tunnels
- keep gutters and downspouts clean and un-clogged
- fix faulty or leaky plumbing
Boracare is a borate-based termiticide, insecticide, and fungicide concentrate applied directly to the wood framing after framing and MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) roughs are complete. Boracare penetrates the wood on contact and renders the wood inedible to termites.
Premise is a non-repellent termite system which creates a treated zone between the soil (underneath you home where termites live) and your home. This treated zone is created by spraying a Premise liquid solution which bonds to the compacted soil under your home prior to pouring the concrete slab. Upon attempting to enter your home, termites enter the zone, ingest or contact the Premise and then die after spreading the Premise to other termites. Read more about Premise here:
Termidor protects your home in a manner similar to Premise. Read more about Termidor here: