How to avoid damages from termites

Experts say there are only two kinds of home: One that has termites and one that will. But this does not mean waiting helplessly until your house falls down. As homeowner, there are things you could do to avoid serious damage to structures inside your property.

• Don’t leave piles of wood sitting in your backyard. You will find that termites are such excellent foragers they will get to these piles of wood in no time and then use them to get to other points in your house. If our property is being renovated, check if any scaffolding materials were left behind by the carpenter or construction worker. Cellulosic materials like paper also serve as termite food so clear the area of cement paper bags.

• Check for openings and cracks in walls. Even when you live in a concrete building, termites can get to the upper floors of your home/property and damage your valuable ‘Malang’ by traversing cracks in the structure. Regularly inspect your store room and make sure your file boxes, tents, cardboard boxes and stored documents are safe from termites.

• Do you declare the war over once the queen termite is caught? Here’s news for you: Life will go on for these termites even after the queen is captured because winged male and female termites can spawn new termite colonies. Swarming reproductive are mature male and female termites with wings that are released by the colony as potential kings and queens of new termite monarchies. These swarmers disperse at various times of the year from their parent colony depending on factors like moisture, light intensity and temperature. The reproductives then lose their wings, pair off in a favorable site to start a new kingdom. You can have multiple termite colonies attacking your home all at once so capturing one queen termite may not mean the end of your infestation woes.

• Don’t ignore the problem, act now. If you discover discarded wings near windows or blistering beneath painted wood, it’s time to call the exterminator. The cost of protecting your home from voracious termites is very little compared to spending for major structural repairs. Think of it as an investment to protect your bigger investment.

• Make a background check on the anti-termite technicians before you employ their services. Check if the pestcon group is registered with the Fertilizers and Pesticides Authority. Be wary of groups that quote bargain-basement costs; cheap service does not necessarily translate to better service. When technicians explain the process of termite extermination, be attentive and ask questions so you know what’s going on.

Now, Filipino home and property owners can have peace of mind. Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System, the anti-termite technology that effectively protects the White House, the Statue of Liberty and many homes and properties across Asia, Europe, Australia and the US is available in the Philippines. Sentricon, developed by industry leader Down AgroSciences, takes advantage of natural termite behavior and effectively gets subterranean where they live.