If there is one pest that you want to stay far away from your home, it's termites. They can destroy any part of your house that is made of wood, and they are extremely difficult to remove on your own. Here's what you should know about termites and the damage they can cause.
The Destruction
Termites are considered a destructive pest due to the rapid rate that they destroy wood. A lone termite is not going to cause any notable damage, but these pests live in colonies that are pretty big. By working together, damage can occur quickly that is very hard to repair.
Termites attack more than just the foundation of your home since they will also destroy hardwood flooring. Early treatment that leads to extermination will limit the damage to the structure of your home but can cause cosmetic damage to hardwood flooring. You may notice scratches along the surface that can only be fixed by refinishing your floors. If you ignore the termites, the damage can be big enough that it requires replacing floorboards.
Any furniture made with wood can be damaged by termites as well, causing you to live with the damage or pay to have the item replaced.
The Extermination
The best thing you can do to exterminate termites is to contact a local pest extermination company. They'll start by working on the outside of your house to prevent termites from finding their way inside. Chemicals are often used to treat the area surrounding your home, which includes placing poison into the ground that should kill termites burrowing under the surface.
For the termites hiding in your home, the best method to get rid of them is fumigation. By using gas to kill the termites, it will be able to find them anywhere in your home that they are hiding. Fumigation is a process that requires tenting off your home so that the gas can penetrate every nook and cranny of your house, which means you'll need to spend a few nights at a hotel for the poisonous gas to work its magic. Alternative exterminations include using microwaves to target an area where you know termites are located, which doesn't involve leaving your home for the process to be effective.
For more info about dealing with termites, be sure to ask a pest control company in your area. If you try to do this job on your own, chances are that you won't be able to completely remove the termites from your home.