Not only does your house represent a significant investment, it is also your home. At The Mims Firm, P.C., in Alabama, we have a deep understanding of the damage that termites can do to a building. You may wonder what options are available for preventing termites, or for destroying them if you have already begun to see signs of their presence.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are several types of treatments for termites that you may choose for your home.
Nonchemical treatments
Construction companies may include a physical barrier such as steel mesh or sand to keep termites away from a new home. Often, if the home is a crawl space home, metal shields are installed on the concrete block piers in an effort to repel termites.
Chemical treatments
During the construction, the Contractor should have arranged for a pretreat of the soil prior to either preparing footers or pouring the slab on a home. This is generally required by the building code.
The construction company may have sprayed borates on your home’s wood during the building process to prevent infestation. This is not generally considered an effective treatment unless the soil has also been pretreated.
You may opt to have a termiticide applied to the soil to create a barrier. These treatments are preferred if there is an active infestation if the chemical is properly applied according to label requirements. However, if the person applying the treatment does so improperly, it may contaminate your home and the drinking water wells in the area without affecting termites. In addition, if the chemicals are improperly applied it reduces the effectiveness of the chemical.
Termite bait systems are another type of insecticide, but they tend to reduce the overall impact of the chemical on the environment and your health. However, The bait systems are slow-acting, and we generally prefer to see a liquid treatment in conjunction with the baiting systems in order to provide an effective barrier.
For more information about issues regarding termite inspections and treatments, and legal matters relating to termites, please visit our webpage.
