Part of owning a house is the responsibility of knowing the possible termite infestations that may occur around your property in the years to come. Understanding how termites live, what they like to eat, and how they thrive and survive can save you a lot of money which makes this part very important.
Termites are pests that can destroy your house and cause a lot of trouble for you if they are left untreated and more so, undetected. The damage they can do to your home can be very costly to fix which is why it is essential that you also get a little bit of knowledge about the materials that you will be used in building your home to avoid termite infestations in the future.
We know that termites like to eat wood so it is important that you know the type of wood to use in your home to avoid attracting these pests. Many homeowners prefer to use cedar because it is known to be termite resistant as well as durable. But does cedar really live up to the expectations? This type of wood costs more than the other types of wood but before finally deciding whether to use cedar in your home, you need to learn a little bit more about it to be sure that you are making the right choice of wood.
It is true that cedar is not as attractive to termites as with any other types of wood because, for one reason, this type of wood has a substance called allelochemicals which make it termite resistant as well as a repellent for other insects. These substances make the wood denser and darker and can be found in either the core or the heartwood of a tree. So then to answer the question, “do termites eat cedar?” yes they will eat cedar if they have no other means of a food source. Another essential information about cedar is that its outside core is not resistant to termites.
Why do termites like to eat wood?
Termites eat wood due to cellulose which is a kind of substance that can be found in a plant’s cell wall which provides its rigidity. Cellulose can also be found in some items that we normally use in our daily lives such as cotton, rayon clothing, linen, and other paper products. A termite carries bacteria in its gut which has enzymes that can transform cellulose into nutrients that are necessary for them to live. Aside from termites, other animals such as sheep, cows, and horses are also capable of doing this.
What do termites eat? a termite can feast on any type of wood that will be able to provide it with cellulose.
What are the types of termites and what kind of wood they like?
Two kinds of termites mainly affect homes and other properties in the United States, and these are the: drywood termites and the subterranean termites. These specific species of termites have different ways of making an infestation, and also have different preferences on the kind of wood to eat. Because of these reasons, knowing the kind of wood that termites eat is very important when choosing which wood to use for your home. Also having knowledge about termite species can save you a lot!
Subterranean termites thrive in an environment that is moist and is accessible to the soil. This kind of termite dwells underground and makes tubes out of mud which they use as a link between their food source and their underground home. Subterranean termites prefer soft springwood, and therefore like pine more than cedar.
Drywood termites on the other hand can cause damage in hard summerwood as well as springwood. This kind of termite feasts on dry wood such as hardwood floors, paneling, furniture, and the like. They can survive even without moisture from the soil.
Mulch that does not attract termites
Homeowners should not just be worried about termites eating the wood in their homes, but they should also give their yards a thought. If they plan to use mulch in their landscaping whether to create a more visually appealing garden or to avoid the growth of weed or enhance their soil’s fertility or to preserve its moisture, they should also be aware of the kind of mulch to use.
Though mulch is not something that a termite would eat, it can create an environment that can be attractive for termites when it provides moisture. When this happens, your home becomes vulnerable to termite infestation and will be more accessible to termites which then will become a nightmare for you.
You can still use mulch in your yard but simply make sure that you are using those that are not enticing to termites. Some of these that are safe to use for the home and avoid termites are cedar, cypress, southern tidewater red cypress, heartwood, eucalyptus, and melaleuca. If you want to have more guarantee that you will not have termites that eat the wood in your yard, might as well just use the synthetic ones like gravel or other rubberized materials.
Protecting your home
Termites eat wood and we already know this. The damage that they can make to our property is certainly no laughing matter either as it can create a dent in the pocket. By understanding and knowing what these termites eat and what kind of wood they prefer, or if yellow cedar is a naturally resistant wood, we can definitely try to avoid having these termites in our house.
However, a certain mistake or oversight can easily make our property so vulnerable to termites, and if in case you get an infestation despite choosing the right wood, protect your home by getting in touch with a pest control specialist. Get a name email where you can contact them so you can schedule for wood termite inspection. These pest control specialists will be able to tell you everything you need to know about termites including what termites eat and what kind of wood they prefer. These professionals can tell you as well about the possible entry points for the termites, so this way you will be able to have some tips as to how you can avoid having termites in the future.
Always have a name email of a specialist ready so that if ever termites start feasting on your wood, you can call them right away and they can start with the appropriate treatment for your house. Termites specialists will be able to give suggestions on what kind of treatment you need to solve your problems with termites, whether you need a treated wood, or pressure-treated wood, etc. These termites professionals can also suggest some preventive ways that you can do to avoid having infestations and to not attract termites in your property.
Having a name email at the hand of your trusted pest control specialist can definitely give peace of mind and you never have to worry about those termites again. Getting a termites professional to help you with your termites concerns is very important especially if you are a homeowner because you surely would want to protect your home from all the elements that can destroy it. If however, you are still in the process of selecting one, try calling a few and get as much name email as you can to find the right one for you. Some provide an inspection for free so you would definitely want to avail of that.
Being an owner of the property also means having a lot of responsibilities that include protecting it from any type of elements that could cause harm because having something fixed would always mean shelling out some cash out of your pocket. No one likes spending on extra things especially issues such as termites infestation and the like because you would rather spend your money on other nicer and more worthy stuff than on termites right?
By having some knowledge about these pests including the kinds of environments where they thrive and survive, what they feast on, and their types of species we can get ahead of them by not having the components they need in our property whether inside the house or in the yard. It may not always be easy, but it would be a great help to constantly be vigilant of the conditions within our property because this way, it does not only save us time and money but more so, the effort and the stress that comes with dealing with pests. After all, not having anything to fix means having a healthy environment as well and you are spared from experiencing any other hassle.
Having pests and dealing with some is not really uncommon especially as your property age in years, but if you know how to prevent them and know how to take care of it really well then you would have nothing big to worry about later. It would also be very helpful if you have a personal list of professionals that can help you with things such as these because they can properly guide you in avoiding these kinds of nightmares.
If ever you get to have these types of concerns, they can easily help you solve the issue. Just remember to always search for the ones that you can trust to be sure that you will not be ripped off and that the job will be done properly. You can have these kinds of professionals by asking for referrals from your friends or by checking out some reviews or getting feedback from their past clients.
