Termites
How to get rid of termites
Termites can destroy structural framing in short order. Learn the signs of infestation, inspect every year or two and consult a professional to confirm your suspicions. Above all, be persistent--your enemy is!

Make a thorough inspection
Steps:
- In warm months, you may spot dry-wood termites when they swarm and come out of hidden infested areas.
- Look for structural wood damage at the first-floor level, especially where the foundation meets the walls and below exterior doors. First search carefully with a flashlight. The damage may not be visible, so thump the wood with the heel of a large screwdriver and probe with a heavy-duty awl in search of hollowed-out wood.
- Look for very small tan, reddish-brown or black droppings.
- Inspect the foundation walls inside and out in search of mud tubes. Subterranean termites live in the soil and close to a moisture source but feed on structural wood members, which they access by building mud passageways extending from the soil to the wood.
Steps:
- If you find a problem (or enough evidence to suspect one), call a professional to confirm your suspicions and discuss options for elimination, control, prevention, treating existing wood and making repairs using naturally termite-resistant or treated lumber.
Steps:
- Repair any water leaks or dripping outside faucets.
- Control roof water by correcting gutter problems.
- Correct grading and other drainage problems near the foundation.
- Remove or elevate all wood in direct contact with soil, such as a stack of firewood.
- Inspect, repair or cover all foundation vents with insect screening.
- Caulk your home's exterior to fill all cracks, especially between the foundation and house walls.
- Call in the pros for treatment and structural repairs.
- Replace white light bulbs, which attract insects, with yellow or pale-amber ones in your outdoor fixtures.
- Although any treatment should last about five years, provided there are no untreated gaps in the chemical barrier, Inspection every two years are recommended.
- Know your enemy. Learn about insect behavior, their eating and nesting habits, and the signs of their presence.
Who Can Help You With This?
Echo Home Inspection recommends:
Terminator2 Pest Control, Inc.
you can reach them at 847-428-8100tell them Echo Home Inspection sent you!!