Getting Rid of Termites

Without a doubt, one of the worst things that any home owner could hear is "You have termites." If you find yourself faced with this situation, you will need to get rid of them. Luckily there are a few things that you can do to ensure you are getting rid of termites. Granted, some of them will require that you get a little dirty, but isn't that better than having your home fall apart?

1. Look around. The first step in getting rid of termites is to see whether or not you have actually got any. This will not only tell you whether or not you have a problem, but also where the problem may lie. Typically you will want to look at all your woodwork whenever the weather changes (such as seasonal changes) since that is when termites are typically the most active. This means that you will also want to go into the dank and dark (and potentially dirty) places in your home to ensure that there are no termites.
2. Seek confirmation. In the event that you see signs of termites you will want to get a second opinion. This means that you will want to have a professional come over and look at what you have found, and even do their own inspection. Often professional exterminators are willing to conduct an inspections since they believe that will get some work when they are finished. Those who are not willing to do a free inspection will only charge a nominal fee for the same reason.
3. Remove and replace. While you can always use some pesticides to kill off termites you run the risk of missing some and still having the problem a few months down the road. The best option is to actually remove, and replace the afflicted wood. This means that you will need to do a bit of carpentry work, or hire someone to do the work for you. Be aware that if the termite infested wood is a structural in nature you will want to have a professional do the work for you to ensure you don't have any additional issues.
4. Fix the problem. After, or while, you are doing the work on your wood and termites you will also want to repair the problem that caused the termites to move in in the first place. Typically this is due to wet, rotting wood. This dampness can be caused by a leaky or broken pipe, or something similar that is near the wood. Locate and fix these problems as quickly as possible, or you can expect to have the same problem in the future.

Keep in mind that if the termite infestation is too large you will want to call a professional to deal with the problem. This will ensure that you not only get rid of the termites, it can help ensure that you identify the problem that lead to the infestation in the first place. When you have the termites removed, inspect your wood work to ensure that it is still structurally sound.