3416 W. 92 Terrace, Leawood, Kansas 66206

Article: From the Inspector's Desk, by: Robert Mueller, Advance Inspection L.L.C.

April and May are the prime times for termites to swarm or change geographic locations. This generally occurs on a warm day or after rainstorms. A walk around the outside and inside of the house twice a year only takes a few minutes and can help reduce the possibility of infestation. The following are significant things that you can do to eliminate or reduce the chance for new termite infestation:

1. Keep the exterior of your home dry. Make sure there are no chronically damp areas in the siding, facia boards behind the gutters, or around the bottom edges of the siding where it meets the foundation. Termites cannot live without moisture.
2. Termites eat cellulose (wood and wood products). Keep firewood and lumber away from the foundation. Keep the property free of rotted wood, tree limbs and old leaves.
3. Maintain a gap between the siding - or other wood products such as stairs - and the ground so you can see the start of a problem.
4. If there are cracks in the foundation or crawl space, seal them up. Termites need only a very small hole to enter the house.
5. Look for mud tunnels running along or up the foundation walls on the outside and inside of the house. Termites hate sunlight, dryness and air. Any distortion in wood surfaces, drywall, wallpaper, or other paper or cellulose surfaces could indicate the start of an infestation.
6. In addition to mud tunnels you are looking for sawdust or bug wings. Soft areas in normally solid wood surfaces may indicate problems.
7. If you have any doubts, schedule a professional inspection on a regular basis.
8. You can obtain more information about termites from the Bayer Corp. at www.nobugs.com