One of the quickest ways to ruin nice weather and backyard enthusiasm is to find out your beloved deck is ridden with termites. Termites can easily and quickly chew through wood and decompose your deck. In order to ensure this nightmare doesn’t come to life for you and your family, we wanted to provide you with a few ways to protect your deck from termites for this year and years to come.
Pick the right wood
If you are already a proud deck owner, this tip might not be too helpful. However, if you are looking to build or even repair a deck in the near future, choosing the right wood is a key part of termite prevention. We recommend looking into any hard or pressure-treated wood, as these are not a favorite snack of termites.
Block out moisture
Just like humans, bugs (termites included) need the essentials to survive. Therefore, termites will be anywhere they can find sources for both food and water. This is why it is so important to keep your deck dry. Make sure there are no leaks in the deck and that it can drain water properly.
Keep it well maintained
Think of your deck just as you would your yard or garden. The less you maintain it, the more likely you are to find bugs and others calling it home. Be sure to repair any cracks in the deck that act as an open door to the rest of your deck for. The trick is to make your deck as unwelcoming as possible for unwanted guests.
Pesticides
One of the best ways to ensure you maintain a termite-free deck is by spraying pesticides. There are two types of termite pesticides out there. One will act as a repellent while the second will kill current termites found in your deck. Both pesticides are only for professional use. Therefore we suggest contacting a professional like Apple Pest Control to help protect your deck for those nights you want to spend outside.
