Got Termites?

Let's hope not. Termites are common in many parts of the U.S. and while they can cause plenty of damage to a structure, if you keep an eye out for signs of their activities, you can get a jump on them by calling in the professionals.

Termites try to stay out of the daylight, so they build mud-like tubes to bridge from the ground up to a food source (your house). So make regular inspections around the outside and inside of the foundation of your house and check for termite tubes. Keep woodpiles, yard sheds, weeds and the like away from the house so that the foundation can be thoroughly checked. If you are ambitious and are building or are having a room addition built, don't bury any construction debris around the site. That's a free lunch for termites, and an invitation to an even bigger meal -- your house.

- Stephen Corwin

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2001