| By :
Stewart Wrighter
Whenever summer comes around, we start the age-old war against the bugs and biting insects that plague us. Indeed, what most people do not realize is that they can actually take some small measures to prevent at least some of the harassment. For example, fixing up screens on windows and doors is all very well, but checking them out just before the weather gets warm will ensure that no holes are present which will let them into the house. Around the garden, vegetation which is left to grow too tall or rugged will certainly harbor things like ticks and thrips. Although thrips do not carry anything too dangerous, their stings and bites will certainly make everyone run for cover. Ticks on the other hand will certainly bring something a bit dangerous, depending on which ones are present, so animals should be treated if they are left to run wild out there. Within the house itself, there are many areas where all kinds of creepy crawlies get in. Leaving cracks or holes around the property is an open invitation for anything that crawls to come in looking for food sources so it is a good idea to fill gaps as and when they appear. But even the fabric of the house itself has to be protected too since termites are a terrible thing to have running amok there. They need cellulose, the content of any wood, to survive and they will eat anything in their path. They have no interest whether this is a beam holding up the house, or that valuable rocking chair that Aunt Mary left behind, all they know is that wood is food and they will eat anything in their quest to keep the queen fed. Of course, there are some things that have to be done to protect the house from these little munching machines too. Wood anywhere in the home should be checked out now and then to make sure there is no activity going on inside. The termites eat from the inside of the wood outwards so sometimes nothing is seen until it is too late. Very often, all that is holding the wood together is the paint on top of the wood. One way to inspect wood for termite damage is to knock on it. Any hollow sounds normally show that there is activity inside. Also, if there are any brown tube like growths coming out of wood areas normally shows that the termite has come up against something inedible. It makes the tubes, out of mud and saliva, so that it stays moist inside. It can then travel wherever it wants to. To check for recent activity, scrape away a small part of the tube and check to see if it is repaired quickly or not. If nothing happens over the course of the next few days or weeks, then the infestation is finished. Of course, as with all infestations of any kind, the experts have all the knowledge at their finger tips to sort out these problems.
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