How to set up termite traps for your home
Termites are always a major sign of a pest problem, and having a good set of termite traps is important if you want to keep that pest problem under control. The most important thing to remember when setting up traps for termites is the fact that you need bait for the insects. Baiting termites isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do, so you need to have a very specific technique when it comes to setting up termite traps.
Surveying the area
There are a number of traps for termites that all use the same baiting system. All of them require you to begin by taking a survey of the area you need to trap the termites in. The easiest way to do this is to draw a map and mark the measurements of your yard, house, and any other fixtures in your yard. Don’t forget to mark and measure all of the doors and windows into your home, along with other possible termite entrances like air condition drains. Also mark anything that is an automatic draw for termites, like bushes or piles of wood. Sometimes simply moving these items away from the house itself will help draw the termites away from the home. Wet conditions are another thing that attract termites to homes, so also be sure to notice any places around the outside of the house that are wet most of the time.
Setting the termite traps
After you survey your yard to figure out exactly where the weak points are as far as termites are concerned, then it is time to set the traps. You will need to place the traps about eight feet apart, perhaps even a little bit closer in areas where you have a lot of potential openings for termites to get it. First mark the places where you want to put the tracks by measuring out eight feet. Then start digging the holes. They should be about six inches deep, which is deep enough for most brands of traps. Just remember to place the traps a couple of feet away from the house because this will avoid any soil that may have been treated with termite killer sometime in the past. Next just start packing the dirt in around the traps. It is very important that you make sure there are no air pockets around the traps as you pack the dirt in. Also the top of the trap should be even with the ground. You may want to consider marking the location of your traps, either on a map or with some sort of marker.
Monitoring the traps
After the traps are installed, just leave them alone for about three months. After three months have gone by, then it is time to check the traps. You will need to add more cartridges or wood into the traps if there are any termites or signs of termites inside the trap. You’ll know when the termite colony has been wiped out because there will no longer be any termites in the traps.