Termites are every homeowner’s worst nightmare. At first, they don’t seem like they could possibly do as much damage as people say, but once you’ve dealt with an infestation, you know that severe damage can remain unseen for long periods of time.

Termites eat wood and, therefore, will nest in the areas underneath your home where wood is abundant. There are some species of trees that naturally repel termites, like teak, cypress, and redwood. However, these woods aren’t strong enough to build a house from. Unfortunately, most homes are built with the types of wood termites love to devour.

If you own your home, protecting against termite infestations is a must. You can’t wait until the problem becomes visible because by then, it could be too late. You need to eliminate termites when you see the first signs of a problem – here’s how.

Use termiticide to eliminate termites in your home

If you want to try eliminating termites before calling a pro, you can get termiticide that termites will spread to their whole colony. For instance, there’s a non-repellent termiticide called Taurus that remains undetected to termites, causing them to spread it throughout their colony. This particular termiticide is for outdoor use only, and can exterminate a whole colony in just three months.

Use wet cardboard as a diversion

Have you noticed termites wandering around inside your home? Whether they’ve seriously infested your house already or not, you can create a diversionary trap for them using wet cardboard.

Take all your Amazon boxes from packages you’ve received and flatten them out. Bring them outside and wet them down with a hose. Stack the cardboard somewhere in a corner in your home away from your wooden valuables, like your furniture. The cellulose in the cardboard will attract termites and keep them busy.

Utilize direct sunlight

Similar to vampires, termites hate direct sunlight. If termites have infested any of your furniture in your house, take it all outside and place it in direct sunlight. This will only work for certain types of termites, but it’s so simple that it’s worth trying, even when you don’t know what kind of termites you’re dealing with.

Switch up your garden mulch

Termites consider wood mulch a feast because of the high cellulose content. Have you noticed termites in your garden? If you have wood mulch, that’s probably what attracted them in the first place.

Switch up your mulch from wood to something unappetizing like coconut husk or melaleuca mulch. Melaleuca, also known as tea tree oil, is a strong insect repellent. Termites won’t eat it and they won’t live underneath it.

Avoid mulch made from wood like pine bark and pine straw. Although termites don’t eat these mulches, they are attracted to them and will nest underneath. If you really want to use wood mulch, cypress is one kind that is termite-resistant.

Clean your gutters and keep them clear

When was the last time you cleaned your gutters? Many homeowners know this task needs to be completed, but they procrastinate. Cleaning gutters isn’t exactly something people want to do with their free time. If you dread cleaning your gutters, just add it to your list of spring cleaning tasks.

When gutters are clogged, they overflow. Overflowing gutters soak the wood of the fascia of your home and also your roof. This damp wood attracts termites that will start making your house their next meal.

If you’re dealing with a termite infestation, check your gutters to see if they’re clogged. If you discover a clog, clean it out and put the debris in a plastic contractor bag and don’t just dump it on the ground.

If there are termites in the leaves and other things clogging your gutters, dumping it on the ground will only make your problem worse.

Once your gutters are clean, clear them on a regular basis and patch up any leaks. Leaky gutters can also create the damp wood that termites love to eat.

Call a professional exterminator

If DIY methods don’t work for you, don’t hesitate to call a professional termite exterminator. If you’ve tried everything and can’t seem to get rid of these pests, your infestation might be more severe than you think.

When you call a pro, they’ll crawl underneath your house and inspect the entire area around your home to find out where the termites are living and assess the damage. They’re used to spotting the areas where termites live, so it will be easier for them to find the colony. Whatever you do, don’t wait. Termites can eat quite a bit of your home before you realize there’s a problem.