Termites are a serious problem to homeowners and the structure of your residence. Fortunately, there are protection measures you can use on and around your property to protect against termites. Here are some ideas to help you protect your home and yard from termite problems.

Manage the Wood in Your Yard

As part of your yard, you may keep a supply of firewood to feed your wood-burning fire or stove within your home. However, the placement of this wood storage can make all the difference in the world to your home's protection barrier against termites. Termites will find a wood food source within your yard, and if it is next to moist soil with easy access onto your home, it will give them a direct highway access to your home's wood structure.

If your area is prone to termites or you have discovered termites in the past, don't worry because you can still store firewood in your yard. You do need to use some smart planning in your yard's woodpile storage. Select a location in your yard that is away from your home but still accessible for you to move firewood from and into your home. Install a concrete slab on which you can store the firewood, which will make it more difficult for termites to easily access it. Then, place the firewood on a shelf that sits off the concrete slab to provide an additional barrier between the ground and your firewood. 

Protect Your Home Foundation

The outside of your home and its foundation are an important place on your home that can become damaged by termite infestations. The soil around your foundation can soak up a great deal of moisture, which provides a habitable environment for termites, and when there is wood present in the soil, it makes the placement much more attractive.

To keep your home's exterior foundation protected, make sure you avoid using or placing wood chips or mulch around the outside and on the soil. If you have a tree stump or woody remnants of a dead bush or shrubbery, this wood can provide a nutrient-dense food source for termites. Clear out any wood materials, including roots and dead branches, so none remains within the soil.

Block soil saturation around your foundation by diverting rainfall from your rain gutters and downspouts properly. Maintain the drainage system so the rainfall is diverted well away from your home's foundation exterior. Then, contact your local pest control professional to apply a soil foundation treatment to provide a protection barrier to your home foundation. When your home's exterior contains wood structure or siding, this is all the more reason to build up a protection with pesticides in the soil.

Contact a termite control company near you for more tips.