Here’s how to prevent termites: break every link between wood and soil, keep the ground around your foundation dry, move firewood and mulch away from the walls, and seal cracks where pipes and wires come in. Termites live in the soil and need moisture and wood to survive. Take those away near the building and you make it much harder for a colony to move in, according to the EPA.
Prevention matters because termite damage is slow and hidden. Penn State notes that it usually builds over years, and the EPA says many people only find it during construction work. Then you’re paying for treatment and for new wood.
In the yard
- Move firewood, lumber and wood scraps away from the house. The EPA says not to stack firewood or wood debris next to the house.
- Pull mulch back. Keep wood mulch at least 12 inches from the foundation, the University of Connecticut advises.
- Remove old stumps and buried wood debris, as Cornell Cooperative Extension recommends.
- Trim shrubs and trees so they don’t touch the house or cover vents.
At the foundation
- Keep wood out of the soil. Replace wood that touches the ground, like porch posts, steps and lattice, with concrete or pressure-treated lumber, and keep wood at least 18 inches above the soil where you can, according to Penn State Extension.
- Keep siding 4 to 6 inches above the soil, as Missouri Extension suggests.
- Grade the soil away from the house and keep gutters and downspouts working, so water drains away from the foundation.
- Seal cracks in the foundation and the gaps where utility lines come through the walls.
Inside and in the basement
- Fix leaks right away, especially under sinks, around water heaters and in the basement.
- Keep basements and crawl spaces dry and vented. Termites need moisture, and damp wood is easy for them to reach.
- Watch warm spots. The New York State IPM Program notes that termites favor areas near furnaces, boilers, chimneys, water heaters and hot water pipes. In NYC basements, that’s where to look first.
- Check wood that touches concrete, like basement stairs, posts and framing set into the floor. Penn State says wood set in earth or concrete basement floors is especially at risk.
How do you termite-proof wood?
For new work, use pressure-treated lumber or materials that termites can’t eat, like concrete, metal or plastic, wherever wood would touch or sit close to the soil. Borate wood treatments applied during construction are another option the EPA lists. Neither makes a building termite-proof on its own. They work best with a dry, well-drained foundation and no wood touching the soil.
For landlords and building owners
Older NYC buildings have more of what termites like: wood framing, damp basements, crawl spaces and wood that’s been sitting on the soil for decades. Put termites on your yearly basement walk-through. Look for mud tubes on the foundation walls, soft wood at the sill plate and any wood near the boiler. Once a year is a good rule for a professional check, and more often for buildings with past termite activity, damp basements or wood near the soil.
Here’s a simple example
Say a two-family house in Queens has a wooden back porch whose posts sit right on the soil, a pile of firewood against the basement wall and mulch heaped up to the siding. None of that is termites yet. But each one is a bridge from the soil to the house. Setting the posts on concrete footings, moving the firewood 20 feet away and pulling the mulch back a foot costs a weekend and a little money. Rebuilding a sill plate costs far more.
What prevention can’t do
Prevention lowers the odds. It can’t kill a colony that’s already in the soil under your house, and it doesn’t replace an inspection. The EPA says termite treatment usually has to be done by a trained professional, and firms that offer it must be licensed by the state. If you already see mud tubes, swarmers or soft wood, prevention comes after treatment, not instead of it.
NYC Extermination’s termite inspection is free. We check the foundation, basement, crawl spaces, framing and any wood near the soil, find what’s drawing termites in, and point out what to fix so they don’t come back. See our termite control service and pest control for apartment buildings, read the signs of termite damage, or call (347) 988-2315.
Frequently asked questions
What will keep termites away?
Dry soil around the foundation and no wood touching the ground. Move firewood and mulch away from the walls, fix leaks and gutters, and seal foundation cracks. Those steps lower the odds, and a yearly inspection catches what gets through.
Can I do termite prevention myself?
Most of it, yes. Moving wood, fixing drainage, pulling mulch back and sealing cracks are homeowner jobs. Termite treatments with termiticides are a different story: the EPA says they usually need a trained, state-licensed professional.
Does mulch attract termites?
Wood mulch piled against the house puts termite food right at the foundation. Keep it at least 12 inches back, as the University of Connecticut advises, and use gravel or another non-wood border next to the walls.
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