Are you prepared for a termite attack this summer?

MANILA, Philippines - Summer is the best time to prepare your home defense against termite attacks. There’s still a lot of time before the termites start swarming.  It’s better to prepare for any termite attack now than to regret it later.

For maximum protection against termite infestation, it’s best to use Solignum Wood Preservative from the leading and trusted wood preservatives for more than 100 years.

The Solignum wood preservative is effective against termites, wood-boring insects, and fungi — three known pests that may cause irreversible and costly damage to homes if they are not stopped in time.

Another breakthrough is the introduction of Solignum Interior, the same tried, tested and trusted Solignum but now in a reduced odor formula, making it very convenient to use inside the house.

Together with Solignum wood preservative, there is Soilguard odorless soil termiticide that creates a barrier to prevent termites from entering the structure. Subterranean termites may live under the soil around your house and they are able to build passageways called “mud tubes” from their colony underground to your house.

Treating the soil around your house with Soilguard will prevent subterranean termites from attacking your home. Soilguard creates a barrier in the soil that will kill any termites that come into contact with it. It is formulated to be less hazardous to humans, animals, and the environment.

There’s also another type of termite, called the drywood termite, which lives inside and feeds on the wooden parts of your home. Using a combination of Solignum wood preservative and Soilguard will prevent an infestation of both termite types, protecting your home inside and out.

Since summer generally has good, dry weather, it is also a good time to have the house inspected for a possible termite infestation, or to take steps to prevent such an infestation. During the summer you may do the following:

• Watch for termite warning signs. These include wood damage; shed wings from a termite swarm; a termite swarm (just before the rainy season); termite mounds (punso); piles of termite droppings; or mud tubes that termites use as passageways from their colony to the wood that they are eating. You may not be able to recognize all signs of termite infestation so it’s best to call for a pest control professional to inspect your house.

• Prevent moisture from getting in the wooden parts of your home. There are several ways to do this. Get rid of any stagnant water sources around your house. Make sure that gutters and drains spouts are clean and unblocked, and also ensure that the water flowing from them does not touch wooden parts of your house. Make necessary modifications in your house so that moisture does not accumulate in its interiors and exteriors. Keep wooden parts of your house from touching the soil. Wooden structures, including posts and fences, must be at least six inches above the ground.

• Get rid of potential termite food sources. Termites eat cellulose, which is the organic material from plants and trees. So if you have firewood or piles of discarded paper materials, junk wood or wooden furniture lying around the house, get rid of them or make sure they are about 20 feet away from your home. Keeping them in your home may attract termites. Get rid of tree stumps or dead trees that are near your house. Also, if you have plants or trees, trim their leaves or branches so these are not touching the wooden parts of your house.

These are just some of the things you can do to prevent a termite infestation of your home. For more information, call Jardine Distribution at 02-8436011 or visit its facebook page or website at www.jardinedistribution.com.