Help prevent or avoid termite infestations by doing the following:

• Stack all firewood, lumber or other wooden items, several feet away from your building.
• Keep all wood supports of porches, patios, decks, or separate buildings more than one foot from contact with your home's foundation; and use only pressure-treated wood for all construction which contacts that ground. Even treated wood has a limited protection period.
• Move all wood containing mulch (even cedar or redwood) and decorative wood chips at least one foot away from your foundation. Sand and stones can be just as attractive, and they discourage pests (including termite) harborage next to your building.
• Repair any leaking water lines or fixtures, especially any that wet any wooden part(s) of your house. Repair any eaves, down spouts, gables, or shingles which allow wooden parts of your house to get wet even occasionally.
• Monitor moisture levels and take steps to reduce moisture build-up in any crawl spaces.
• Relocate any frequently watered garden or flower bed as far away from your home's perimeter as you can.
• Change your outdoor lights from "white" bulbs to some yellow or pale amber, especially during the Spring, to reduce attraction of any night swarming termites near your house.