How do termites get into your home?
Termites are experts in breaking into homes. Your home is a big, tasty food source and combined with a moisture source, such as a leaking shower or poor drainage, it becomes a termite magnet. Each building type will have points of weakness that termites will exploit for entry. For homes on concrete slabs they can squeeze through cracks in the slab and brickwork, or follow the utility entry points (water, electricity and drainage) to enter the home. With termites able to squeeze through gaps as small as 2 millimetres, the weep holes in walls represent an easy access, open door to your home!
Weep holes as a termite entry point
Weep holes are an important functional element in brick walls, allowing moisture to escape and providing ventilation to keep the home healthy. However, weep holes at the base of walls are often just above ground level, providing easy access for termites. What’s more, the perimeter of the home is generally beautified with gardens, which are nicely watered and mulched, making them a real termite hotspot, right next to your home.
How to stop termites entering through weepholes
The good news is that Weepa have a Termite Protector Weep Hole Screen that can be inserted into a weephole in a matter of seconds, to prevent termite entry. Consisting of a heavy duty polymer to provide a physical barrier, combined with the insecticide bifenthrin, to provide chemical deterrence, the Termite Protector will provide protection from termite entry for up to 2 years. With the included applicator it’s an easy job to replace the Termite Protector when required.
Importantly the patented design still allows the weep hole to perform its important role in moisture removal and ventilation.