Is Your Crawlspace Filled with Termite Food?

Most people enter their crawlspace rarely, if ever, so what the big deal if there’s a little bit of junk taking up some space?  You might think that some leftover lumber from construction is no big deal in your unused space, but it can be seen as a tasty treat to termites and other wood destroying organisms.  In the picture above there’s even a piece of lumber that could serve as a “food-bridge” to the main structure of the home.

I believe one of the reasons this problem is overlooked is that most people think of anything in the footprint of their home as being “inside.”  It seems like a dirt floor crawlspace or basement is an interior room with an unfinished floor, but that unfinished floor is the actual earth, just like the dirt outside, and anything that can dig can get in, including the eastern subterranean termite that is commonly found in Michigan.

One easy way to prevent unwanted pests is to simply remove debris and other clutter that may seem like harmless junk to us, but looks like a snack to unwanted intruders.  For further protection, consider adding a 6 mil polyethylene sheet to cover the ground.  This, along with proper ventilation, will help reduce moisture that termites need to survive, and provide a physical barrier to entry.