coloradotrout wrote:
Should I proactively try to prevent termites, and if so, how?

I live in NE Kansas - partially wooded area with about 35" of rain a
year.

The house was built in 2000. Original owner has a pest company come
out and spray, set bait traps, etc. I'm inclinded to do as much as I
can myself. I'll spray a perimiter pest spray to keep down spiders,
etc. But what about termites? Is this a serious threat -- one worth
hiring the pros to prevent?

Be very careful which pros you hire, the termite business appears to be
infested with incompetent and/or unethical operators especially at the local
franchisee level. Web searches for consumer complaints about the big-name
termite companies quickly turns up a wealth of reading material, it's quite
educational for someone considering hiring a pro.