Termite Control & Termite Services
Termites on a window sill.
Termites rarely announce their arrival. Although, there are a few tell-tale signs. To understand the situation, it’s helpful to know the players.
Here’s the scenario:
COLONY - What You Can’t See - are the hundreds of thousands of termites, swarming, multiplying, crawling, and digging. The underground colony is a well-organized system of workers, soldiers, and of course, the queen. 24 hours a day, workers tunnel through soil and into the wooden frames of homes, fences and buildings, eating and alerting the colony about new sources of precious cellulose.
YOUR HOME - Where They’re Headed - Termites are crucial to our ecosystem, consuming and recycling dead plant and wood material. To the colony, though, the wood in your home is just as delicious as any dead tree. You may not be aware of termites in your home until they have caused severe damage, reducing floor joists and load-bearing timbers to the equivalent of cardboard.
DAMAGE- What You Should Know - Every year in the U. S., more than 5 million homes(1) have some sort of termite problem, amounting to approximately $5 billion(2) in damage. That’s more damage than is caused by tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes combined. And termite damage is rarely covered by homeowner’s insurance policies.
Here’s the scenario:
COLONY - What You Can’t See - are the hundreds of thousands of termites, swarming, multiplying, crawling, and digging. The underground colony is a well-organized system of workers, soldiers, and of course, the queen. 24 hours a day, workers tunnel through soil and into the wooden frames of homes, fences and buildings, eating and alerting the colony about new sources of precious cellulose.
YOUR HOME - Where They’re Headed - Termites are crucial to our ecosystem, consuming and recycling dead plant and wood material. To the colony, though, the wood in your home is just as delicious as any dead tree. You may not be aware of termites in your home until they have caused severe damage, reducing floor joists and load-bearing timbers to the equivalent of cardboard.
DAMAGE- What You Should Know - Every year in the U. S., more than 5 million homes(1) have some sort of termite problem, amounting to approximately $5 billion(2) in damage. That’s more damage than is caused by tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes combined. And termite damage is rarely covered by homeowner’s insurance policies.
Here are just some recommendations you can do:
Destroyed wall stud INSIDE a building.
Inside:
(1) Ipsos-Insight 2005
(2) National Pest Management Association
- Keep crawl spaces and basements clear of wood debris, newspapers and excess moisture.
- Fix plumbing leaks anywhere in the house, as they can cause moisture to accumulate.
- Keep an eye open for mud tubes, discarded termite wings and other signs of termite activity.
- Install shrubs, mulch and other landscaping at least 2 feet from the foundation of your home.
- Minimize or eliminate the use of wood mulch.
- Keep wooden fences, planter boxes and other wood items at least 2 feet from the foundation.
- Stack firewood and scrap lumber away from your home.
- Make sure soil is at least 6 inches away from the bottom of stucco or other siding & that lattice work, wood steps and door frames are not in contact with surrounding soil.
- Place sprinkler heads more than 2 feet from the foundation and make sure they don’t wet the walls.
- Divert air-conditioner condensation, sump discharge and other water away from the foundation of your home.
- Slope soil away from the house so surface water drains easily.
- Clean gutters and downspouts and keep splash guards/blocks in place.
- If you’re adding a room or deck to your home, make sure the lumber has been treated to discourage termites.
- Never bury wood scraps or forms from a back fill, they may be infested.
(1) Ipsos-Insight 2005
(2) National Pest Management Association