Termites cause $5 billion in damage to homes each year. Regular inspections and prompt treatment can prevent an infestation from occurring or spreading.
Traditional Knoxville Termite Control methods involve soil treatments that create a barrier that termites cannot cross. These are highly effective but invasive and require drilling and soil movement. Alternatives include foam termiticide treatments that are injected into wall voids.
Termite Inspection
If you think you have a termite infestation, you need to call one of the best pest control companies to perform a termite inspection. A professional will examine both inside and outside your home, including attics, basements and crawl spaces. They will look for signs of active termite infestations, areas where moisture is a factor, and damage caused by termites themselves. They will also look for entry points to the house, which can include cracks in foundation walls, gaps around doors and windows, and clogged gutters that allow water to pool and fill insulation with humidity, creating an ideal environment for termites.
Termites can be very destructive, chewing their way through wood from the inside out, and it often takes a trained eye to spot telltale signs of their presence. If left unchecked, these wood-destroying pests can do extensive damage to your home and can be very difficult to treat once they’ve taken hold.
While some homeowners try to do it themselves with a spray bottle of diluted vinegar or other home remedies, it’s almost always necessary to call an exterminator for help once you see or hear the telltale signs of termites. You’ll want to be sure that you hire a company with experience, and a member of the National Pest Management Association or state pest control association suggests an established firm with access to technical and training information.
A thorough termite inspection will usually take a few hours or more, and the inspector will check both inside and outside your home. They’ll look for signs of mud tubes, discarded wings from the flight of termites, and damaged wood in and around your home. They’ll also probe wood surfaces in and around your house to listen for hollow sounds, a sign of termites tunneling within.
You can prepare for your termite inspection by rearranging any items that are against the walls of your home or in your garage, such as furniture and boxes. If the inspector needs to check your attic, you’ll need to remove any blocks that block the entrance. If you have a basement or crawl space, it’s a good idea to clear out any clutter as well.
Termite Treatment
When termites are detected, there are several treatment options available. These include soil treatments and termite baits. Both can be applied by a licensed pest control professional to effectively eliminate existing colonies and prevent future ones from occurring.
Soil treatments use a chemical application to create an invisible barrier that termites cannot tunnel through. These are typically done during the construction phase of a home or other structure and should be repeated every few years.
A popular option is the Sentricon system. This uses specialized bait stations, placed around the property, that contain a combination of cellulose materials and slow-acting toxic chemicals. Termites are attracted to the bait and carry it back to their colony, where they share it with other members. This effectively kills the entire colony and prevents further damage to the structure.
Another way to prevent future infestations is to make sure the ground surrounding your home is dry. This can be accomplished by reducing moisture sources (like plumbing leaks, poor site grading and leaked air conditioners) and eliminating openings that termites may use to enter the house (like filling cracks in cement foundations and sealing where utilities pass through walls). Eliminating wood-to-ground contact and not stacking firewood against your home can also help reduce potential entry points for termites.
Regardless of the method used to treat an infestation, it is important that the process be performed by a licensed pest control professional who understands termite biology and behavior. Using over-the-counter products or improperly applying termiticides can cause additional damage to your home and lead to ongoing termite activity that requires expensive repairs.
It is also recommended that homeowners regularly inspect their homes for signs of a possible termite problem. Some common signs of termites that should be looked for include mud tubes, clicking sounds and piles of shed wings. These are all signs that the current termite colony is expanding, and by detecting these problems early on you can avoid costly future repairs. You should also ask your pest control professional if they offer a guarantee, so that if the service is not effective you will receive a refund.
Termite Prevention
Termites are tenacious pests that can cause significant damage in a short period of time. While DIY methods may help in the earliest stages, large-scale infestations require professional treatment. Termite prevention starts with a free termite inspection and continues with regular monitoring for signs of activity such as mud tubes, discarded wings or wood frass. A good termite control company can inspect and treat areas of your property prone to termite activity, such as crawl spaces or basements, and recommend ways to improve moisture control to make the area less attractive to these pests.
Subterranean termites live in the soil and need access to it to survive. Keeping the ground around your home dry helps prevent them from entering your house through cracks in concrete foundation or seams where pipes and wires pass through walls. It is also important to not pile firewood or other wood debris next to your home. Keeping branches and shrubs away from your house and not planting them directly against it is another good way to reduce exposure.
When it comes to termite control, the best method is to keep the termites from ever invading in the first place. A thorough inspection and the proper application of an effective barrier are the most important steps in this process.
After a full inspection of your home, paying special attention to the areas where the termites are gaining entry, a Terminix specialist can provide you with a plan using liquid termiticides and their proprietary termite barrier technology, Terminix OnGuard Protection. With this system, a trench is dug around your home and then treated with a liquid termiticide. The soil acts as a barrier, and when a termite attempts to travel through it, it is quickly incapacitated and dies, disrupting their ability to get back to their colony.
Liquid soil treatments are long-lasting, providing protection for up to five years or more. They are a proactive measure to prevent future infestations, and when combined with proper wood treatment during construction, can greatly reduce the risk of termite invasions in newly constructed homes.
Termite Extermination
A professional termite extermination can help you nip an infestation in the bud before it causes serious damage. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and you can do a lot to prevent termite damage by following a few basic steps.
For example, keep plants a few feet away from your home and ensure that the soil around your foundation is not too moist. Also, repair leaks promptly. These steps can reduce moisture, which is a major attractant for termites.
Another step you can take to prevent an infestation is to inspect your yard regularly. If you notice signs of termites such as mud tubes, hollow-sounding wood or swarmers (winged reproductive termites that resemble flying ants), call a professional right away.
A termite inspection can determine the extent of the problem. If there is a colony present, a liquid treatment can be used to eradicate the termites and prevent re-infestation. This involves pouring a liquid termiticide on the ground and around the foundation of your home. It can also be applied to the wood structure itself.
There are a number of effective products for killing and preventing termite infestations. Some are injected into the wood where termites live, and others work through a transfer kill method. If a termite comes into contact with one of these products, it will not die immediately but will bring the poison back to its colony, where it will spread to other termites and eventually kill them.
When choosing a termite control company, look for one that is licensed by your state’s Department of Agriculture and that has a solid reputation for quality service. Ask the company for references and a copy of its pesticide product label. This will tell you how the pesticide is to be used and any safety precautions that need to be taken. Membership in a pest control association and/or the National Pest Management Association is also a good sign that a company takes its job seriously. Also, ask for an estimate and whether or not a warranty is included in the price.