Feb 10, 2023 | Termite Control
Termites are so destructive because they eat wood from the inside out, often going long periods of time before they are discovered. For this reason, annual termite inspections are critical to protecting your home. These inspections help spot signs of termites sooner, allowing termite control to be implemented earlier in the termite infestation.
There are several different options when it comes to termite treatments. Here are four of the most popular:
Liquid-Soil Treatment
Liquid-soil termite treatments are applied to the soil around your home to act as a treatment barrier. They last for an average of 5 years. A trench is dug around the perimeter of your home, and liquid termiticide is applied. The trench is then filled in. This method helps to prevent future infestations while also killing any existing termites as they travel between your home and their nests.
Bait Treatments
Bait station treatments are another option for termite control. Bait stations are strategically placed around your home using this method. Each station contains a slow-acting termiticide that the termites take back to their nests and share with other termites. These treatments may take longer to work on termites. They also necessitate regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure that each station contains bait.
Wood Finishes
Wood treatments are an additional termite control option. These treatments make use of either surface sprays and treatments or injected sprays and foams. Wood treatments kill existing termites while also penetrating the wood to prevent future problems. These treatments necessitate direct access to infested wood, which can be difficult to obtain in some cases. Sprays are better for new construction treatments because the wood can be treated while the house is being built. Injected foams are better for use on existing structures because they can expand into cracks and crevices that sprays may not be able to reach.
Pre-Treated Materials
Pre-treated building materials are ideal for new construction. The termiticide can be sprayed or brushed on. Termiticide can also be applied anywhere the new structure comes into contact with the soil, allowing the soil to be pretreated. Using pressure treated wood is another option because termites are less likely to infest wood that has been treated with chemicals.
While these termite treatment options are efficient at eliminating existing infestations, unfortunately they do not provide permanent elimination of termites. There is always a risk that termites will return to invade again. Termite control is an ongoing process, requiring persistent maintenance and prevention techniques to continue to keep them out.
You can prevent termites by:
- Getting rid of water sources by eliminating or reducing standing water around your home.
- Repairing any leaky faucets, pipes, and air conditioners.
- Diverting water away from your house with properly functioning spouts, splash blocks, and gutters that are clear of debris.
- Repairing and replacing damaged roof shingles, fascia and soffits on your house.
- Replacing weatherstripping on doors and windows.
- Routinely inspecting foundations for loose mortar, uneven or bubbling paint, wood that sounds hollow when you tap it, and for the presence of mud tubes which termites use to reach food.
- Regularly inspecting wood in and around your home for noticeable changes, making sure to check windows, doors, and skirting.
- Making sure there is at least an 18″ gap between the soil and the wood portions of your home.
- When storing items in the attic or basement, using plastic storage containers and metal shelving instead of cardboard or wood.
- During swarming season, keeping doors and windows shut as much as possible. Keep outdoor lights turned off at night also, as they will attract swarming termites.
- Keeping firewood stored at least 20 feet away from your home and elevated off the ground.
- Keeping plants a few feet away from your home.
- Making sure there is at least a 4″ barrier between your mulch and the side of your home. You can also use mulch made of rubber, plastic, or gravel.
- Removing any tree stumps from your property.
- Scheduling an annual termite inspection of your home and property to help detect termite problems early before they can cause significant damage.
Contact your local pest control company for a thorough evaluation.
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Feb 6, 2023 | Florida Pest Control, Termite Control
South Florida Termite Control: Protecting Your Home From Infestation
Subterranean and drywood termite types are popular within the Coral Springs area, looking for homes for their next meal! Termites are year-round pests, making it essential for every South Florida homeowner to be on top of termite control. Check out the top 5 ways you can prevent termites from invading your home and causing billions of dollars in repairs!
Be Mindful of Stacked Wood
If you’re keeping wood stacked against your house, you could be leading termites right inside your home! Leaving woodpiles near your home is not only a great source of food for termites, but it also gives them a safe passage into your home. To avoid the risk of a termite infestation, don’t store any type of wood products in your crawlspace and stack your woodpiles at least 20 feet away from your home. For extra precautions, consider placing wood in a sealed plastic container with a lid and elevating it off the ground.
Repair Drainage
Termites need moisture to survive, and if there’s any improper drainage in or around your home, you create the ideal environment for them to thrive. Inspect your downspouts and divert water away from your home. Regularly check that your faucets and A/C drip lines are not causing water to pool around your foundation.
Remove Mulch & Debris
Did you know wood mulch is a major termite attractant? It’s true that wood mulch can be a great landscaping tool, but it is known to contain moisture that attracts termites. If you’re using mulch, keep it at least four inches away from your foundation. Likewise, make sure it never contacts the home’s siding, window frames, or door frames. Sometimes an overlooked reason for a termite infestation is clogged gutters. Clogged gutters containing debris will collect moisture, attracting termites. It’s important to remove debris and clean your gutters on a regular basis to avoid backup.
Maintain Landscaping
Trees hanging over your home and overgrown bushes can create the perfect shelter area for termites. These areas will often cause moisture to build up and provide an area to build their colony. Avoid termites utilizing your landscape by regularly maintaining it and keeping your trees and shrubs trimmed on a regular basis.
Regular Termite Inspections & Treatments
While the above can help make your home less attractive to termites, the best and most effective way to avoid termites is to do a home inspection and regular termite treatments. There are several termite treatment options, such as bait stations, liquid-soil treatments, and spray/foam treatments. It’s best to contact your local Coral Springs pest control company to provide you with a thorough termite inspection and recommended termite control plan that works best for your situation.
Jan 27, 2023 | Florida Pest Control, Termite Control
South Florida Termite Control: Eliminating Drywood Termites
Drywood termites are seeking dry wood as a food source and will destroy your home in the process. These termites differ from other species, such as subterranean termites, since they tend to create their colonies in wood instead of in the ground and need little moisture to survive. Unlike other species, these termites can create devasting damage to homes, excavating wood and ruining it. To prevent them, it’s best to place preventative measures throughout your property.
Inspect Your Home
The first step in preventing drywood termites is inspecting your home. By investigating your home, you can get a good idea of what repairs are needed or discover that a termite infestation has occurred. When inspecting, write down everything you see that’s a concern, as this will help overall when relaying to a pest professional. When checking the home’s interior, don’t forget to check in darker areas such as your crawl space, attic, and basements. Check around your baseboards, beams, or other wood materials. Likewise, look at any furniture or firewood inside the home too. As you are investigating the exterior of your home, be extra thorough, as these termites haven’t yet entered the home. Check your foundation, old trees, wooden sheds, and firewood.
Seal & Vent
Drywood termites are very small, ranging from 3/8 to ½ inch in length, allowing them to fit in the smallest hole or gap. If you find any openings leading into your home, it’s best to repair them immediately. Likewise, keeping your home’s attic and crawlspace well ventilated will help reduce moisture and the risk of a termite infestation. Consider encapsulating your crawlspace or insulating your attic.
Keep Your Yard Maintained
Drywood termites are looking for any wood materials to inhabit. Make sure you place firewood at least 20 feet away from the home and raise it off the ground. Additionally, trim all shrubs, bushes, or other dense greenery so that it doesn’t touch the side of your home. If you have old trees, lumber, or tree stumps, consider removing them, so these pests don’t infest and make their way inside your home.
Call a Professional
Sometimes, all the prevention in the world can’t stop termites from infesting homes. If a termite infestation has occurred, it’s best to call your local South Florida pest control company for extra help. A termite professional will provide you with a thorough inspection, a treatment plan based on your home’s needs, and recommendations on preventing them in the future.
Jan 13, 2023 | Termite Control
Termites are household pests that can cause significant damage in a short amount of time, leaving homeowners with costly repairs. In fact, most homeowner’s policies do not cover termite damage. There are two major types of termites that cause damage to homes: subterranean termites and drywood termites. The type of termite you are dealing with, along with the size of the colony and extent of the damage all determine what type of termite treatment will be most effective. Preparation of your home will depend on which treatment will be performed.
For liquid-soil treatment, a trench is dug around the perimeter of your home where termiticide is applied and then filled back in. For this type of treatment, no preparation is required.
Bait stations are strategically placed in the ground around your home. These treatments also do not require any preparation.
Fumigant treatments are the most extensive and also require you to prepare your home prior to treatment. During fumigation, a tent will be placed over your home and gas will be released, killing any termites that are present, even those in hard to reach areas. You can get your home ready for fumigation by:
- Finding a place to stay. You, your family and your pets cannot be inside the house during treatment, which can last up to 72 hours.
- Remove perishable and other unsealed items including food, medication, and hygiene products.
- Store clothes, bedding and curtains outside the home.
- Remove indoor plants from the home.
- If products are still sealed (e.g. food), they can be stored in approved bags during treatment; it’s best to double bag them.
- Turn off electrical appliances and unplug them.
- Make sure the gas is turned off to your home.
- Unwrap any plastic covered mattresses, cushions, and other furniture.
- Open all doors between rooms and into closets.
- Leave drawers and cabinets open.
- Leave shutters open.
- Trim back shrubs and trees near the exterior walls of the home.
Termites can be difficult to get rid of once an infestation has established. Contact your local pest control company for a termite inspection and appropriate treatment options.
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Jan 5, 2023 | Termite Control
The new year has begun and although the weather is chilly now, the luxuries of living in the south typically means that warmer weather appears sooner than later. This means that termite swarming season is just around the corner, with the earliest swarms beginning in February. Let’s break down what to expect this swarming season.
What are Swarming Termites?
Termite swarmers, often mistaken for winged ants, are most active during the spring months, when they fly away from their colony to reproduce. These swarmers are attracted to bright, light areas often seen around doors and windows in homes. Fortunately, they don’t cause wood damage, but seeing a group of them around your property typically means a colony is nearby.
Which Species Do I Need to Lookout For?
The southeastern region of the United States is home to a variety of termites, including the subterranean, drywood, and Formosan species. Subterranean is the most common type of termite found in the southeast. They live underground in colonies that can get up to two million members. They are also known to be found in moist, secluded areas above ground. With their hard, saw-toothed jaws that work like shears, they are known to cause significant damage to properties.
Termite Prevention Tips:
- Eliminate Moisture: Repair leaky faucets, don’t let water pool near foundations, keep gutters clear, and use downspouts to divert water away from your home.
- Maintain Landscape: Don’t let anything touch the exterior surfaces of your home (mulch & woodpiles), removing old tree stumps, and keeping shrubbery and tree limbs trimmed back away from your home.
- Repair Home: Replace broken tiles, shingles, etc. on your roof and exposed beams in attics are a great food source and access point into your home.
If you suspect termite swarming activity or just want to get a step ahead at termite prevention, contact your local pest control company and schedule your free inspection.
Dec 16, 2022 | Termite Control
Termites are highly destructive household pests, causing billions of dollars in damages to homeowners annually. Most homeowner’s policies don’t cover termite damage. What options do homeowners have to protect themselves from these pests?
Two options that are available are a termite warranty and a termite bond. These terms are often used interchangeably but they are, in fact, different.
A termite warranty is similar to an insurance policy you take out against termites. It is insured by an insurance company and allows for more coverage against damages. These warranties will also include an agreement for ongoing monitoring and/or maintenance for the length of the warranty term. They also require the termite control company who provides it to treat for termites if they are found on their annual termite inspection during the warranty period. It can also specify if the pest control company will repair any damages from termites or if they will only retreat the home. Some warranties can even be transferred between homeowners (such as during the sale of the home) but others cannot be transferred.
Termite bonds are similar to warranties. The difference between the two is that bonds require the pest control company to hold a specified amount of money in a surety bond.
Some kind of protection against termites and termite damage is beneficial to homeowners. If you are interested in scheduling a termite inspection or taking out coverage against termites, contact your pest control company for more information.
Nov 17, 2022 | Termite Control
Termites are one of the most destructive pests, causing significant damage to homeowners in the United States each year. Termites often go long periods of time undetected, allowing a termite infestation to proliferate inside your home. But what causes a termite infestation in the first place? What attracts termites to your home?
Moisture
Termites are attracted to moisture, especially subterranean termites. Damp basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, leaky pipes, and stagnant water around foundations are common areas that termites are attracted to. Rotten or water damaged wood should be replaced immediately. Leaky or broken pipes should also be repaired as soon as they are discovered. Make sure roofs and gutters are cleaned properly and that proper drainage systems are established. Check and repair issues with foundations. Use a dehumidifier to reduce moisture in attics, crawlspaces, basements, and any other rooms where humidity is high.
Wood
Termites will feed on just about any type of wood. This includes new wood, painted wood, treated wood, rotted wood, water damaged wood, wood mulch, wallpaper, and shelf paper. As such, care should be taken to reduce access to wood in and around your home. Foliage and mulch should be kept at least 28″ away from foundations. Wood mulch should be replaced with another coverage medium, like rubber mulch or treated cedar. Anywhere wood comes into contact with the sides of your home also provide a bridge termites can use for access. This allows them to make their way inside, even bypassing soil that has been treated with termiticides. Get rid of any vines, trellises, mulch, stumps, firewood, etc. that is close to your home’s foundation. Trim limbs away that touch the roof, as well.
Coverage
Termites are silent destroyers, eating wood from the inside out, allowing them to establish colonies and infestations before any signs of their presence arise. It is important to recognize the signs of termites so they can be detected earlier before they can cause significant damage. It is also beneficial to have an annual termite inspection performed by a termite control company. These professionals will inspect the interior and exterior of your home, looking for signs of termite activity or previous termite damage. They can then present you with the best termite control options when necessary.
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Nov 9, 2022 | Termite Control
With termites being active 365 days a year, termite prevention is a year-round venture. Termite activity is typically more predictable in the winter months, so setting up termite treatments, especially bait stations, is ideal.
Termites in the south are more likely to discover strategically placed bait stations, like Sentricon® Always Active, year-round, but can also discover the bait stations in the winter. This is because in warmer months, termites are more likely to travel further away from their nests to find food. Termites tend to stay closer to home in the cooler months, making it more likely for them to find termite bait instead of food.
How Does Sentricon® Work?
The first step to getting your bait stations in place is to have a property inspection. A technician will do an assessment of your property to determine the best placement locations for your bait stations. They will be able to evaluate the size of your property, age of the structure, and if any termites are currently active. The stations are then implanted into the ground with the top placed flush with the soil’s surface. The stations don’t need to be messed with and your technicians know when to check on them, making it something you don’t need to worry about.
If you are interested in getting year-round termite protection, be sure to reach out to your local pest control company to get started today!
Sep 20, 2022 | Termite Control
It’s no surprise that termites are still active in the fall. The only factor that changes termite activity in the fall season is their tendency to burrow deeper into the ground. However, if these pests burrow their way into your home, they won’t need to dig deeper to find warmth and instead will infest.
Continuing termite control into the colder months will help to protect your home up until spring begins again. Be sure to keep up with termite control to lessen the chance of termites swarming in the spring and summer months.
Regardless of the season, there are common signs of termite infestations to look for in your home, including:
- Swarms: One of the earliest signs of termites is termite swarms. Termites emerge in early spring or summer to reproduce and establish new colonies. Seeing swarmers indicates a colony is nearby, so take precautions.
- Noises: Beyond visual cues of termites being nearby, you can sometimes hear them! If a colony is larger and established, you may begin hearing a faint clicking or knocking sound behind your walls or in other void areas of your home.
- Mud Tubes: If you begin seeing mud tubes around your home, it can be a big indication of a termite colony. These tubes are built to help protect termites from damage and predators and allow them to accumulate moisture, which termites need to survive.
- Wood Damage: Window, floor, and door damage may also indicate a termite infestation. Sagging floors can indicate a well-established colony. When doors and windows warp or don’t open and close smoothly, it can indicate the presence of termites, as well.
There are a few steps for termite protection you can take in and around your home. Make sure all water and gas lines are sealed adequately. Fix any leaky faucets or appliances and get rid of any standing water. Try to eliminate any cellulose material, as this is a termite’s primary food source.
If you suspect you have a termite problem or want to stay proactive against them, reach out to your local pest control company to receive a free termite inspection and discover the best plan of action perfect for you and your home!
