For Homeowners, Avoiding Termite Infestation Is A Must!
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Many people have termite infestations for years or even decades before their presence is discovered. This is best prevented by an annual termite inspection performed by a reliable exterminator. However, there are early signs of termites, especially in the Spring between March and May when termites with wings emerge inside people's dwellings. At this time of year, termites frequently 'swarm' with the goal of starting new colonies much the same as other insects do. This action usually happens when a mature colony is 5-10 years old and produces winged members to do the job. When this happens in your house, the winged insects (or their wings which drop off) are visible clues that you have an infestation that must be dealt with immediately. Those you discover outside your home near woodpiles or stacks of firewood don't necessarily mean they have invaded your home but are a good reason to have an inspection performed right away.
You can also realistically expect that you have an infestation if you discover brownish mud tubes about the size of a pencil along baseboards or on the walls or baseboards inside crawl spaces. Termites use these tubes to transit from the house to their colony which is generally in the ground outside of the dwelling. When this happens, it's definitely time to take action and call upon a professional exterminator to deal with the infestation.
Don't consider solving the problem yourself
A termite infestation inside your home is a complex problem far beyond the capabilities of the average homeowner. It definitely calls for professionals that know construction techniques and have been trained in how to deal with the problem. To begin with, termite entranceways are extremely tiny and hard to find. Then, too, getting rid of them is a major effort that includes injecting perhaps hundreds of gallons of special insecticide into the soil around your house at appropriate locations. It generally takes an entire workday or more to complete the necessary treatment.
One word of advice: Select the exterminator carefully. It is best to use a large, well-known company with a substantial work history and to check them out with the local Better Business Bureau for any customer complaints. Because a termite extermination project is costly, it attracts some unscrupulous individuals who will both overcharge the homeowner and fail to do an effective job. Be careful and be thorough before you pay out money to an unknown provider.
Compared to the value in your home, extermination cost is a bargain
Ridding your home of termites has been known to cost as much as $2,500 depending on how big the homes are and how bad the termites have infiltrated. Nevertheless, getting rid of the problem is cheap at that price compared to the tens of thousands of dollars in damage that can come from a prolonged infestation. Some homes have been known to be completely destroyed by termites and some species can do it in six months, not years.
A proper termite control project will keep protecting your home from infestation for up to five years after the treatment is completed. If termites re-appear the following year, it doesn't necessarily indicate that the job was done incorrectly or that the wrong insecticide was used. Instead, it is probably due to the fact that the insects found an unprotected area as small as 1/64th of an inch somewhere and avoided a death sentence. If this happens, re-treatment will be required but probably won't be quite as extensive or costly as the first time.
Home buyers often insist upon a termite inspection
In areas of the country where termites are prevalent, buyers of existing homes are insisting upon a termite inspection prior to closing on the deal. This is just good business in areas where termite damage due to long-term infestations is commonplace. Generally, the buyer and the seller split the cost of the inspection 50/50. So, if you are in the market to buy an older home, it's a good idea to have your attorney put this requirement in your purchase contract. You just don't want to take a risk of termite damage when you can't tell it's there just by looking.
About the Author
Craig Elliott is a freelance writer who writes about Pest Control & Termite Services
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