Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

Termites are one of the worst nightmares for any homeowner. When they infest, they colonize very rapidly; munching on the wood that’s in their way. While termites are notorious for eating wood, damaging the home, they are also very harmful to the health of the residents inside.

Millions of dollars are spent on termite treatments and prevention. Before you spend too much on termite extermination, get your home inspected. It’s imperative to know the current status of any termite infestation. Knowing the category of the termite investigation will save additional damage that can be caused by the termites.

Although most termites are subterranean insects, meaning they are generally underground, there are also visible signs above the ground to detect their presence. In determining the current status of a termite infestation, first you need to recognize the signs. Look for termite tubes, also known as mud tubes, in and around the house. Knock on any wood structures in your home and see if you can feel any hollowness in the wood.

A termite inspection is best handled by termite inspection professionals. The basic steps involved in a professional termite inspection are as follows:

Step 1: Inspecting The Exterior

A professional termite inspector will start looking for the signs of a termite infestation on the exterior of your home. If your home does have termites roaming around, then their signs will be visible outside. He will thoroughly inspect the perimeter of the home, and also the foundation. The termite inspector will be looking for actual termites, and the termite tubes. If your home has any dead bushes or wild growth, then the inspector will ask you to remove them to keep your place free from any kind of infestation.

Step 2: Inspecting The Interior

After completing a thorough inspection of the exterior of a home, the inspector will move towards the interior. Termite inspections are more difficult inside the home; as compared to the exterior. This is because there are many more places inside the home that need to be checked. Termite tubes can be almost anywhere and everywhere; on the windows, corners, inside closets, in the kitchen cabinets and behind heavy appliances. If there is heavy infestation, then the tubes are typically found inside the walls and floor throughout the home.

Step 3: Inspect The Crawl Space & Basement

The crawl spaces and basements of homes are the favorite hiding place for termites. It would be a big mistake to avoid inspecting them. The home inspector will have the appropriate equipment needed to inspect every crawl space in the home, and will have the expertise to know if a home is even the least bit susceptible to termites.

Step 4: Inspect The Attic

If you think the attics are high above the ground and there is little chance of finding termites there then you are wrong. You will be surprised to know that many times the infestation is not found anywhere else in the home but attics. So this makes it necessary to inspect the top level of the home as much as the other parts of the home.

Conclusion

Termite inspection does not involve any treatment related to termite eradication, but it is just the survey of the home to determine the current status of infestation. This will help in knowing where there are signs of termites in your home, and how much damage has already been caused. Such inspections also help you in selling your home, as many buyers prefer to have the home thoroughly inspected before buying it.

If it is determined that a home is in deed infested with termites, professional termite control will be needed to exterminate the destructive pests.

Author Bio:

Ethen Hunt is the author of this article. He writers for New Jersey Termite Inspector and recommends his services if you are looking for Termite Inspection.

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Periodic termite inspections are an important responsibility of a homeowner. However, the sensible thing to do is ward off termite damage before it happens instead of waiting until you’re left with crumbling walls and furniture. Some building codes may require pretreatment to aid in the prevention of the wood-eating insects during the construction process of new homes, and if they don’t, it should definitely be something you consider looking into. The future of your home may depend on the protection that’s placed around it from the very beginning. As your foundation is being laid, it is probably a good idea to be aware of the treatment methods used in the developmental stages and talk them over with your pest control experts and contractor to ensure that the job is done correctly. A properly pre-treated residence allows termiticides to be administered in places that can’t be reached once the structure is built and may provide a much longer and more cost-effective approach to termite resistance.

Termiticide Soil Administration

Termites make their way up to a home by traveling through tunnels they construct in the soil around it. For a soil treatment to be the most effective, it must involve several stages that last from the pouring of the foundation to landscaping and be applied with specialized tools. The termiticide chemicals should be funneled into trenches that are dug out on each side of the foundation to let the soil around the new construction become fully saturated. During slab construction, the soil should be treated before the concrete is poured to make sure it reaches all necessary areas. This will aid in creating a barrier between termites and the wood used in the supporting structures, foundations and piers of the home and most likely hinder an infestation. Continually treating the soil throughout construction as the exterior is formulated is essential in protecting each foundational element.

Baiting

Once the final grading on your new residence is complete, you have the option of choosing to have termite baits installed as an alternative to soil treatment or in conjunction with it. Baits are often used for population control of the insects and are placed in several stations around the property. They use wood to trick termites into feeding on them instead of the wood in your house, and in turn, infect them with a termiticide that will eventually reduce the colony as long as they keep feeding. Baits have to be monitored and maintained, which can also be done during regular termite inspections.

Wood Treatment

Treating exposed wood that will be used in the construction of your new home using a borate chemical solution will almost certainly preserve your wood exterior for its lifetime. Termites will be deterred from creating shelter tubes along the treated wood and won’t find them desirable enough to feed on. The chemical must be applied before installing any sheetrock or siding and should be done again to any new wood structures that are part of an expansion; otherwise your residence will just become vulnerable again.

Waiting until post construction to have a termite inspection and treatment may result in an infestation that will be much more difficult and costly to control.

Author Bio

My name is Tiffany Olson and I love to blog. I write on topics such as home improvement, pest management, health and wellness and travel. KillRoy.com is company that I’ve received advice from in the past. They specialize in pest control and termite inspection in Hayward.

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A guest post today highlighting some of Canada’s Spring Pest Specials.

09b - Carpenter Ant (Camponotus) (Photo credit: retro traveler)

Carpenter Ant Activity

Have you spotted suspicious bug activities in the nooks and crannies of your home? Or what looks like fine sawdust near some woodwork? If so, there may be carpenter ants in house crawling about gnawing and chewing away at the wooden bones of your home, hard at work establishing their fortifications.

Your home should be a safe, comfortable place to live in. While your home won’t literally fall apart about your ears – the carpenter ants in the house are quite different from termites – they can still do some damage to the wooden frameworks by weakening them with their tunneling, and it’s important to nip this in the bud. Carpenter ants like warm, humid environments for their nests and lakeside homes and boathouses are a popular choice for them.

Most commercially available ant baits won’t work on these carpenter ants. No, they’re cannier than an average ant. There is a new, specialized ant traps just for carpenter ants that you can try. But the best way to get rid of them is to use professional pest control services to treat the whole house, inside and out, in particular targeting the nest.

Bed bugs, on the other hand, is a whole ‘nother ball of wax.

Do the nightly appearances by bed bugs performing a gripping, biting dance on the stage that is your bed keep you up all night? It is awfully hard to grab some shuteye with tiny bugs nipping away at your tender flesh.

Bed bugs are perhaps one of the most difficult (and perhaps embarrassing – but you shouldn’t be!) pests to eradicate from your home without the use of professional pest control services. Some people end up surrendering and destroy their beds, linens, furniture, and even clothes. That’s expensive, sometimes ineffective – and very unnecessary.

There are five different bed bug treatments, and depending on the life cycle stage your bed bug infestation is in, one or other may be the most effective. It may be necessary to utilize more than one different type of bed bug treatments if your infestation is severe. A good pest control services can help you choose the best option for you and your household.

Guest Blog Bio
Environmental pest control offers pest control services and bed bug treatment in the Toronto region.
For more information visit www.environmentalpestcontrol.ca

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The specifics straight down to the nitty gritty:

External Inspection: In general; places where there is moisture or cellulose.

• Drainage: Water troughs that run along side your roofs and into down spouts; should be contiguous.
• Natural flow of water away from your foundation. Like your roof, the ground surrounding your foundation should be slightly sloped to allow water to flow away from your foundation and ultimately to a civic drainage system. Water damage to the external walls; paint discoloration; molds, moldy smell etc.
• Water (hose) outlets: Leaking? Water Buildup permeating the foundation? Adequate drainage from the foundation?
• Cellulose deposits: Firewood? Anything with cellulose. How is Cellulose materials stored? Off of the ground or In contact with the soil? All wood should be raised (bricks under pallet,etc.) Against the foundation? Wood should not come in contact with any of the external walls of the home; I recommend at least 2 feet of space.
• Soil levels on the foundation; should be less than 2 inches from the top of the concrete slab.
• Does the customer have a wooden fence? If so, do wooden posts run right into the ground? Any wood to soil contact?
• Any signs of termite activity (mud tubes, wings)…both inactive and active; I also look for previous termite treatments.

Internal Inspection:

• I am looking primarily at the places where moisture is present. Kitchens, Bathrooms, Mud rooms, and around HVAC entry/exit points. I am checking for signs of water damage; rots, mold, fungi, etc.
• I look at all windows and doors or other entry points on all external walls. I am looking for bulges and other irregularities in the wood. Using a stethoscope and if necessary; various probes I will look for various types of termite indicators (inactive/active).

This is basically what I would look for. I tried to keep it very simple as to give you a clue as to what your inspector might be looking for. Hopefully this will help you when preparing to have a termite inspection. These guidelines may help; but are no guarantee for a passing report.

If you do not receive an “all-clear” report; you will be notified of issues found during the inspection. Generally you are given a period of time to get these problems fixed; and the report amended. Good Luck.

KT

Bulwark Exterminating

I would like to take the opportunity to write about termites. Termites are very dangerous because of the damage that they cause to man made structures. There is a different test one must take before they can become certified to treat for termites in the State of Nevada. I am happy to say that I passed with flying colors. Although called the “termite” test the curriculum or certification materials covered other Wood Destroying Pests. I was a little surprised to be studying moss, fungi, rot, bees, beetles and structural aspects of homes which included; how well water flowed away from the foundation. It is interesting to see how all of these things come together when you finally get the big picture of what the inspection is all about, and how important a proactive approach can be when trying to control termites.

I will include in another post specifically what your neighborhood termite inspector will be looking for. For now, I would like to lay the framework for the “big picture” approach to a termite inspection; generally needed for various (loan) real estate transactions.

So why did I learn about moss, fungi, various other “rot,” bees, beetles, and how well the water flows away from the foundation?

Although termites are the number one wood destroying pests, there are others. There exists various types of bees and borers (beetles) that destroy wood and it is important to know about these insects to prevent the incorrect diagnosis of termites. The cost to treat for termites can be expensive, so it is very important that your diagnosis be solid.

When it comes to termites you want to make it as hard as possible for them to find a suitable place to live. This is where the various types of “rot” and how water flows away from the foundation comes in. Subterranean termites need a lot of moisture and prefer softer wood. Areas around your foundation where water builds up is a disaster waiting to happen. Over time, wood components of the foundation will eventually become water logged; ultimately developing the wood of choice for the nearest subterranean colony. Looking for moss, and fungus can easily identify places where this has taken place. Ever look at places where water damage has occurred? Moss, Fungus, or various stages of rot in/on walls is an immediate red flag for the inspector because it could be an entry point/harborage for termites.

The big picture is more than that of termites. One should learn of other wood destroying pests native to their habitat, and understand conditions that exist around the home that may be conducive to an infestation of various wood destroying pests; let alone the infamous termite.

KT

Need a Termite Inspection: Click Here.

The busiest time of the year for the Pest Control Industry is mostly during the summer months. Pest activity increases in the spring and peaks in the summer months. Pest Control Myth #3 revolves around the assumption that Pest Control is only needed during these times. Of course the premise of my position excludes tropical and sub-tropical habitats that may be considered conducive for pests year-round.

The major reason why Pest Control is going to be needed more and more year-round in areas where there exists an “off-peak” season for pests is because of Human Intervention.

The decrease in pest activity or an off-peak season is primarily due to pest life cycles. These life cycles are developed in harmony with the earth’s seasonal changes. Although it is true that there will be a decrease in pest activity during colder times, experience has revealed that the human element of warmth in naturally cold times has been conducive to pest activity.

Most human homes provide enough food, water, and shelter for pests to coexist during the winter/colder months. If we have learned anything of Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection/Evolution; we should recognize the significant ability of insects/pests to adapt to their environment (natural/artificial). Empirical evidence supports the notion that our homes provide adequate harborage for pests/insects year-round.

I have seen on a warm winter day an influx of ants, silverfish, adult sized spiders, raspy roaches, rats in a jacuzzi set up, earwigs with the morning cup of coffee, the infamous scorpion in its glory, etc… All within the confine of the human habitat…The well heated, well watered, well fed, artificial harborage, with vegetative decor to boot…Does anything say “MOVE IN” better than the human home on a winter’s cold night?

KT

Bulwark Pest Control

For those working in the industry there could not exist a more important equation dealing with safety.
Risk = Toxicity x Exposure

Understanding this is imperative. The goal is always to minimize risk or ultimately eliminate risk if possible. As a service manager I would always try to hammer this into our technician’s mindset. Worrying about our customer’s and technician’s safety is cardinal when it comes to effective pest control maintenance. I would always advise our technicians to especially be cautious when handling pesticides. The reason is “Exposure.” Technicians are consistently exposed to pesticides if they are not wearing proper PPE. Although the chemical may be of low toxicity, because there is a high risk of exposure while applying pesticides; Risk increases:

(Low Toxicity) * (Daily Exposure) = High Risk

Always read the label, and apply pesticides with the recommended Personal Protective Equipment.

KT

Bulwark Exterminating