One treatment may not be enough to keep termites away, especially if treatment is limited. Termites are small but have a big appetite and are always looking for a source of food. You don't want their next meal to be your home. On average, termite treatment lasts about 5 years.
Liquid termite treatment can last five years or longer, while termite bait stations only last one year and must be maintained annually. University of Kentucky Department of Entomology Receives Lots of Termite Calls. Underground (soil-dwelling) termites are serious building pests and generally deserve professional attention. However, termite control can be confusing and homeowners often have a lot of questions.
Some of the most common queries are answered below. Termite swarms emerging from tree stumps, woodpiles, etc. Going out in the yard isn't necessarily a cause for concern, and it doesn't automatically mean the house is infested. On the other hand, if swarms arise next to the foundations or from adjoining porches or patios, it is very likely that the house is also infested.
Other signs of infestation are earth “mud pipes” that extend over foundation walls, support pillars, threshold plates, floor beams, etc. Mud tubes are usually about the diameter of a pencil, but sometimes they can be thicker. Termites build tubes for shelter as they travel between their underground colonies and the structure. To help determine if an infestation is active, the tubes may rupture and check for small, creamy white worker termites.
If a tube is empty, it doesn't necessarily mean that the infestation is inactive; termites often leave sections of the tube while looking for food elsewhere in the structure. Termite-damaged wood is hollowed out along the grain, with bits of dry mud or dirt lining the feeding galleries. Wood damaged by moisture or other types of insects (e.g. Occasionally, termites also drill small holes through drywall or plaster, accompanied by chunks of soil around the margin.
Wavy or sunken footprints behind wall coverings can also indicate that termites are tunneling underneath. Often, there will be no clear signs of infestation. Termites are cryptic creatures and infestations can go unnoticed for years, hidden behind walls, floor coverings, insulation and other obstructions. Termite feeding and damage can even progress undetected in exposed wood, because the outer surface generally remains.
Confirmation of termites often requires the attention of a professional; however, even the most experienced inspector can overlook hidden signs. In short, termite treatment is a job for professionals. A possible exception could be if a mailbox, post, or other small wooden object that wasn't attached to the house was infested. Do-It-Yourself products, sold to homeowners in retail stores or purchased online, will rarely eradicate an existing termite problem.
Companies offer different types of treatment methods and guarantees. If termites return, most will remove affected areas at no additional charge. Some companies will also repair damage that occurs after your treatment, although dating the occurrence of termite damage is somewhat difficult to ascertain. In some cases, no guarantee will be offered if wells, drainage systems, under-slab heat pipes, or inaccessible access spaces make it impossible to treat them according to industry standards.
Take your time to select a company. Termites damage wood slowly; the amount of damage caused by taking an additional day, week, or month to make an informed decision is generally inconsequential. Avoid companies that try to pressure you into signing a contract right away with special or scary tactics. The overall quality of the work depends less on the salesperson than on the person who ultimately does the work.
Safe and effective termite treatment requires an experienced technician, not someone hired a few weeks ago. The other category of treatment is bait. Termite baits consist of cellulose-based foods combined with a slow-acting substance that is lethal to termites. The baits are installed underground in the yard in plastic cylindrical stations.
Other types of bait stations are sometimes additionally installed indoors over active mud tubes. Forage termites eat the bait and share it with their nest mates, resulting in a gradual decrease in termite numbers. In some properties, baits may be the only form of treatment; in others, they may be supplemented with liquid applications in areas where termites are observed. Regardless of the approach used, it is important to have an experienced technician, backed by a reliable pest control company.
The key is to hire a reputable pest control company that employs knowledgeable and conscientious technicians. Businesses will return and remove affected areas at no additional charge, provided the customer purchases and maintains their warranty. Office of State Entomologist Nancy Cox, Ph, D. Dean S123 Ag Science - North Lexington, KY 40546-0091 859-257-4772.Sometimes a single treatment is enough to address a minor termite problem.
Often companies follow up with inspections to make sure everything is OK, but otherwise they leave it as is. This is not the case with the most difficult problems to address or, in some cases, termite species. Termite bait stations can take months to operate, while liquid treatments can take anywhere from a few days to several months. For this treatment, a termite specialist will dig a trench around the perimeter of your home and apply the liquid treatment to it.
Thermidor is not only a powerful protective barrier for the base perimeter, but it can also be used to stop termite infestations inside walls. Factors such as the size of the house, the type of treatment needed, and the termite species being treated influence the total cost of termite treatment. The goal of this type of system is for termites to consume the bait and share it with other termites, ultimately killing the termite queen and collapsing the colony. Researchers know that termites are social insects that spend much of their time grooming each other.
So there's little way to know that termites have broken into your home and are multiplying right under your feet. Fumigation is generally reserved for dry wood termite infestations and involves placing tarps over the entire structure to allow a termite control company to apply a termiticidal gas such as Vikane to the structure. This type of treatment is slower acting, since it relies on the transfer effect to eliminate termite colonies from dry wood. Fortunately, companies like Orkin and Terminix promise to retreat at no additional cost if you have a termite plan with them.
If termites are anything other than Formosan, a land-only treatment plan should be fine, but to be safe, it's always good to inject termiticide into the soil.
Tentless termite
treatments have several benefits, ranging from lower cost to less need for preparation. As a homeowner, taking steps to keep your home safe and secure should always be the most important thing, and this includes protection from pests, such as termites. But factors such as the size of your home, the extent of the termite problem, and where the infestation is located can make all the difference in determining the final price.. .
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