Questions To Ask Your Termite Control Service
Posted on: 14 September 2021
Termites cause damages of $50 billion to homes and commercial premises each year. Termites do not only cause property damage; they also pose health risks. Here are some answers to the questions you may have about termite treatment services.
What Attracts Termites?
All termites are drawn to wood; however, each type has specific preferences. For example, damp wood termites are attracted to moist wood, whereas dry wood termites are drawn to dry wood. Subterranean termites infest wood that is in contact with moist soil.
Apart from wood, termites are attracted to moisture, cracks in building exteriors, and wood in contact with your home's foundations. Moreover, geographical location also contributes to infestations. Warm weather and humidity make residents susceptible to termite activity.
Do Termites Cause Health Issues?
Termites can bite and sting, but the wounds sustained are not toxic. Termites do not carry harmful diseases. However, if termites infest your home, you will experience allergic reactions. Heating systems contribute to the spread of dust and irritating elements from termite nests. Some people are allergic to termite droppings and saliva.
What Do Termite Control Services Look For?
A termite control service looks for signs of termite infestation. These include wood damage, discarded wings, mud tubes, termite droppings, and termite exit holes. Your termite control professional will also look for wood-to-ground contact and moisture issues that contribute to termite activity.
Termite inspectors will check the termite hot spots and entry points for activity based on the termite's unique behavior. For example, when looking for the Formosan and subterranean termites, the termite inspector will look at your home's outside and inside the perimeter, including the foundation, attics, basement, and crawl spaces. Your inspector will check exposed hardwood floors, wood, crawl spaces, eaves, and attics for dry wood termites.
What Treatments Are Used for Termite Control?
There are two standard methods that termite control services use to eradicate termites. Conventional barrier treatments are soil-applied barrier treatments. Termiticides that professionals use for barrier treatments can cause contamination of water wells and your home. Therefore, these treatments should be used by professional pest management services because they know which precautions to take.
Another treatment a termite control professional may use is a bait system. These treatments are used to avoid the complete application of insecticides and their impact on the environment and human health. These systems depend on cellulose baits. A popular bait system is borates. This is a spray that is used to protect the wood during new home construction.
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