What Every Homeowner Needs To Know About Subterranean Termites
What's cream-colored, less than an inch long, and can be found chewing off your home's foundation with an overall cost of $2 billion in damages each year? Definitely not your friendly neighborhood bug, that's for sure. Subterranean termites, considered to be the most destructive pest in the United States, are found in every state except Alaska.
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Termites Beware
The termite insect is a common species for us in California. The termite feeds on wood and are in the family of insects called Isoptera. The insect family Isoptera is said to have dated back 100mil years. The termite is species that can live a long time without food or water and because of this they can be harmful, if not devastating to the landscape. The high season for termites is from early June and often moves into the month of May. During this time is when termites really begin to swarm. In CA the most common species of termite seen in the form of winged, soldier or reproductive are the damp wood and subterranean termite. Before the termite season starts it is wise to have a plan of prevention and and solution. If a well thought out plan is in place it can stop unnecessary costly damages to your home. Boric Acid can be a less costly alternative to the other various more expensive ways of prevention.
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Termite Invading Your Home
A long time ago, Orson Welles struck fear into the heart of many people with those very words when he aired the radio program "War of the Worlds". He had people believing that our world was being invaded by aliens and we were set for sure destruction.
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Doing Termite Baiting Yourself
We are increasingly becoming a world of people who like to do things ourselves. Whether it's because we want to save money or just like the satisfaction of taking care of our own things, sometimes we like "getting our hands dirty" and learning how to do new things. Even termite treatment is possible for the avid do-it-yourselfer. There are a variety of commercial products on the market with professional strength that you can use. They are available in many places, but we suggest you look in a home improvement store to find the best selection.
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An Overview of Termite Baiting
You screamed when you saw your cupboard filled with white, ant-like insects, eating the boxes of your dry goods. Imagine yourself seeing them munching your important papers: Deeds, Certificate of Title, and car registration -- you'll definitely go beyond screaming. Before it happens, be informed, get an overview of termite baiting and prevent infestation before they invade your home completely.
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Detecting Termites Through Infrared Technology
One of the most exciting innovations in the pest control industry is the use of infrared technology and termite inspection. Infrared technology is used to detect heat in small spaces and is perfect for use in the termite inspection because it can detect colonies that are massed together and make it easier for the pest control operator to pinpoint the location of the infestation and effectively get rid of the problem in one fell swoop.
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The Phantom Termite Treatment
One of the best-selling and most used termiticide products on the market being used by pest control companies today is called Phantom. Phantom termite treatment has caused a buzz in the pest control community since being introduced.
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First Time Home Buyers-how to Check for Termites
When you're in the market to purchase a home, it's easy to allow yourself to focus on the emotional and aesthetic aspects of selecting a property. While it is, of course, very important to choose a house that appeals to you aesthetically and can become a long term home for your family, it's also vital to make sure that the house you want to purchase is structurally sound and free from active termite infestation or damage.
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Using The Advance Termite System To Remove Termites
The Advance termite system which is also another very popular termite baiting system in use with pest control companies.
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Termite Treatments
If you're a new homeowner or are worried about termites attacking your home, there are several things you can do to keep termites away. Termite treatments fall into several categories, and which type you choose will have to do with where you live, what type of house you have, and how much work you want to do yourself. Whatever you do, make sure you house is protected against termites, because these insects can do thousands of dollars of damage before you even realize what's happening.
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What do Termites Look Like?
Termites are tiny pests that can do thousands of dollars to your house in no time. Keeping these insects away is one of your most important jobs in pest control as a homeowner. One common question people have is, "what do termites look like?" There are many different kinds of termites, but you can probably recognize them with a little work.
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Termidor Termite Treatment
Termites are wood eating pests, and they can cause a huge amount of damage to your home if you leave it untreated. Termidor is one treatment option for killing termites. It is effective against the common subterranean termites and also drywood termites. It is even effective at killing ants and other insect pests, but it won't harm your lawn, plants, or cause damage to your soil.
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Signs of Termites
Do you think your house might have termites? These bugs can cause thousands of dollars in damage, so it's wise to be vigilant and check for signs of termites regularly. But what should you look for? Here are a few signs that you might have a termite infestation.
- The most obvious sign is a termite swarm. Depending on the type of termites, they usually swarm after a rain during warmer weather. These termites will have wings that fall off shortly after the swarm. If you see a large number of small, winged bugs invading some part of your house, you might have a termite problem. If you notice lots of tiny wings around windowsills, doors, bathtubs, sinks, toilets, or anywhere else, you might have a termite problem. Get your house inspected by a termite inspector.
- Termites build tubes of mud from their nests in the ground to the areas they get food from. These tubes can be free standing or attached to rocks, columns, or parts of the foundation of your house. They look like small, pencil sized mud tunnels. These are sure signs of termites, which use them to get to the wooden parts of your house which are their food.
- When termites eat, they leave behind damaged wood. This wood has a honeycomb of tunnels dug into it. The wood might sound hollow if you knock on it. It may crack easily or be brittle. The tunnels can be hollow or packed with dirt. The best way to check for damaged wood is to go to the basement or crawlspace below your house and examine the wood there. Check the foundation, the baseboards, and go back to the house to check the floors and wall studs. Does the wood look sturdy? Does it have a hollow sound when you knock on it? Is it dry, brittle, or easily cracked? You might have a termite problem.
- If you see live termites, you can bet you've got a termite problem. Termites are often described as little white ants because that's what they look like. They're about the size of a grain of rice and white or light gray colored. They don't like light and avoid it actively.
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Guidelines To Prevent Termite
Keeping termites away from your home in the first place can be the best way to save money although you will still want to have at least annual treatments to make sure that they don't come around in the first place. But taking measures to be sure that conditions are not conducive to their survival just makes sense.
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Strength in Numbers - an Introduction to Swarmer Termites
Termites have earned themselves a high degree of notoriety, with Americans spending hundreds of millions of dollars on termite eradication and home repairs every year. Termites are well known for their perseverance, their appetite for wood and cellulose-based fibers, and their ability to reproduce very quickly. These factors are the basis for the problems the insects cause for homeowners.
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Treating Termite The Natural Way
Many people are very cognizant about the chemicals that we use to control pests which are why there is a new trend toward natural termite treatment to rid our structures of these pesky and damaging insects.
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Best Termite Control
BestTermiteControl.com is the one stop solution to your termite problems. Check out our information on termites, termite protection, and termite eradication.
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