4 Good Reasons to Maintain a Full-Structure Termite Warranty: Termites are just part of life in Southern California. You can tent your home, but that doesn’t mean you’re done with them. Eventually, they’ll come back. Some homeowners figure they’ll just fumigate every ten years or so—but that approach often results in expensive wood damage. A […]
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7 Surprises That Can Sidetrack a Termite Fumigation Fumigation isn’t exactly fun. You need to bag all your food, find somewhere else to stay for at least two nights, and trust a company to pump toxic gas into your home while you’re away. If you’re going through all that trouble, you’ll want to make sure
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Death, Taxes and Termites I joke that termites are like your kids—you’re never really done with them. Even if you tent your home, chances are you’ll deal with termites again. In fact, it might be more likely. That’s because termite fumigation doesn’t offer any residual protection. Theoretically, termites could re-infest your home the day after
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Termite Questions from Customers Here are some of the most common questions I’ve been asked recently: Why do I need to have the gas turned off when I fumigate for termites? There are two key reasons: Pilot lights react with the fumigant. The flame from any gas appliance can cause a chemical reaction with the
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Termite Inspectors are Termite Detectives, Part 2: In Part 1, I talked about how the inspection begins with an interview and the clues found in inspection and fumigation tags and termite droppings. In Part 2, we’ll look at all the other sources that help us crack the case and recommend the best solution for your
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Termite Inspectors are Termite Detectives, Part One: I always thought I would have made an excellent detective. I even applied to the state police—twice. The first time, my future ex-wife told me she’d break up with me if I became a policeman. (In hindsight, I could’ve saved myself a lot of pain and anguish if
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Termite Fumigations: What’s with All the Forms? If you’ve ever tented your home, you probably remember signing more paperwork than expected. Not quite as much as when you bought your home, but still a stack. Some of the forms are required by the California Structural Pest Control Board and your county’s Agricultural, Weights and Measures
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What’s Wrong with Orange Oil I was scrolling through Nextdoor recently and saw someone asking for termite control recommendations. A few people suggested orange oil, and it made me realize—many people think orange oil is the only alternative to tenting. Some even believe it’s synonymous with local treatment. Let’s clear that up. Orange oil is
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The Lifecycle of a Termite Colony A termite colony begins with a swarm—typically 20 to 100 flying termites called alates, the winged reproductives that include future kings and queens. These termites leave their original colony to start a new one. Subterranean termites usually swarm in spring, typically the day after rainfall. Drywood termites, on the
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The Dark Side of Termite Control As someone working in termite control, I’d love to say every inspector out there is honest and customer-focused—but that hasn’t been my experience. Most of us likely start with good intentions. But job pressures, sales goals, and company culture can push inspectors to stretch the truth and rationalize questionable
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