Why Aren’t Homes Built to Resist Termites? When homeowners discover termites in their homes, they often wonder why we build houses out of wood in the first place. It’s a fair question. Considering that termites, fungi, and other wood-destroying organisms are constantly trying to consume the very materials our homes are built from, wood-framed construction […]
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How Termites Eat Wood—and the Science That Stops Them If you ever looked closely at a worker termite, you’d probably wonder how something so small and soft—something you could crush between two fingers—can destroy solid wood. The hardest part of a termite is its jaws. Unlike human jaws, which move up and down, termite jaws
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They Found a Wing I was speaking with a customer in San Marcos. She lived in a two-year-old home in a brand-new neighborhood. I’m not sure what prompted the termite inspection, but the inspector reported finding a single termite wing in her attic—and that was enough to spark a quiet panic. Neighborhoods operate differently today.
California Termite Is Hiring Thanks to a strong year of growth, California Termite is seeking a full-time Termite Technician to join our team. This is a ground-floor opportunity with unlimited potential for the right individual. The ideal candidate holds a Branch 3 Applicator’s license and has experience with basic wood repairs. However, just as important
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Why You Should Borate Your Attic—And Any Other Unpainted Wood in Your Home Borate is one of the best ways to protect the unpainted wood in your home from future termite infestation—and to help contain any activity that may already be present. Exterior paint does a decent job of protecting wood on the outside of
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Protecting Your Home from Termites — and from Our Mess Termite treating is messy work. On the exterior, inspectors probe your home’s wood, sometimes sending a spray of termite droppings onto your patio or walkway. Technicians drilling and treating can leave behind a light dusting of sawdust around the perimeter. Thankfully, that’s all outside—rain takes
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Older Homes with New Additions It surprises many people, but when I’m inspecting an older home with a newer addition, I’m more likely to find termites in the addition. The main culprit is Douglas fir, the wood most commonly used to frame homes today. There are two key reasons for this. First, builders don’t typically
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Borating an Attic Space Termites spread by swarming, and they can enter your attic through vents. Since attic wood is usually unpainted, anywhere they land they can start chewing. A borate treatment prevents this by making the wood inedible to termites. The borates work by killing the protozoa in a termite’s stomach, leaving them unable
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Is it Worth is to Re-Screen Your Vents? Some termite companies offer gable vent re-screening as a way to prevent termites from entering the attic. However, gable vents are just one potential entry point. Most attics also have soffit vents along the lower perimeter, which are difficult to access from inside and would look unsightly
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What Termite Inspectors Look For—and Think About—in an Attic When termite inspectors enter an attic, they’re not just looking for termites. They’re evaluating a range of factors that could affect current or future infestations. Fire suppression systems, TAP insulation, borate-treated wood, and even old chalk marks from previous inspections all provide clues. Every attic tells
