Probing Wood for Termites One of the most reliable ways to check exterior wood for termites is by probing. Even if a board looks solid from the outside, a light probe can reveal hidden damage. When termites are present, the wood may break open and release small pellets, which are actually termite droppings. If the […]
Probing Wood for Termites Read More »
Termite Inspector Ailments Inspecting for termites isn’t exactly a desk job. If you’re thorough (and not everyone is), you have to work your way through the attic, crawlspace (sometimes more than one), and probe every section of accessible wood around the perimeter of the home. It’s not for the faint of heart. In fact, there
Termite Inspector Ailments Read More »
Old or New Termite Activity While inspecting a customer’s garage, I found a significant amount of termite droppings. Since the home had been fumigated less than five years prior, I thought the droppings might have occurred before the fumigation and had already been dealt with. But then I spotted a kickout hole—the place where termites
Old or New Termite Droppings Read More »
Termite Foam vs. Liquid When it comes to local treatments for drywood termites, there are three main options: fipronil (in liquid or foam form) and orange oil. I’m not a fan of orange oil. It’s a repellent (termites can smell and taste it and simply avoid it), it dissipates in less than a month (so
Termite Foam vs. Liquid Read More »
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
Attic Borate Treatment Read More »
You Decided to Tent Your Home – What Happens Next? SchedulingYou’ll need to pick a date. Since termite companies subcontract fumigations, your inspector will check with the fumigator’s schedule. Tents typically stay up for two nights. If you choose a Friday or Saturday start, the tent will remain up an extra night because fumigators don’t
You Decided to Tent Your Home – What Happens Next? Read More »
Inside a Crawlspace Crawlspaces are a termite inspector’s least favorite place—damp, dirty, webby, cramped, and full of surprises. I’ve been in a 9,000-square-foot home with a crawlspace just as big, and I’ve been under a mobile home during an earthquake. But if you want a complete inspection, you have to get in there and crawl
Inside a Crawlspace Read More »
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
Is it Worth it to Re-Screen Gable Vents? Read More »
The Importance of Masking Termite Droppings Termites eat wood, so their droppings are made of wood—and they don’t decompose. That’s why it’s important to either clean up or mask termite droppings after a treatment or fumigation. There are two main reasons for this: To avoid mistaking old droppings for new activity. Let’s say a home
The Importance of Masking Termite Droppings Read More »
5 Termite Sales Tactics to Watch Out For I’ve said it before—many termite companies are really just sales organizations. Because of their size, they need to chase revenue to cover overhead. That means inspectors are often focused more on closing a deal than doing what’s best for the customer. Here are five of the most
5 Termite Sales Tactics to Watch Out For Read More »
