Termites Love It When Homeowners Choose DIY I inspected a home in Oceanside the other day. When I arrived, the homeowner proudly showed me all the products he’d used over the past twenty-plus years—Terminate from everyone’s favorite home improvement store, a few organic options, and some other odds and ends. I’m not sure why DIYers […]
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The Cost of Termite Control When I talk to a potential customer for the first time, the question I hear most often is, “How much will it cost?” If I hesitate, they’ll ask for a ballpark figure. If they’re thinking about fumigation, they’ll throw in their home’s square footage to help me along. I’m often
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Are You Claustrophobic? Before I became a termite inspector, I thought I was claustrophobic. If I let myself imagine being buried alive, I’d get the willies. But when I first learned about the job during an interview, it never crossed my mind that claustrophobia might be a problem. I didn’t land that job, but I
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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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The Art of Local Treating for Termites Local treatment for drywood termites can be extremely effective—if the inspection is thorough, the right termiticide is used, and the technician performing the work cares and knows what they’re doing. The Termite Inspection A local treatment is only as good as the inspection that guides it. Unless the
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8 Termite Treatment Obstacles Not every home is a simple, one-story structure surrounded by open pavement. Just as diagnosing a termite issue correctly is critical, recognizing the obstacles that could impact treatment is just as important. Without planning for these factors, the job could be delayed, cost more, or even be canceled. Zero Lot Lines
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Did Your Termite Company Do This? Did your termite company remove all the old termite evidence after completing their treatment or fumigation? If not, how can they tell whether the treatment was effective? And if you have another termite issue in the future, will those old droppings be mistaken for new activity—leaving you paying twice
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How Swarming Termites Can Make It from Your Attic to the Room Below When Termite Swarmers Take Flight Termite swarmers—also known as reproductives—leave a mature colony in search of a place to start a new one. Most don’t survive, but the few that do sustain a billion-dollar industry. Seeing 20 to 100 swarmers inside your
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Termites? A pile of black droppings, typically beneath a section of stucco. Because it’s black (not the color of wood) and concentrated (not spread out like it would be if it came from the eaves above) it’s most likely crickets, not termites. An inexperienced (or less than honest) termite inspector might claim they’re termite droppings
