What Every Homeowner Should Know About Drywood Termites If termite control were a movie, drywood termites would be the star. They are the most common termites in San Diego, where the climate is especially favorable to them thanks to mild temperatures year-round and just the right amount of moisture. A drywood termite colony is made […]
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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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Attic Adventures Many homeowners seem to feel sorry for me when I need to inspect their attic. They’ll say things like, “I bet it’s going to be hot up there,” or “You must hate this part of your job.” But truthfully, I don’t mind attics at all. I definitely prefer them over crawl spaces—and even
What Every San Diego Homeowner Should Know About Over-the-Counter Termite Poison If I’m inspecting a home for termites and the homeowner tells me they’ve been trying to handle the problem themselves with over-the-counter sprays or foams, I already know one thing—the problem got worse, not better. Even if they don’t mention it, but I spot
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Why Termites Love New Homes One is like a well-done strip steak—dark, dry, and chewy. The other is a medium-rare ribeye—red, juicy, and melts in your mouth. To drywood termites, the strip steak is redwood. The ribeye is Douglas fir. Before the 1970s, most homes in Southern California were built with redwood. It’s a harder,
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What Every California Homeowner Should Know About Subterranean Termites We’re entering subterranean termite swarming season. In California, this usually occurs in the spring after warm weather and rain. Hopefully it won’t happen to you, but sometime in the next few months subterranean termites may swarm. The worst place for that to happen is inside your
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What Every Homeowner Should Know About Orange Oil It seems like every time I’m on Nextdoor and someone asks for advice about termites, someone recommends orange oil. Part of the reason is that many people believe orange oil is the only alternative to termite fumigation—which isn’t true. Another reason is the general fear of chemicals
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Poisoning Termites vs. Poisoning Their Food There are different ways to poison termites. One way is to poison the termites directly. Fumigation does this by filling the structure with gas. Homeowners attempting DIY treatments may spray visible termites with pesticide. Orange oil treatments involve drilling into termite galleries and injecting a solvent that kills on
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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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Hidden Attics I was recently conducting a termite inspection in Carlsbad. Before I begin any inspection, I ask the homeowner a few questions: What are you seeing? How long have you lived here? Was the home tented before you moved in? Have you experienced any termite swarms? And how do you feel about fumigation? If
