One of the first questions homeowners often ask after finding out they have a termite problem is, “how much will termite treatment cost me?”
Then, after hearing a quoted price for an inspection and subsequent treatment, folks’ next question is often, “why does termite treatment cost so much? Aren’t there cheaper options for getting rid of termites?”
This is understandable because termite control and extermination is something that most homeowners do not think about until they discover they have an infestation.
I agree, moisture plays an important role in the development and establishment of termite infestations in homes.
Reply-
Zak, that is correct. I would say that a good deal of homeowners are not aware of this either. Most of us, when we get some type of pipe leak, call a plumber or fix it ourselves and give little thought of replacing or at least, monitoring any type of waterlogged wood for telltale signs of termite activity afterwards. This is an often overlooked step in fixing a water leak. The safest bet is to replace the water damaged area of timber. The cheapest option is to just monitor the area (check it once every couple of month with a tap test).
Reply
We live in an area where the ground water level is high. So termites are a huge issue. Every now and then I see wooden frames of our doors infested with termites. So this January we went in for professional pest treatment by getting holes drilled in the corners of the home. So far it has worked well and I don’t see any wood damage. But now I see them making colonies in our garage concrete walls! I have sprayed some chemical there, but it just doesn’t go!
Reply-
J Clax, you may want to have a different professional come take a look for a second opinion. A professional pest control company should to a termite inspection for free. If they do not offer an inspection for free, do not use them. What I would ask for is a company that has thermal imaging. These companies can utilize specialized tools like thermal cameras to really find out the full extent of the termite colony in your garage. It sounds like you likely have subterranean termites if they are in the concrete and coming from the ground. Unfortunately, if they have established a significant colony, fumigation may be the best way to ensure you get them all killed. First, call the pest treatment company you first used and see if they can come take another look for free and explain to them what the issues you are still seeing. Since they treated your home in the first place, and it does not seem to be working, then they at least owe you a second look and an explanation. It could be that they used a termite baiting system, which do take a while to kill off an entire colony and they are not always effective for established colonies.
Reply
I am a new home owner. I live in Chicago. My mom has been leaving the bathroom window open and everyday and I notice there are dead moths or mosquitos in the sink—we keep a nite lite in there. Well today we woke up and found a huge swarm of dead insects—I’m talking about 50 or more. They were winged and I first thought they were ants– which I have never seen a flying ant in Chicago—after reading and doing research I am 100% sure they are flying termites. On the inside of the window there is something round that appears to be a nest. Do you think that’s the nest? What should I do? I have never seen this and I’m totally freaked out. I am sort of panicking because my home is brick but has beautiful wood work inside. I think they flew in from outside and were attracted to the light–needless to say I closed the window!!
Reply-
Ashley, I wouldn’t freak out too much yet. You are either seeing termite swarmers or ant swarmers. If you think you found flying termites, then look around for other signs of termites. I would pay particular attention to the window sill. You could take a screw driver and tap along the wood trim or window sill. If part of the wood sounds more hallow than other parts of the same type of wood there is a chance you have an existing termite infestation and the flying termites you identified were exiting your home. The other possibility is that they originated from outside your house, saw the light you mentioned, and flew toward it and through your window and died overnight. You can also look around the window seal for termite pinholes (tiny holes they exit the wood from) and termite droppings which many people mistake for saw dust. If you find any of these typical signs of termite activity I would contact a termite company to come perform an inspection. Termite inspections are normally free, so there is no risk to you. Based on the inspection results, most companies will then discuss your options with you. A professional company just has many more tools and more training and experience at their disposal to help them identify termite activity in your home. One very useful tool is a thermal camera. They can actually see termite colonies in your walls, floors, and other places impossible to observe with the naked eye with thermal imaging. Quite impressive technology! If you would like a termite company to contact you, you can fill out some quick information here.
Reply
I had no idea that one of the first signs of termites is actually their droppings! I hat having bugs in my home, and have read a lot about what to do to keep them out. I hope I never find out about having termites in my home during the later stages, sounds like there’s a good chance that they can have created a lot of damage by that time.
Reply-
Gregory, you are right, you do not want to find termites in your home at a later stage of an infestation because they can have damaged the structure of your home by then. That is very expensive to repair. To reduce the risk of this happening, it is a good idea to get a professional to inspect your home at least once a year (sometimes more depending on the amount of termite activity in your area). I try to do a little mini-inspection on my own when I’m cleaning up around my home. Just simple things like the tap-test, keeping an eye out for termite droppings, shed swarmer wings, termite pin holes, mud tubes on my foundation, etc. You can also greatly reduce your rusk for termite infestations by implementing prevention strategies as well.
Reply
I have a question….we have a few thousand dollar problem that is causing moisture under the house and we have termites. Does it make sense to kill the termites and not fix the moisture problem right away or do you need to eliminate the moisture problem and the termites at the same time?
thank you.
Reply-
Shawn, good question. I would attempt to fix the moisture problem along with the termite treatment because having moist wood or water damaged wood in your home makes it more susceptible to subterranean termites. Termites will not exclusively consume moist wood but they seem to be particularly attracted to it. I think not addressing the moisture problem while or soon after attempting to kill the termites may make your home susceptible to a repeat infestation.
Reply
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with dealing with termites. I’m a freelance pest control professional and must join in with you in recommending people who live in high threat areas for termites to get at a minimum an annual inspection. I work in Arizona and we have a heck of a time with termites here.
The second thing that I saw you recommended is to properly identify the type of termite that you are dealing with. There are different types of termites (in terms of behaviors) and they require different approaches to termite control. Worst case scenario is some type of fumigation or termite tenting, but I have successfully treated quite a few minor infestations with spot treatment tactics. Keep sharing this useful information, in my opinion way too few homeowners and rentors understand the serious threat to their property that termites pose. And, please do not make the mistake of assuming that insurance will cover termite damage. More often than not, homeowner’s insurance will NOT cover termite treatment because they consider it preventible rather than an “act of God” type of scenario.
ReplyI really appreciate your advice to get the most out of a termite treatment by getting a good idea of which structures are most affected before hand. I wouldn’t know the first thing about getting rid of these guys, but I bet almost anyone could google the signs of infestation and look for them around buildings. Then you can tell the pros exactly where to look for them in a more thorough inspection. It would also make sense to me to have the company come back a little while later to check and make sure they really are gone.
Reply-
Glad you learned something useful here about termites Luke! It is really surprising how much just a little bit of termite knowledge can potentially save you. Knowing their basic behavior, signs of their activity, and termite prevention tips can do wonders.
Reply
You said that sagging floors and ceilings are signs of termites. I’ll need to ask a professional for assistance when I am trying to learn about different things that I would be able to do to prevent termite infestations. Maybe I should find a professional, online, that would be able to help me learn about dealing with pests.
ReplyTermites are a problem you never see coming. By the time you’ve found them it’s often too late… at least that was the case for me. I now know that as the weather warms up, swarming termites become a serious problem. Swarming termites are groups of termites looking to establish a new colony. Don’t let your home become their base camp this. That was my mistake. I thought these winged insects in my home were just ants. I vacuumed them several years in a row when I’d see them emerging from around my windows. Turns out I had a pretty serious termite infestation and I had to get fumigation done. If I would have found hired a pest control pro earlier I may not have had to do an entire fumigation. Oh well, you live and you learn. Wish I would have found this site earlier though. I think it would have saved me some cash.
Reply-
Joy, sorry to hear you had a termite infestation and had to go the fumigation route. I hope you’ve been termite free since then! It sounds like you’ve learned enough that this won’t happen a second time to you. First sign of termites is the best time to get an inspection and prevention techniques are worth the investment. They usually end up being cheaper than fumigation and repairs.
Reply
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Thanks for sharing about your experience with termites. I found out I have a small infestation in my deck yesterday. I am going to have it treated in two weeks. I guess they are going to do a spot treatment. Have you heard of this type of treatment before?