The National Pest Management Association reports that “termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage each year across the U.S.—and damage from wood-boring insects is typically not covered by homeowners’ insurance policies.” This startling fact affects every homeowner in America. Many homes are under attack and many more are vulnerable to termites. An interview with a home inspector provides basic information on what to look for, and how to treat termites invading a home.
Scott H. is a licensed inspector with the State of California Structural Pest Control Board. He has over six years of experience as a home inspector for Terminix. He warns that it takes termites as little as five years to damage a home. “Termites do not sleep or hibernate, instead they are constantly eating. This is referred to as continuous and random foraging.” A termite inspection will reveal whether termites are present in a home or structure.
Termite Inspection
Home owners typically request a termite inspection because they notice wings littering window sills and floors, or because they are actually seeing swarmers. Swarmers are termites that are sent out to reproduce and start new termite colonies. After four to five years, the new colonies are strong enough to develop their own swarmers. Those swarmers start even more colonies and the cyclical process continues.
Scott explains that termites damage homes by eating the wood and digesting the cellulose from the wood. Cellulose is what gives the wood its integrity. The rest of the wood is excreted as waste, resembling tiny round pellets.
How to Get Rid of Termites
According to Scott, there are two commonly used treatment methods for termites: fumigation and liquid ground treatment. Fumigation utilizes Vikane, while Termidor is used for liquid ground treatment. These chemicals are for professional use, and cannot be bought in stores. Store bought repellants generally do not solves the problem. “Repellants send the termites away from one wall and into another wall.”
Fumigation
The most comprehensive way to get rid of termites entirely is by fumigation. Fumigation consists of leaving the home and allowing professionals to put tarps over the house and inject gas into the home. “The tarps generally need to stay on [the house for] 12-20 hours,” Scott asserts.
As a precautionary measure, most companies will inject tear gas into the home first to guarantee that the structure is completely vacant. Next, Vikane is injected into the house and circulated by fan.
Vikane Gas to Treat Termites
Vikane is the most commonly used gas for fumigation. The amount of gas used to treat a home is determined by the house’s cubic footage. Multiplying the cubic footage by the price of the gas determines how much it costs to treat a home. If the house is not measured correctly, the amount of gas used to treat the home will be reduced, thus rendering the treatment ineffective.
Vikane is a gas made up of made up of sulfuryl fluoride. According to Dow Chemicals, marketer of Vikane, “Vikane® gas fumigant completely dissipates from a structure following fumigation, leaving no surface residue, odor or film behind. This means you will not have to wash dishes, linens, clothing or furnishings after fumigation.” Vikane is most often used for drywood termites.
Termidor to Treat Termites
If fumigation is not necessary then the homeowner may need the less invasive Termidor treatment. Termidor is a liquid applied to a home’s foundation. In some cases, the foundation must be drilled and Termidor must be applied inside the drill holes. Termidor is made by BASF Global. According to BASF, “Termidor controls Subterranean termites, including the extremely destructive Formosan Subterranean termites, Dampwood termites and Drywood termites."
Home Pest Control
If termites are a concern, call a pest control company and ask for a home inspection. Many companies will offer this service for free. If a home is infested with termites and the infestation is ignored, the homeowner will have to make repairs to their home that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Without treatment, areas of a house can actually fall down.
Scott H. is a licensed inspector with the State of California Structural Pest Control Board. He has over six years of experience as a home inspector for Terminix. He warns that it takes termites as little as five years to damage a home. “Termites do not sleep or hibernate, instead they are constantly eating. This is referred to as continuous and random foraging.” A termite inspection will reveal whether termites are present in a home or structure.
Termite Inspection
Home owners typically request a termite inspection because they notice wings littering window sills and floors, or because they are actually seeing swarmers. Swarmers are termites that are sent out to reproduce and start new termite colonies. After four to five years, the new colonies are strong enough to develop their own swarmers. Those swarmers start even more colonies and the cyclical process continues.
Scott explains that termites damage homes by eating the wood and digesting the cellulose from the wood. Cellulose is what gives the wood its integrity. The rest of the wood is excreted as waste, resembling tiny round pellets.
How to Get Rid of Termites
According to Scott, there are two commonly used treatment methods for termites: fumigation and liquid ground treatment. Fumigation utilizes Vikane, while Termidor is used for liquid ground treatment. These chemicals are for professional use, and cannot be bought in stores. Store bought repellants generally do not solves the problem. “Repellants send the termites away from one wall and into another wall.”
Fumigation
The most comprehensive way to get rid of termites entirely is by fumigation. Fumigation consists of leaving the home and allowing professionals to put tarps over the house and inject gas into the home. “The tarps generally need to stay on [the house for] 12-20 hours,” Scott asserts.
As a precautionary measure, most companies will inject tear gas into the home first to guarantee that the structure is completely vacant. Next, Vikane is injected into the house and circulated by fan.
Vikane Gas to Treat Termites
Vikane is the most commonly used gas for fumigation. The amount of gas used to treat a home is determined by the house’s cubic footage. Multiplying the cubic footage by the price of the gas determines how much it costs to treat a home. If the house is not measured correctly, the amount of gas used to treat the home will be reduced, thus rendering the treatment ineffective.
Vikane is a gas made up of made up of sulfuryl fluoride. According to Dow Chemicals, marketer of Vikane, “Vikane® gas fumigant completely dissipates from a structure following fumigation, leaving no surface residue, odor or film behind. This means you will not have to wash dishes, linens, clothing or furnishings after fumigation.” Vikane is most often used for drywood termites.
Termidor to Treat Termites
If fumigation is not necessary then the homeowner may need the less invasive Termidor treatment. Termidor is a liquid applied to a home’s foundation. In some cases, the foundation must be drilled and Termidor must be applied inside the drill holes. Termidor is made by BASF Global. According to BASF, “Termidor controls Subterranean termites, including the extremely destructive Formosan Subterranean termites, Dampwood termites and Drywood termites."
Home Pest Control
If termites are a concern, call a pest control company and ask for a home inspection. Many companies will offer this service for free. If a home is infested with termites and the infestation is ignored, the homeowner will have to make repairs to their home that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Without treatment, areas of a house can actually fall down.
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