Common Mistakes in Treating Residential Termites

“Pulling back the curtains” can sometimes be a cool experience. Seeing how your favorite beer is bottled, learning how emails travel through space and time, or how a machine can produce a perfectly shaped Hershey’s Kiss are all examples of fun opportunities to go behind the scenes.

Now imagine if you did a similar thing on your home. Would you want to know that thousands of termites could be crawling in the earth below where you live? Probably not. But that’s the unfortunate risk of owning a house. How you handle it, however, can make a HUGE difference. Today, we go over some common mistakes in handling termites and what you can do to protect your property.

Not Hiring a Professional

This seems like a no-brainer. But it’s easy to think that the cost of a professional treatment isn’t worth the money. Perhaps you’ve also been swayed by the chemicals sold at home improvement stores. Whatever the case, don’t handle a termite infestation on your own. You may have had some success with DIY treatments for other pests, but termites are, no pun intended, a different animal.

Fully treating a termite infestation requires years of professional experience. It takes a trained mind to understand where they’re living and how they’re getting to your home. Treatment options very much depend on the landscape, the foundation, and countless other factors. Sure, your surface treatment may kill off a few termites in your yard, but this won’t protect your home for weeks or months into the future. The cost of repairing termite damage pales in comparison to a yearly inspection plan fee.

Not Treating Your Entire Home

As we just explained, cost-cutting isn’t going to get you anywhere in termite treatment. If you do notice any of the tell-tale signs of a termite infestation, such as drop tubes or mud tunnels, have your entire home inspected. It’s easy to think that, because you’ve only noticed these signs are concentrated in one area, the rest of the building is termite-free. This isn’t always the case. Termites could absolutely disappear into the woodwork and be far from sight. When you hire someone to treat the problem, you should plan to have the inspector evaluate the entire property.

Not Scheduling a Follow-Up

Subterranean treatment options can usually ward off termites years after application. In fact, the chemicals used for termites can be effective for as long as five years. Termites, however, are crafty insects and will find a way to subvert a chemical barrier. Over time, they can resurface once the colony’s workers discover gaps or breakdowns in the chemical application.

Contracting a pest professional to continually check-up on your home is the best way to have long-term success with termites. If you want more peace of mind and wish to save yourself the headache of costly improvement projects, an annual termite audit makes sense. We would also recommend installing a monitoring system around the perimeter of your home to help with early detection of termite movement. These steps will also prove beneficial should you decide to sell your home or refinance your mortgage. You’ll have hard evidence that you’re actively managing termites and immediately handling any issues.

Not Proactively Monitoring Yourself

Hiring a professional isn’t the last step in ridding your home of termites. Sitting back idly could lead to missing a future infestation by this costly pest. Regularly inspecting yourself, in addition to working with a pest professional, is really the best option. You know your home inside and out and may notice slight changes such as bubbling paint or kick-out holes that would call for additional attention from a professional.

We’ve covered many of the tell-tale signs of a residential termite problem, so you should always refer back to these when looking around your home. Plan a day each month where you can spend 15 minutes reviewing key areas of the home to make sure any noticeable signs are immediately addressed. This way, you won’t uncover any surprises before a technician arrives at your home.

Contact us today for more information.