The Importance Of Termite Inspections In Knoxville Tn

By now, most everyone has heard about termites and the dangers they pose to homes and businesses. It is fairly common knowledge that these wood eating pests cause over $5 billion annually in repair and restoration costs to U.S. property; most of which is not covered by homeowner’s insurance. But some people do not realize why it is important to get a termite inspection. After all, you would know if you had termites! Right?

Wrong! Termites are called ‘silent destroyers’ after all. These elusive little pests can crawl into your home unnoticed and cause thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of damages before you even realize they are there. How can this be? Well, it’s really quite simple. Let’s take a closer look at these little beasts.

First of all, termites cannot survive for long out in the elements. They must remain moist and hidden from the sunlight, wind, and cold. Because of this, they spend most of their lives beneath the surface of the earth or deep inside buildings. They create mud tunnels, small tubes about the width of a pencil, which they use to traverse between the ground under and around your home into its walls to eat. Occasionally, you may see the reproductive cast of this species swarming around your home – especially on warm days in spring and fall after a rain. However, this only happens when a colony has matured and grown to the point where they need to send members off to form new colonies in order to expand and survive. The queen instinctively knows when the time is right and begins to birth this special cast of termite whose sole responsibility is to go out and find a mate, drop its wings, and begin a new colony. The trouble with relying on seeing swarms to determine whether or not you have been infested with termites is that they don’t start new colonies often and when they do they don’t last very long. Your chances of missing a swarm of reproductives is very high.

Secondly, these little creatures don’t exactly advertise that your home has become their favorite eatery. The signs they leave behind are subtle and easily missed, which is why damage done by them is usually quite severe before anyone even knows it has happened. After all, they are inside your walls chewing away at the structural beams. It’s not like you can look inside those wall voids yourself to check for these critters. Surely you should be on the lookout for shed wings on window sills, in spider webs, and around sinks. You should also periodically check around your foundation for signs of the mud tubes they use. You should also be on the lookout for wood, especially in your basement that looks blistered, appears crushed, or sounds hollow when tapped upon. These are all important signs that you may have been invaded and that your home is in danger. Again, these signs are very subtle and you would have to be extremely diligent and observant to notice them – especially in the early stages of an infestation.

Lastly, there is really on one sure way for you to know if termites are silently eating away at the beams in your home, and that is to have a trusted pest control specialist take a look. Here at Active Pest Control we have some of the best in the termite business – Experts that can spot an infestation practically in the blink of any eye. Through extensive training and experience they have become the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ to your termite colony. Those very subtle signs that are easily missed by most are quickly noticed by our termite specialists; and, the sooner an infestation is found, the less damage will be done.

So why is it important to get a termite inspection? The peace of mind of knowing that termites are not silently eating away the equity in your home is priceless. Give us a call today to schedule your inspection and see how Active Pest Control can help you rest easy from the worry and stress that termites can cause.

How You Can Know If You Have Termites

If you are like many Americans, spring is an ideal time for cleaning, but did you know it is also a good time to look for signs of termites? Well, how about combining the two? While you are doing all those tasks to give your home a fresh, new look, keep your eyes open for signs of termites as well.

Termites Signs to Look For

  • Mud tubes. Subterranean termites (termites that live in the soil) build mud tubes that serve as bridges from the soil to the wood of a home. These are made of soil, wood and debris, are about the width of a pencil, and typically are found on basement or foundation walls. These keep the termites from being exposed to the elements and predators.
  • Wood damage. Termites eat the cellulose in wood and leave nothing behind but the wood grain. These signs can remain hidden for years and may only be apparent if you embark on a new remodeling project. Sometimes they excavate the wood so only a thin layer of wood is left, but then they will cover the holes with the same mud-like material they use to make mud tubes.
  • Buckling paint. Painted walls, floors, or ceilings with buckling paint occur when termites invade the wood and push the paint up. The paint may also have small holes where termites have broken through to reach the wood.
  • Swarmers. When a termite colony matures, it produces something called swarmers, or termite reproductives. This typically happens in spring or fall and they are only visible for a short period of time. So, they can be easy to miss. They are also sometimes mistaken for flying ants.
  • Discarded swarmer wings. If there have been swarmers that have disappeared back into your walls, they may leave discarded wings behind. Usually, these wings can be found in small piles in spider webs or on window sills. If outside, they can be found on surfaces of your home’s foundation.
  • Termite droppings. If you have drywood termites, you may find the droppings that they leave behind, which are called frass. These tiny fecal mounds often indicate a nearby termite infestation.

Now that your home has been spring cleaned and you have looked for all the signs of termites, what should you do next?

That is a good question. Did you find any of the signs listed above? If you did, it is important to take action. Termite damage costs U.S. property owners billions of dollars each year.

What if I didn’t find any of the signs listed above? Am I safe?

We wish we could say yes, but the truth is, termites are called silent destroyers for a reason. Sometimes they don’t leave any signs of their presence.

When spring cleaning is done, whether or not you’ve found signs of termites, the best course of action is to get a free termite inspection from Active Pest Control. Don’t let termites destroy your property and eat your equity. Make termite protection a part of your spring cleaning with Active Pest Control.

Termite Inspection

The conscientious homeowner is always on the lookout for various areas of the home that may be in need of improvements or repairs. This includes exterior components that are exposed to the elements of adverse weather conditions as well as normal wear and tear of the interior. Repainting walls is not an unusual job for the homeowner to periodically do throughout the home. Occasionally, the windows are looked at to see if it would be prudent to consider window replacements in order to maintain optimal efficiency. However, there is one inspection of the home that is often overlooked and yet is perhaps the most important and needful inspection of all.

The most dreaded invader to which all homeowners have a fear of is the elusive termite. Often referred to as the silent destroyer, the termite does incredible damage “beneath the surface.” In other words, the damage invoked is rarely seen until it reaches substantial damage. This damage can affect the structural integrity of the building and should be approached seriously with professional assistance.

A professional termite inspector has the knowledge needed to know what to look for and where to look. The knowledgeable inspector will begin by looking for obvious, visible signs of the presence of termites. This includes:

  • Wood damage inside or outside the home.
  • Mud tubes coming from the ground up the sides of the foundation.
  • Discarded termite wings and termite droppings.

But a thorough inspection does not end there. The inspector will also look for particular areas of the property and home that may be ideal conditions to attract termites. This may include areas outside that stay very moist, perhaps even standing water close to the foundation. Decking supports with direct contact to the ground are also closely inspected. The landscaping mulch that looks so nice is another potential spot that is conducive to termite infestation. The well trained inspector might even dig into the soil in various spots around the foundation, looking for termite activity.

If you are a Tennessee homeowner, you should contact the termite experts here at Active Pest Control and arrange for a thorough inspection of your home to give you the peace of mind that your property is free of termites. Our trusted technicians are trained to know just what to look for and where to look. They are aware that termites work all year long, day and night, eating away at the structure of your home one tiny bite at a time. If termites are found, Active Pest Control can strategically implement a treatment that is environmentally friendly; the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System which takes care of the initial infestation as well as any future infestation of termites.

Termite Warning Signs For Macon, Georgia

Of all the pests that can attack a home, termites are by far the worst. And, of all the termites species in the United States, the termites that fall into the category of “subterranean” are the ones that will do the most damage to homes in Georgia. So, we will be focusing this article on the warning signs that specifically relate to these destructive, wood-eating insects.

Swarmers: Winged termites are sometimes mistaken for a species of termite when they are actually a caste of termite. In a termite colony, there are different castes that have different roles. Workers eat wood and bring that food back to the nest. Soldiers protect the colony from predators. Queens make babies and kings fertilize the queen. The job of winged reproductives is to establish a new nest. It may be a few feet from the old nest, or up to a few miles. But, the first sign of danger will be a swarm of insects somewhere around your home. Subterranean swarmers are drawn to light, so you might see them engulfing a streetlight or an exterior light on your home.

Swarm evidence: Swarms don’t last long, so the only warning sign you may get is evidence that a swarm happened. It may be a single swarmer crawling on a wall or it might be the gossamer wings these insects shed after swarming. These might be found on back decks, patios, or window sills. They even get caught in spider webs.

Inside swarmers: If you find wings on inside window sills or swarmers crawling around on interior walls, these are signs of a current and mature infestation inside the walls of your home. You aren’t likely to get more than one or two swarmers inside your home if you aren’t already infested.

Mud tubes: Subterranean termites randomly forage for food underground and build mud tubes up your foundation walls when they emerge from the soil. These tubes can also be found on interior walls, all the way up to your attic spaces. Subterranean termites require moisture to live. These tubes keep them safe from the drying effects of the sun.

Damage: If your home has been infested for years, doors and windows will begin to stick, walls will begin to bulge, and floors will begin to sag. But, by the time you start seeing these warning signs, it is too late.

Learn the warning signs and keep your home safe from termites in Macon, Georgia. If you don’t already have a termite protection plan, give us a call. The team here at Active Pest Control is the best in the business, and we have the awards and reviews to back that up. When you need to know for sure that your home is protected from the damaging effects of termites, Active Pest Control is the right choice.

Terrible Termites in Tennessee!

Termites strike fear in the hearts of homeowners for good reason, they are well known for dining on wood and significantly damaging the structural wood of homes and other buildings. And while that in itself is scary, the really scary thing about termites is that it can sometimes take weeks, months, or even years for a termite infestation to be discovered. At Active Pest Control we want to help make sure that your property isn’t taken over by these silent invaders by providing you with some information about them, the signs of a termite infestation, and what to do if you do discover termites in your home.

The most common species of termite found invading homes is the subterranean termite. As their name suggests they spend most of their life underground, and if they aren’t underground they are most likely on the inside of a piece of wood-feeding. The colony is divided up into three different castes each with their own job to do; workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Subterranean termites prefer to invade and feed on wood that has been previously damaged by water and will often accidentally enter into homes as they are searching for food sources.

The biggest threat from termites is that they are so difficult to notice. They could be living, feeding, and damaging the wood in your home for a long time before you finally start to notice that you have unwanted guests in your home. Active Pest Control’s termite experts want to provide you with some common termite signs to help you identify a termite infestation sooner than later.

Signs of a termite infestation include:

  • Finding mud tunnels that are about the width of a pencil running toward your home just underneath of the ground.
  • The walls in your home appear to be blistered or warped and sound hollow when tapped upon.
  • A large infestation that has been active for a period of time will results in doorways, floors, and ceilings becoming warped.
  • Finding piles of wings underneath of doors and windows left behind by swarming termites.

If you have discovered that termites have chosen your home to invade it is important to know that you are not alone. In fact termites are responsible for over 5 billion dollars’ worth of damages to homes all across the United States. And while termites are bad news, there is good news, the termite experts at Active Pest Control can quickly and safely eliminate termites from your Tennessee home through the use of the environmentally friendly Sentricon® System.

The Sentricon® system works by placing stations around your property that are filled with a specially developed bait. The workers are attracted to this bait even more so than the wood that they find so tasty. The workers bring the bait, along with a death sentence back to the colony. The bait works to effectively kill all the kings, queens and all other members of the colony. It’s that simple, no digging, trenching, or harsh chemicals needed! The bait stations can then be routinely monitored by our technicians so that future problems with termites will not be an issue for you or your home!

For more information about termites, the Sentricon® System, or how the termite experts at Active Pest Control can help eliminate an infestation, call Active Pest Control today!