Termite Threat Identification | [company]

Here in Knoxville, termites are a serious problem. When subterranean termites attack a home, they do it silently, feeding on the inside of wood for years, without detection. If you don’t already have ongoing termite protection for your Knoxville home, it is vital that you at least familiarize yourself with some of the ways you can identify a termite threat, especially this time of year when swarmers begin to appear.

How To Spot Swarmers

  • Subterranean termite swarmers are drawn to light. If you see a lot of bugs flying around a street light or exterior light, you may want to take a closer look.
  • Subterranean termite swarms don’t last long. If a swarm does appear on your property, you may miss it. So it is important to recognize shed wings as a sign that a swarm has happened. These wings are translucent to white in color and will usually appear on window sills.
  • If you catch a swarmer, you can identify these bugs by their black color, prominent white wings, and lack of ant-like waist.

How To Spot Termite Warning Signs

  • Subterranean termites are a moisture pest. They need moisture to live. For this reason, they build mud tubes from the soil to the wood of your home. These mud tubes can be found on the outside and inside of foundation walls, in crawl spaces, and on interior walls. They are usually in exterior areas that are shaded by bushes or some other sun-blocking object that is near your walls.
  • If termites have been feeding on your home, you may see some external damage in areas that are near the soil, often moist, or shaded by objects next to your wall.
  • When you see termite swarmers, or wings left by swarmers, you should be aware that this is a sign of an active infestation, not a pending one. Swarmers don’t fly far from their point of origin. If you’re seeing swarmers, especially a lot of swarmers, it is likely that you have a mature infestation on your property.

In the middle of March, we expect to start seeing swarmers in our Knoxville service area. You should be looking for them too, if you’re not already protected with year-round, always active, termite pest control services. These are not an insect that should ever be shrugged off. They are responsible for billions of dollars in U.S. property damage every year.

If you need help protecting your home or business from termites, Active Pest Control offers comprehensive solutions to exterminate termites and keep new infestations from occurring. Contact us today for a free inspection, and we’ll get your property ready to resist those spring termite swarmers.

Termite Inspections In Knoxville

In the southeast part of the United States, termites are ranked very high in the probability of insect infestation. More than one out of five homes in our area will or has already had a termite infestation. Termites mean business. They search day and night for food and find ways to expand and grow their colonies relentlessly. The queen termite is the most difficult to eradicate since she is well fed and protected, and eliminating the queen kills off the colony. If you’ve been wondering if termites are an issue for you, and you live in the area, then read on and take a look at a few of the reasons that you should give us a call. The possibility of a termite attack is very common as well as costly, and no one should take a chance.

First off, spring and early summer is the most common time to house hunt and buy a home, and with June being National Homeownership Month, the real estate market is bustling. There is so much to think about when purchasing a home down to the location, local schools, floor plan, and amenities. Scheduling a termite inspection may be the last thing on your mind, but this article will surely change your mind. When you do an initial look around the home that you are interesting in purchasing, what’s in front of you is the most appealing and the most tangible for decision making. The décor is great, the floors glimmer, and there is a huge walk-in closet. But, what is behind those walls? What areas of the home cannot be visible during an open house? Termites. Missing a termite infestation will turn your once dream home into a disaster and lead to large repair bills.

In turn, when selling a home, a termite inspection needs to be on the list as well. Your potential buyers need to know that their future home is being taken care of. Having a termite inspection before the sale of your home will mean that you are in the clear to take an offer, without hesitation. It is an added bonus to your potential buyers if they know you have taken care of this inspection and that you take care and pride yourself in your home.

If you are not in the market for buying or selling a home, termite infestation could be occurring in your current home without you even knowing. Scheduling an inspection by one of our termite specialists is free, so there’s nothing to lose. Most of the time, when a termite infestation gets to the point where you can see it happening in your home, it’s too late for recovery of the damage and when the damages can can be repaired it can be very costly.

At any time, our technicians can install the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System to eliminate all termites in and around your home and prevent future infestations. This system uses Always Active Pest Control technology and new Recruit® HD termite bait that eliminates all the termites in a colony, even the indestructible queen.

With the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System, you can set your mind at ease knowing that termites will never be the reason for any disruptions to your home. At Active Pest Control, we strive to provide the best experience to our customers. At your convenience, we can inspect your home and put the Sentricon® System into place to ensure termites are never the reason you don’t buy, sell, or enjoy your home.

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.

The Importance Of Termite Inspections

Home purchases are always one of life’s highlights and certainly a fun adventure.  There is something about owning your own home that brings a feeling of satisfaction unequaled by any other experience.  The purchase of a home also brings a level of responsibility with it that should not be ignored or slighted.  For example, upkeep and repairs are of utmost importance.  Proper insurance coverage is a given and even required by most lending institutions.
There is another area that should be discussed even prior to a purchase and that is securing the services of a termite inspector. This is one area in which timing is of the essence and, in the event of termites being discovered, the sooner they are found the better the chance of minimal damage.
Homeowners have a real advantage when it comes to termite inspections.  Here at Active Pest Control we offer a free inspection consisting of our experienced termite control technicians examining and evaluating your situation.  Then we will recommend a plan that will safely and efficiently take care of any termite issues.
It is important for homeowners to realize that termites are wood-devouring and wood-destroying insects.  These silent destroyers are capable of damaging the structural supports of the home, compromising the physical integrity of such.  They have also been known to damage the non-structural areas of the home including drywall, paneling, carpet and even furniture.  Some effects of termites in the home may include sagging floors, pinpoint holes in drywall, bubbling paint, damaged and crumbling wood trim and loose tiles.
One cannot over-emphasize the importance of a thorough termite inspection.  A home damaged by termites often looks no different on the surface than a home without a termite infestation.  Many times, nests of termites are hidden inside walls for years as they methodically eat away at the structure from the inside, leaving a paper-thin outer shell.  Termite inspectors are proficient at discovering the infestation long before it can be seen by the untrained eye.  This early detection is of vital importance to minimize the risk of heavy and costly damage.  It is also highly recommended that homeowners schedule annual inspections by termite control specialists.
The mission of Active Pest Control is to assure you that you need not worry about whether your home is protected from unwanted animals and insects.  Our experienced pest control professionals will create a plan that is tailored specifically to your home and will create a pest-free* environment that gives you peace of mind.  We provide a recommended quarterly service that gives you year round protection from all common household pests, rodent control, termite colony elimination systems and any re-service at no additional charge.  Be sure to contact us today for optimal inspections, coverage, treatments, and exclusion services.