Protecting Your Castle From Invaders
Your home is your castle, and as a homeowner, you are vigilant about its maintenance and upkeep. Therefore, you would certainly spot termites on your property before they had a chance to do any damage, right? Not necessarily. Termites do about five billion dollars’ worth of damage each year in the United States, and part of the reason that number is so high is that homeowners are often unaware of the infestation until the damage is quite significant. The solution to this problem? Schedule annual termite inspections.
Why a Termite Inspection?
Do you know what to look for when you’re on guard against termite activity? Did you know that by the time you see wings, the colony is probably well-established? Wings are discarded by swarmers seeking a new home, and they do not go far from their already established colony. To effectively protect your home against these pesky little wood eaters, you need the expertise and knowledge of a termite control professional. Annual inspections allow inspectors the opportunity to find termite activity in your home before it becomes a major issue, and help you find the solutions necessary to keep it from getting worse.
What Happens During a Termite Inspection?
During the annual inspection, your termite control expert will probably start by checking the wood outside of your home. This includes not only the home’s exterior, but also wooden structures, and attached fences/gates. Moving inside, the inspector will check the house thoroughly, from the basement to the attic, and all points in between. Of special interest to termites, and therefore to inspectors, are bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms, where plumbing penetrates the slab and leaks are common. Termites also like to hide in baseboards, walls, windows, crawl spaces, door frames, and inside cabinets and closets, so the termite inspector will look there, too.
What is the Inspector Looking For?
Termite inspectors are familiar with all of the signs of a termite infestation, including some you might not notice. They look for things like indentations in drywall, doors and windows, and wall facings, hollow sounding wood, and termite excrement, known as frass. The inspector will also look on your exterior walls, particularly near the foundation or a crack in the home’s structure, for mud tubes. Subterranean termites are a very common species, and they cannot survive exposure to outdoor air, so they have to use mud tunnels to travel into your house. Of course, the inspector will also look for live termites and signs of swarmers. If there are any termites, the termite expert will have solutions for you, and even if there are no signs of termites, the inspector can give you advice on how to keep it that way, and where your termite prevention strategies may be vulnerable.
Benefits of an Annual Termite Inspection
A termite inspection is useful in protecting your home against termites, and so much more. When you schedule an inspection, you reap the following benefits:
- An inspection ensures that any termite infestation in your home will be found in the early stages. Termites are very good at hiding. In fact, drywood termites live deep inside the wood they are eating, and subterranean termites live in colonies under the ground, traveling in mud tubes, hidden from human eyes. When you have inspections each year, your termite professional will find termites before they can wreak havoc on your house.
- Annual termite inspections save money in the long run. Repairing termite damage is extremely costly, and by preventing it, you put yourself ahead of the game.
- Termite inspections protect your property value. Your home is probably your largest investment, so don’t leave it to chance. Protecting your investment with annual inspections is a wise move, because it keeps the home safe for you, but also preserves its value should you ever want to sell.
- Staying on top of termite control preserves the structural integrity of your home. Left undetected, termites can eat an enormous amount of wood, compromising your home’s structural integrity. Annual inspections afford the opportunity to discover termites early and take preventive measures to protect against additional infestation.
- Having an annual termite inspection gives a homeowner peace of mind. You don’t have to be on guard, worrying about termites lurking in your home, when you know it has been inspected by an expert. While you should still keep an eye out for things like mud tubes and peeling paint, you can rest easy knowing that the likelihood of an infestation is very small.
What Should Homeowners Do Between Inspections?
Partnering with an experienced termite company for annual inspections and proactive treatment is beneficial, but it’s only part of the solution. As a homeowner, you need to do your part to make your home less attractive to termites. Trim back trees and bushes that are touching your home, keep wood mulch away from the foundation, and store firewood off the ground and away from the house. Fix leaks promptly, eliminating sources of moisture that attract termites, and don’t store cardboard, paper, magazines, or any other source of cellulose in your attic or basement. Talk to your termite inspector about other ways you can protect your home and address any vulnerabilities.
Contact MightyMite Termite Services to Schedule an Inspection
When you are ready to be proactive about termite control, call the termite control professionals at MightyMite Termite Services to inspect your property for signs of termites. At MightyMite, we’ve earned a reputation as experts in California termite control. We perform termite inspections to ensure that your home is free of termites and work hard to help you keep it that way, using treatments that are naturally derived and have a low impact on the environment. We diagnose and treat infestations with the most effective methods and unmatched warranties, solving your termite problems the first time, with an industry best “no call-back rate.” That, combined with our experience and highly trained, professional and licensed staff, makes us the leading extermination company in the Bay Area. We understand that your home is your most important investment, so we work hard to provide excellent service, utilizing best practices to solve our customers’ termite problems. For more information, email Info@mightymitetermite.com, call us today at 408.335.7053, or contact us through our website.
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