We field a lot of homeowner questions here at Holder Pest Control, but none leave homeowners feeling more concerned than the questions we get about termites. Most people have some idea what termites are and that they can damage your home. But rarely do our customers understand quite how precarious a termite infestation can be. If you have wondered about termites, you’ve probably had some of the following questions.
Q. What kind of termites can we find in Florida?
A. The two most common types of termites you are likely to encounter in Florida are drywood and subterranean termites. Drywood termites will swarm your home or trees from the sky, while subterranean termites invade a home from the ground up.
Q. How do I tell what type of termites are in my home?
A. The best way to tell if you have subterranean termites is by walking around the perimeter of your home and looking for mud tubes trailing up from the ground onto the foundation and eventually into your walls. Subterranean termites create these tubes to allow themselves safe travel from their underground nests into the walls of your home.
Drywood termites swarm, and once they’ve landed in their final location, they drop their wings and feast. So anytime you see loose termite wings on your windowsill or other surfaces, you’re likely to have a drywood termite infestation in the works.
Q. Can I treat termites myself?
A. Sure, you can give it a shot, but we don’t recommend it. Unlike an ant or roach infestation, there are serious safety and financial implications to leaving a termite colony untreated. Termites can cause extensive damage to your home, and the longer you go without quality professional termite control, the more damage you will sustain.
Q. How long do termites live?
A. Well, we’ve got good news and bad news. On the one hand, termites only live a year or two at the most. On the other hand, they reproduce very rapidly. So as one dies off, another dozen or so are born in their place. They move very quickly, and when you realize you have termites in your home, they’re already going to town on the wood structures behind your walls.
Q. Can I prevent termites?
A. The best termite prevention is an ongoing termite service. We may not be able to prevent a termite swarm from passing by your home, but we can shorten the window between a termite landing in your walls and the next treatment on your home. Ultimately, this is how we win the war against termites in your home.
Q. If I treat my home, will that eliminate termites for good?
A. We would love to tell you that a single termite treatment will eliminate termites forever, but that simply isn’t possible. That’s why we want to stress the importance of continuous termite control. The more frequently a termite professional treats your home, the more likely you are to catch an infestation before it becomes a problem.
We hope this information helps you feel informed and empowered to make the best termite control decisions for your family and your home. At the end of the day, our goal is to ease your burdens and make your home safe. Call our office today for more information about how Holder Pest Control can help you protect your home.
