|
When planning for the maintenance of existing commercial or residential real estate termite control is an absolute necessary expense. Of all the pests that plague real estate owners these insects are the single cause of the most damage and destruction to their investment. Part of this problem is related to the way they infest and damages wooden structures. They generally infest from the bottom up. As a rule, that means tunneling from the foundation and eating away at the wood in a structure from the bottom up. Because of this by the time a building or homeowner notices any damage or infestation it can be too late as the damage then is quite extensive. That's why it is important to have at a minimum an annual inspection of the property for the presence of these pests. While many pest infestations can be detected and controlled by non-specialists termites pose major obstacles in their detection and treatment. These obstacles are the reason that inspection and detection is best left to skilled professionals. It is estimated that these tiny insects cause many billions of dollars worth of damage a year to wooden structures in the United States alone. This occurs because they are silent and are difficult to readily detect, in fact in many instances they will dig, burrow and tunnel their way into a building or home and by the time any visible signs of an infestation are apparent three to eight years or more can have elapsed; by the time the damage is discovered it can be quite extensive. The only visible signs that are apparent to the untrained eye are generally small scattered piles of sawdust like material or tubes or the occasionally swarms of insects. Detection, however, can be done in several ways. Visually the qualified inspector can check for wings, swarms and droppings. Electronically termites can be detected with specialty equipment that probes for elevated CO2 levels in the flooring or walls of a building. Once an infestation is found there are several ways to treat and repair damage. Chemical poisons and baits are most commonly used for treatment. If no termites are detected a cellulose bait will most likely be used to prevent infestation. These baits consists of a wood or paper product soaked in a liquid that consists of a slow acting substance that is lethal to the insects. The bait, once set out, is found and carried back to the colony and distributed to the colony members thereby killing the colony and the queen. While these insects are present in every state they are most prevalent in the south from a large swath which includes Texas to the west to North Carolina to the east. This is primarily due to the warm climate and the prevalence of a large amounts of food being wood and cellulose by-products. While any extra expense in home or business maintenance is an item everyone wants to keep an eye on, to protect the investment you have in a commercial or residential property termite detection and control is an absolute necessity and will be money well spent. Keep termites at bay. Learn more about termite control, Franklinton, LA at: http://www.ja-roy.com.
Related Articles -
Termite, control, franklinton, la,
|
