When buying a home you want to be sure that your home is protected from Termites and other wood destroying insects such as Carpenter Ants, Carpenter Bees, Old House Borers, and Powder Post Beetles, as well as others. In fact, many lending institutions require a home buyer have a Wood Destroying Insect Inspection completed prior to closing on the purchase.
Often, this can be a very trying time and you want to have a company that is not only skilled in inspecting and evaluating the home, but also one that is professional and understands the need to support everyone involved in the process
At CRI Termite & Pest Control our job is to insure the structure is protected and also to help make the home buying experience work for everyone.
Termite Monitoring
Termites cause more damage to more homes annually, than all Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and Tornados. Because of this you want to be aware if there are any signs of possible infestation in your home.
Whether or not your home has been treated and protected from termites, you want to be sure you are continuing to monitor for hidden termite activity.
Although known as the hidden invader, there can be tell tale signs of termite activity and also conditions conducive to termite infestation.
It is always a good idea to have a professional pest control company evaluate your home on an annual basis. This evaluation will be able to give you early indications that a possible protection treatment needs to be done.
Detection of Termites
It is important for homeowners to recognize the signs of a subterranean termite infestation. Subterranean termites may be detected by the sudden emergence of winged termites (alates or swarmers), or by the presence of mud tubes and wood damage.
Termite Baiting
Bait technology uses wood or a cellulose matrix favored by termites that is impregnated with a slow-acting toxic chemical. Termite workers feed upon the bait and transfer it by natural grooming and feeding practices to other colony members, eventually reducing or eliminating the entire colony. Termites are not site-specific, but rather, they forage among various food sites, which results in the bait being encountered by many different groups of termites. The material used in the bait necessarily is slow acting because termites tend to avoid sites where sick and dead termites accumulate.
Typically, in-ground stations are placed in the soil next to the structure and near known or suspected sites of termite activity. These stations are placed 10-15 feet apart around the structure. These in-ground stations often initially contain untreated wood that serves as a monitoring device. The monitoring wood is replaced with the bait matrix with the active ingredient once termites have been feeding on it. In addition, aboveground stations may be installed inside or on the structure in the vicinity of damaged wood and shelter tubes. Aboveground stations initially contain bait so the feeding on the bait can take place immediately.
It is very important that bait systems are properly installed and diligently serviced. Monthly inspections of a baiting system usually are necessary, except during inclement winter weather. Successful termite baiting necessitates proper monitoring and maintenance of the stations. An often-cited advantage of termite baits is that they are "environmentally-friendly" because they use very small quantities of chemical and decrease the potential for environmental contamination. In addition, bait application causes little disruptive noise and disturbance compared to soil treatments. Furthermore, baits can be used in structures with wells or cisterns, sub-slab heating ducts, and other features that may preclude a soil treatment. Baits are often used in sensitive environments.
Some bait products can be purchased by homeowners. However, some are not recommended as sole protection against termites, and an active infestation should be treated by a professional. Little or no research has been conducted to verify the effectiveness of these products, particularly when used by homeowners.
Winged Termites
Large numbers of winged termites swarming from wood or the soil often are the first obvious sign of a nearby termite colony. Swarming occurs in mature colonies that typically contain at least several thousand termites. A "swarm" is a group of adult male and female reproductive termites that leave their colony in an attempt to pair and initiate new colonies.
Swarmer emergence is stimulated when temperature and moisture conditions are favorable, usually on warm days following rainfall. In Ohio, swarming typically occurs during daytime in the spring (March, April, and May), but swarms can occur indoors during other months. However, swarming occurs during a brief period (typically less than an hour), and alates quickly shed their wings. Winged termites are attracted to light, and their shed wings in window sills, cobwebs, or on other surfaces often may be the only evidence that a swarm occurred indoors. The presence of winged termites or their shed wings inside a home should be a warning of a termite infestation.
Termite swarmers have straight, bead-like antennae; a thick waist; and two pair of long, equal-length wings that break off easily. Winged termites can be differentiated from winged ants, which have elbowed antennae, a constricted waist, and two pair of unequal-length wings (forewings are larger than hind wings) that are not easily detached. Ants also generally are harder-bodied than termites.
Mud Tubes
Other signs of termite presence include mud tubes and mud protruding from cracks between boards and beams. Subterranean termites transport soil and water above ground to construct earthen runways (shelter tubes) that allow them to tunnel across exposed areas to reach wood. Shelter tubes protect them from the drying effects of air and from natural enemies, such as ants. These tubes usually are about 1/4 to 1 inch wide, and termites use them as passageways between the soil and wood.
To determine if an infestation is active, shelter tubes should be broken or scraped away and then monitored to determine whether the termites repair them or construct new ones. Houses should be inspected annually for mud tubes.
Indoor Pest Control
The best approach to indoor pest control is by utilizing a process called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is the most responsible way of monitoring and maintaining a safe and yet pest free environment. With so many concerns about the use of different materials inside the homes, it is prudent for the professionals to take this approach to help their customers.
There are important steps in implementing a good IPM program.
Prevention: Although not a topic many care to discuss. Sanitation is the first step to keeping those unwanted pests at bay. Keep areas dry and free of exposed foods, especially sugary foods. Any open food packages should be stored in tightly sealed containers or in a refrigerator. There are other things that can be done to prevent pests from entering a home or business.
Trim shrubs and trees from the sides of the building.
Caulk and seal unnecessary cracks and crevices around the building.
Keep wood piles away from the building.
Keep trash, or compost items away from the building.
Inspection: Another important step for an effective IPM program is the inspection. Knowing what to look for and identifying it properly is key, because implementing the proper control depends on proper identification.
Many homeowners and businesses hire professional pest control companies to do this inspection and identification to keep their home or business pest free.
With an IPM program if no pests are found then there is no need to do anything. However, if there is evidence of pests such as droppings, gnawed paper, sawdust along baseboards, etc. then proper steps need to be done to address these problems.
Controls: As mentioned identifying the correct pest is important to prescribing the proper treatment. Many control treatments can utilize safe and effective products. An insect or rodent trap, bait stations, monitoring traps, Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs), repellents, low-toxicity materials and in many cases the use of a non-chemical approach.
Non-chemical treatments can include sanitation (removing food and water sources), exclusion, harborage removal, harborage denial, trapping and monitoring, vacuuming, and adjusting the type of lighting.
Many people believe that IPM means that pesticide will not be used. However, IPM does not exclude the use of pesticides, in some situations, pesticides need to be implemented, while in others, they may not be needed at all. Each situation is different and your service professional is the best person to analyze your situation and choose the appropriate course of action including determining when and how to use different materials.
Cockroach Control
There are five main species in the United States
They are the German, Smoky-brown, American, Oriental and Brown-banded.
They are regarded as pests because of a number of factors, some being their characteristic odor, reproductive abilities, contamination of food by their droppings and regurgitations and the spread of diseases.
Controlling cockroaches is certainly possible. However, identifying and developing the proper plan of action is critical to the success of the program.
CONTROL: Inspection is a very important part of cockroach control our pest control professional will inspect all known cockroach harborage areas such as:
Cracks and crevices in and around kitchen, bathroom and laundry and meal preparation sites if on a commercial building
Behind water lines
Electric appliances such as ovens, refrigerator motors, microwaves, stereos etc.
Door hinges
Behind wallpaper or ply veneer boards
Drains and plumbing; and Roof voids
Once the areas of infestation have been identified and the type of cockroach is determined, a thorough first treatment is paramount to insure swift control. Depending on the type of cockroach you are dealing with, the vast majority may need to be eliminated on the first service (98%+ of the population in some cases).
Our service protocol has been developed to quickly reduce the population on the initial service. Interior Initial Service:
1. Vacuum all Cracks and crevices in and around kitchen, bathroom, laundry and meal preparation sites if on a commercial building.
2. Treat all room exterior wall perimeters by crack and crevice application.
3. Treat outlets and switch plate cavities.
4. Treat under the corners of carpeted rooms.
5. Treat under kitchen and bath base cabinets and in wall voids in these areas as well.
6. Place monitoring boards "sticky traps" in cabinets and garage.
Once this treatment is complete a follow-up service would take place within the next 30 days to aid in the control. This follow-up treatment would include the application of an insect growth regulator (IGR) to keep the remaining youth from molting and reproducing further. In addition, cockroach bait is applied to feed any remaining population of roaches. Constant monitoring and inspecting is recommended as well.
Typically, control of cockroaches cannot be done with a one time treatment. It can take several visits before control is complete.
Spider Control
Although spider activity is difficult to prevent, it is certainly possible to control the level of activity around you home or business. Spiders reproduce in large numbers. The female spider will reproduce as high as 300 baby spiders up to three times per year. When hatched, the spiderlings are directed by wind currents on little parachutes made from webs, and dispersed throughout the area. Because of this, spiders can over populate a home or business very rapidly if no control measures are in place.
Obviously different materials will kill and eliminate spiders after a few hours once they come in contact with it. However there is no residual material on the market today that can be applied that will kill spiders if the crawl over it. Control services can however, keep them at bay between treatments.
Our approach to spider control is to offer a multi-step approach. First, we wipe the webs off of the building or vacuum them from areas cracks and crevices that are hard to reach with the duster. Once this is done we then use a spray, on the exterior of the building, to get into those cracks and crevices for any spiders that may have been able to avoid both the duster and vacuum.
On the interior of the building, usually on an initial treatment, we will follow the same protocol with the wiping of webs and vacuuming, the exception is we do not spray. In this case we will utilize a crack and crevice treatment with an aerosol product. This approach has been very effective and with follow-up services with our quarterly program we have great success in controlling spiders.
Wood Damage
Termite damage to the wood's surface often is not evident because termites excavate galleries within materials as they feed. Wood attacked by subterranean termites generally has a honeycombed appearance because termites feed along the grain on the softer spring growth wood. Their excavations in wood often are packed with soil, and fecal spotting is evident. When inspecting for termites, it is useful to probe wood with a knife or flat blade screwdriver to detect areas that have been hollowed. Severely damaged wood may have a hollow sound when it is tapped. Subterranean termites do not reduce wood to a powdery mass, and they do not create wood particles or pellets, as do many other wood-boring insects.
Subterranean Termite Control
Conventional soil treatments rely on creating a chemical barrier in the soil that acts as a repellent to termites coming in contact with it. To achieve termite control for long periods of time, these types of termiticides should be applied as a complete barrier in the soil in all areas in contact with the foundation. The best approach with this type of treatment is during pre-construction. At this time it can provide for more uniform coverage. When a home is treated "Post-Construction" the material is to be applied through drill holes and trenching around the foundation. For many years this was the only way to treat a home once constructed. If proper care and diligence is taken, it can be a very effective treatment method.
Most pest management firms will refuse to do spot treatments in areas of the house where termites are seen, because this will only prolong the infestations in other areas of the house. The chances are great that the termites will find an untreated area and invade these spots. With the exception of re-treatments spot treatments are a risk for all parties involved.
Non-Repellant Termiticides Recently there have been termiticides developed that are non-repellent to termites. These termiticides allow the termite to go about their normal foraging and feeding habits while at the same time penetrate the treated areas. When they come in contact with the active ingredient it causes them to have a delayed death which does a couple things.
1. They sometimes become overcome by lethal microbes which kill them by taking over their body and its functions.
2. This delay allows the termites to pass the active ingredient on to the other termites in the colony by normal grooming and feeding practices.
Application of this material is done by way of the barrier treatment method that allows access to the termites in all areas of the structure. With this treatment method and material control is usually achieved within three months.
With some of the newest material the treatments are much less evasive and disrupting to the homeowners.
Perimeter Treatments
Exterior perimeter treatments can be the most effective way of reducing the activity of pests inside of a home or business.
Pests known as occasional invaders can make their way into a building trough a variety of different ways. Cracks in foundations, weep holes in brick buildings, and moisture damaged siding to name a few. With a proper inspection, and control measures treatment from the outside can be all that is needed to keep these pests at bay.
Following are a number of ways we keep the perimeter defense intact:
Web removal from the structure. This is a great way to reduce spider infestations. Spiders are always on the move looking for places to set their food traps. The webs are also not very appealing either so this helps with cosmetics as well.
Sealing holes or gaps around exterior plumbing or wiring. Another place that pests can find their way in to your home or business.
Needed structural modifications, repairs or harborage area removal. Not everyone takes the time or effort to look for these things around their own home so providing this is a welcomed service to customers
Treatment application. In some areas, treating around the perimeter of the foundation, typically a 3-foot band, helps maintain the barrier needed to keep many types of pests from entering the building. This is great way to keep ants from finding their way into a building and with certain types of material, one or two treatments per year can make all the difference.
Granule applications of pesticide or baits (depending on the pest) can be substituted for liquid applications in areas with dense foliage or cellulose mulch. This will get to those hard to reach areas, while at the same time, remain in effect for several months. As long as the granules are present they have some level of effectiveness.
It's springtime again, and that means the little creepy, crawly creatures we have come to hate are making their way back into our space. This time of year is the most......
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