All posts in “termites”

Who takes the heat on pesticides?

Comments Off on Who takes the heat on pesticides?

Who takes the heat on pesticides?

It’s difficult for me to side any other way than to say Pesticides are good! Many will disagree but the fact is that pesticides have saved countless lives throughout history. I was reminded of this through my distributor “Univar Environmental Services” in a story they posted in their monthly newsletter.

  • When mosquitoes are controlled, you help prevent West Nile Virus transmission.
  • When products help ensure proper termite control, they save you from massive property damage.
  • Helping to keep cockroach allergens at bay lowers asthma triggers for children.
  • And fewer ticks and rodents can mean less Lyme disease and Hanta Virus.

It all adds up to Univar supplying both the products and services to help you improve your customers’ environments.

Wood to ground is always bad………………

2 Comments

Wood to ground is always bad………………

 

Not only do termites love to eat wood but water is also the enemy to wood. Wood will wick up water whenever in contact with dirt, soil or the ground. So its not just about the termites its also an agent to allow water into the structure.

The picture below still allows water to wick up after resting on top of the cement. I also consider this to be faulty grade because I can’t see the stem wall or at least inaccessible access.

Termites = damage and concern?

Comments Off on Termites = damage and concern?

Termites = damage and concern?

     

First off thanks to Chris Fitzgerald of Critter Getter in Mesa http://www.azcrittergetter.com 480-984-2660 for sharing these pictures. This piano was placed into the garage and pushed up against the wall over the expansion joint and the termites decided to attack. To late for the piano but a lesson for all of us to pay special attention to termites here in Arizona. For some reason termites just love garages and I think the main reason for this is in the construction phase of building the home. The garage floor is often the last area to be built and I think this is the reason for termite activity.

Before you replace the floor, treat for termites.

Comments Off on Before you replace the floor, treat for termites.

Before you replace the floor, treat for termites.  (Yesterdays answer on picture – magnified picture of wasp nest….)

So you decide its time to replace that old flooring in your home and as you take up the old floor you discover damage and concrete cracks. Now is the time to call your termite experts because and trust me on this one you don’t want to put down the floor and then discover you need it treated. This will destroy or at the very least make the new flooring look terrible. Here is some damage from termites and some water damage, I don’t know which came first but my guess is the termites.

                           

Nothing worse in my mind than having to drill grout lines in stone tile, because no matter how good you are it will never look as good as new. So please take a moment and think it through, treat the concrete and then lay the new floor. It will save you money in the long run and more importantly the aggravation of knowing where those drill holes are. Because your mind will focus on those marks, trust me.

They may be small, they may have small mouths but they work 24/7/365 – termites

Comments Off on They may be small, they may have small mouths but they work 24/7/365 – termites

They may be small, they may have small mouths but they work 24/7/365 – termites

         

So here are 10 interesting facts you might not have known about termites:

  1. Termites eat wood twice as fast when listening to heavy metal music.
  2. Although many people think termites resemble ants, they’re more closely related to cockroaches.
  3. Termites have the biggest nests.
  4. The largest termite in the world, the African species Macrotermes bellicosus, reaches a length of 5 inches. WOW glad they’re not here!
  5. Did you know that ProBest often works with manufacturers on the testing of new termiticide products, currently still in testing are 16 sites in North Phoenix testing the new Termidor HE Copack
  6. Termites don’t eat plastic or concrete, but if there is a crack in the concrete or a hole in the plastic then they can enter the home of business.
  7. Termites can create small pin-like holes in the swimming pool liners; I have personally seen this on one occasion.
  8. There about 2,500 kinds of termites living all around the world. With only 50 being found in the US.   
  9. Termites have been around since the time of the dinosaurs
  10. This last one was fascinating – Research conducted in southwestern deserts and desert grasslands by New Mexico State University’s Walt Whitford estimates that without the action of termites, cow pies would smother the land, covering 20 percent of the surface in 50 years.

 

Don’t let the sneaky rodents in!

Comments Off on Don’t let the sneaky rodents in!

10 Common access points

 

While many entry points are not obvious, a few are. Let’s look at a quick checklist of the more common ones:

 

1. Under garage doors; where the door does not meet the concrete pad. Replace the seal.

2. Crawlspace vents; repair or replace if screens are ripped or vents broken.

3. HVAC penetrations; where HVAC refrigeration lines go through the foundation and around the unit itself.

4. Hose bibs; where water line goes through foundation or wall.

5. Under first course of siding; occasionally you’ll find an opening between the sill plate and footer.

6. Door frames; openings between door frame and structure.

7. Plumbing vent cover missing or broken; reinstall or replace.

8. Under entry way doors; adjust or replace door sweep.

9. Wire/cable through wall or foundation; seal around opening.

10. Basement and crawlspace doors; seal all openings.

This information taken from an article in B&G EquipNet Technical Newsletter November 2011 by William H. Robinson, Ph.D

I would also like to state a few others that we all should be aware of:

  • Never stack firewood against the house, it will attract pest including rodents, spiders and ocassional pests.
  • Window screens.
  • Weep holes, screens in place or repaired.
  • No trees touching the home.

firewood

Termite activity and they will make their way through just about anything!

Comments Off on Termite activity and they will make their way through just about anything!

Termite activity and they will make their way through just about anything!

Termite issues and Post Tension slabs. The main thing to know is you cannot drill or cut into the floor without great risk, these cables are under extreme tension and could hurt someone. The great thing is that the termites can generally only come in from the exterior edge of the slab, with exceptions. The pictures at the top indicate a crack which allowed the termites to gain entry and this is rare.   

termiteThis was some padding put under a wooden floor in the home, the weirdest thing was that this was a Post Tension slab.

      

 

Contact Us