Its not always easy getting to a possible infestation from termites, but you have to do what you have to do. Sometimes there are breaks in the concrete where pipes come up. Finding the termites is esential to the cause and must be solved before leaving the job. Never give up!
There are so many things that can cause you to have those sleepness nights, so worring about what’s eating your home shouldn’t have to be one of those things. So whose got your back? Well, ProBest Pest Management if you have one of our warranties. The pictures above are just one more reason why wood shouldn’t touch the soil and you should be able to clearly see the foundation slab.
Subterranean termites (western) – live in underground colonies or in moist secluded areas aboveground that can contain up to 250,000 members. They build distinctive “mud tubes” to gain access to food sources and to protect themselves from open air.
Wood Rot – A wood-decay fungus is a variety of fungus that digests moist wood, causing it to rot. Some wood-decay fungi attack dead wood, such as brown rot -is a dry crumbly condition sometimes incorrectly referred to as dry rot in general. The term brown rot replaced the general use of the term dry rot, as wood must be damp to decay, although it may become dry later.
Powderpost Beetles – The term “powderpost” comes from the fact that the larvae of these beetles feed on wood and, given enough time, can reduce it to a mass of fine powder. Powderpost beetles spend months or years inside the wood in the larval stage. Items that can be infested by powderpost beetles include wooden artifacts, frames, furniture, tool handles, gun stocks, books, toys, bamboo, flooring, and structural timbers. If an item is brought into a home this beetle could reinfest the entire structure.
Drywood termites are social insects that live in colonies in sound, dry wood. Each colony consists of offspring from an original pair and cut across the grain while subterranean termites usually go with the grain.
Sometimes termites just pop up in the weirdest places, this is an apartment and I believe that the issue is the firewall – stemwall with a floating slab. I always suggest that if you find a crack in the concrete and your going to put down tile or wood, have a termite company drill it first then put the tile down.
Are you refurbishing your Home?
So this last week I decided to replace a piece of carpeting in my dining room. I never liked it in the dining room to begin with and finally decided to put in tile. After removing the carpet I noticed a very large crack and YES I had the termite expert (Mike) come to my house and drill it before putting in the tile.
Nothing looks worse than tile that has to be drilled after you notice the termites.
So a piece of free advice – if you are replacing a floor with wood or tile, take the time and treat for termites. Most termite companies would prefer not to drill a new tile, it will never look the same.
A few pictures of cracks in the concrete…
Before replacing a floor take the time to have it fixed, I don’t like drilling new wood or tile floors. Trust me on this one, please!
It’s the little things that matter in termite work!
One of the toughest things we do as a Termite treatment company is to drill holes and somewhat damage concrete. So it is really important that we make the damage (holes) almost invisible. While we try our best sometimes it is an almost impossible task, but I think we do a fairly good job. Check out the photo’s above to see what you think. That is one reason why you should choose ProBest Pest Management.
Incredible story of those crafty termites.
As good as you may think you are, termites are probably better! What’s that you say, no way. Termites have been working out their problems over the last 250 million years and what do we do but build houses (wood) right on top of their homes. If you give them an inch they will certainly take it and that is evident of the picture posted below.
You never know how or where they will enter a home and you almost have to play detective to understand and eventually solve the problem. So be prepared to investigate and you will be rewarded with the clues to solve the dilemma for the customer.
Termites and your slab of concrete!
So what happens when a pipe burst underneath your slab under your home? Well something like this picture above, no not the giant hole, the customer or the plumber dug this out. The point I want to make is that when you alter the slab it is very important to treat the soil beneath the concrete for termites. Sometimes if you fail to treat it may void your termite warranty. I also like to treat this while it’s in a state of repair and before you put tile or wood floor on it. I hate to mess up tile or wood floors with drill holes.
Rodents and fire.
Rodents cause approximately 20 percent of undetermined fires in the United States each year according to fire experts. Rodents include mice, rats, squirrels and they chew constantly because their teeth are always growing. They have incisor teeth that butt up against each other. They will chew through soft concrete, aluminum, wall boards, and pvc and lead pipes. Mice move inside in the winter months and prefer to live near the warmth of electrical components. We receive more calls as the weather becomes cooler as mice and rodents attempt to move into homes and businesses. The photo above is a good indication of how fires are started and this rodent was electrocued.
Whose termite patching do you prefer?
Theirs
ProBest Pest Management
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:
