Photo by PPMA and NPMA
Hourglass contains 1 cup of sawdust, which equals what a subterranean termite colony could consume in a 2-hour period. Something to think about? Reminded me of the slogan from the TV Soap “Days of our Lives” – “Like sands through the hourglass .. so are the Days of our Lives.”
Termites are relentless and will work 24/7/365 trying to gain access into your home or business.
Information by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) – check out the info at their site.
My Top 10 Tips on preventing Termites at your home or business:
The first picture is at the tire stop and the termites decided to just continue right on to the wall. The 3rd picture is my favorite, it appears someone decided to paint right over the tube. Maybe they were trying to hide it from the dreaded Termite Inspector (Me), by the way that doesn’t work.
The art of marketing, how do you market and spread the word about a great local company?
Always be on the lookout for something that looks like these pictures, termites build these tubes to protect themselves and to gain entry into your home.
Subterranean termites live in the ground and these mud tubes are often visible on your foundation. So if your checking your home and see something like this, it is time to call a Pest Management Professional.
Termites swarm as a form of reproduction and they are showing up everywhere in the Phoenix area and beyond.
This was what it looked like under almost every rodent bait station in South Phoenix yesterday. Termite swarmers (alates) break their wings off and then start to follow the opposite sex, ready to begin a new colony. The rain triggers the reproduction mode of ants, termites and other insects. Have you seen termites swarming at you home, if so now would be a great time for a termite inspection?
Rain = the beginnings of life…
When your home was built the contractor probably was required to pretreat the soil before pouring the concrete slab. By AZ law a final grade was to be performed within a certain period, if you look in the electrical box you may find the two required stickers. One should be the original pretreat and the second is the final grade. Now that’s if they haven’t fallen off or are not legible. You can also visit the Office of Pest Management site at http://tarf.sb.state.az.us/index.php?ckset=ok – they started keeping track in 1990 I think.
Back in the day termiticides like Chlordane could last for 50 years, but in my opinion today I think it is closer to 15 years. Especially when placed under concrete without things that would break down the chemical. The outside of the home or that final grade is another completely different story. If nothing messes it up it might last 7 years but that doesn’t happen very often. Water, rodents, sun and the heat, people installing pipes or wires often disrupt that barrier. It is my opinion that you shouldn’t plant anything under the eaves of the roof line, roots and water may affect the home and you don’t need anything else to worry about.
So keep checking your foundation, clear away rocks or soil from the stucco area – you need to be able to see that foundation. Don’t stack firewood against the home or for that matter any other debris. As always if you need an inspection give ProBest Pest Management a call at 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176.
Termites are always on the lookout for water and some sort of wood, so they can eat. In Arizona inspect your home especially in the monsoon season when the rains come. The more irrigation or water increases your chances that you will see termites. They build these little tubes or tunnels to go from the ground up into your home.
About the only way sure way to control these termites is by placing a pesticide barrier between them and the wood, often this means hiring a Pest Management Professional. You need a complete exterior treatment and I suggest Termidor or Transport.
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.
