The Importance Of An Inspection For Termites
While termites in Virginia can cause problems all year long, they ramp up their activity in the summer months. It isn't uncommon for property owners to quickly find themselves overwhelmed with a termite infestation. In many cases, the serious damage is done a long term before a person even knows that they have a colony of termites living on their property.
It is vital that any property owner books an annual inspection for termites in Northern Virginia.
The Importance of an Annual Termite Inspection
Termites are some of the most devastating pests in Virginia. In fact, for homeowners, termites in Virginia will probably be the most dangerous of pests that you will face. No. They aren't going to harm you. However, they can cause some serious damage to your property.
Termites love to munch on decaying plant matter and wood. While this often means that they will be outside tucking into decaying logs, leaves, etc., a termite is not going to turn down a good meal indoors.
Once a termite gets into a property, then it will start to eat wood. This can be floorboards. It could be furniture. It could be the inside of a wall. This is a process that can happen incredibly slowly. It may take years for a property owner to even know they have a termite infestation.
By booking an annual termite inspection, a property owner can spot any termite issues before they get out of hand. If a termite issue is spotted early, then damage to a property should be minimal.
You should also bear in mind that if you rent a property, some contracts may require you to have an annual termite inspection carried out. In rare cases, this may also be a requirement for any home insurance that you own.
The Damage Termites Can Do
Termites in Virginia can cause a huge amount of issues both inside and outside of a home.
Termites will nibble through the wood. They aren't too fussy about where they feast either. You could end up dealing with:
- Severe structural damage to your property
- Destroyed furniture
- Loose floorboards
- Holes in your wall.
The longer any issues related to termites in Northern Virginia are allowed to fester, the worse a problem can get. Remember, in many cases, you may not even notice until it is far too late that you have termites. For example, you may see a squeaky floorboard as nothing more than a squeaky floorboard. You may see small holes in the legs of a wooden chair as nothing more than an age issue. However, these are telltale signs that you may have termites in your home.
Evidence of Termites
While you must have an annual inspection for termites in Northern Virginia carried out, it is still wise to know what the signs of a termite infestation are. This way, you can call in a team to deal with the problem sooner as opposed to later.
Hollow Wood
Termites tend to burrow into wood and eat their way out. This means that there may only be a small entrance hole, but there could be a lot of termites inside that piece of wood having a feast.
If you notice that a piece of wood sounds far hollower than normal when you knock on it, then this could indicate the presence of termites.
Tight-Fitting Doors and Windows
When termites eat the wood around doors and windows, the wood starts to expand. This is due to an increase in moisture.
When the wood expands, you may find it tough to shut your doors and windows. The problem may appear minor at first, but it will get worse.
Wood Tunnels
You will likely only see wood tunnels on broken pieces of wood. You may not see them if a piece of wood is still intact.
If something has broken, then you should see clear wood tunnels running through them. This is probably the biggest indicator that you have termites.
Mud Tubes
Termites try to avoid exposing themselves when they are traveling about. At the most, you may see a few 'scout' termites (they will fly about) but that's it.
Termites tend to prefer building mud tunnels. As the name suggests, these are tubes made from mud. If you see these long thin tubes running to a source of wood, then you know that you have termites.
These can often appear on the brickwork outside of your home, but you can find them anywhere that termites may be.
Clicking Sounds
Termites will make a faint clicking sound. This may be the first time that you notice something is wrong, but it likely won't be the first thing that indicates that you have termites. Normally, termites will have to gather in larger groups before you notice the clicking.
The Benefits of Sentricon Over a Liquid Termite Treatment
Here at My Pest Pros, we used Sentricon to deal with termites.
Sentricon is a non-invasive termite baiting system. It is much easier to use than a liquid termite treatment. This is because the Sentricon can simply be laid out where termites may be. There is no need to head to the source of the termites. There is no need to drill into walls, floors, or soil. The Sentricon will attract the termites to it.
Sentricon will attract the female termites and quickly exterminate them. Not only can Sentricon deal with current infestations, but it can prevent future termite infestations too. Liquid termite treatment doesn't do this. Liquid termite treatment will only deal with the immediate problem. Study after study has shown that Sentricon is the most effective method for the long-term eradication of termite populations in properties.
Sentricon is a long-term solution. It will prevent termites from returning to your property. if they do return, they will be quickly dealt with. This means that termites will be exterminated before they cause any issues to your property. You won't get this with liquid termite treatment. You will have to refill the bait on the Sentricon every so often, but the team here at My Pest Pros can assist with this.
Book Your Termite Inspection In Northern Virginia Today
My Pest Pros knows that the termite problem in Virginia is out of hand. This won't change. It doesn't mean that you have to live in fear that your property is going to get damaged, though.
If you book an annual termite inspection, the team at My Pest Pros can help to identify termite infestations long before they become a major issue.
We can also help to install a Sentricon system, preventing termites from even considering your property.
If you want to protect your home and everything in it, My Pest Pros can help. Call us at 866-415-7577 or schedule an inspection. Let's discuss your termite protection and other pest control needs.