Among the many types of pests, termites rank among the most destructive, wreaking havoc on human structures and causing untold amounts of damage – estimated in the billions of dollars if not more – every year.
Gaining a clear picture of just what to do about them, how to stop them before they start, how to control them if they won’t be contained, and how to detect them when they are in places hard to see – is all the more difficult by their elusiveness and the rapidity with which they spread.
This is why scheduling a termite inspection Charlotte NC is crucial for maintaining the integrity of your home. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the common misconceptions regarding these unwanted and destructive pests:
Myth: Termites Only Affect Old or Poorly Maintained Buildings
Fact: Termites can infest any structure, regardless of its age, construction quality, or cleanliness.
One of the most misunderstood aspects of the termite life cycle is that they are not particular about the kind of building they infest, as long as it offers adequate cellulose materials. While vulnerabilities due to age or condition may make some structures more inviting, termites will gather anywhere there is adequate food.
Myth: Concrete Slabs Protect Homes from Termites
Fact: Termites can enter buildings built on concrete slabs through tiny cracks or by tunneling around the slab.
To be sure, a concrete slab can serve as a partial moat, and no subterranean termite is going to attempt to tunnel through a slab of solid rock. On the other hand, a 4½-inch-thick slab of concrete gives the pests about 4½ inches of tunneling room and access to a wealth of wood above it.
And many subterranean termites often make their descent by building a mud tube around the edge of a concrete slab. So if you think termites can’t get into a house built on a concrete slab, you really should think again.
Myth: DIY Termite Treatments Are as Effective as Professional Methods
Fact: Professional termite treatments are generally more effective and thorough than DIY methods.
When it comes to do-it-yourself termite treatments, people should be aware that what they can buy to use on their own is not nearly as effective as what is utilized by professional pest control companies. The average single-family home in the United States has sufficient wood and cellulose materials to tempt hungry termites, and those are just the kind of conditions that the subterranean termites thriving in our Charlotte region love.
A combination of professional pest control services guarantees a thorough solution to the termite problem and uses a series of inspections, bait systems, termiticides, and monitoring. To offer that menu of treatments requires expertise and resources not available to most homeowners, which is another reason why folks should leave termite treatment to the professionals.
Myth: Termites Are Only a Problem in Warmer Climates
Fact: Termites exist in various climates, and some species thrive in cooler temperatures.
Even though warmer climates provide a cozy place for termites to hang out, they also construct colonies in cooler regions of the world. For example, subterranean termites – some of the most widespread and destructive termites – thrive in temperate areas, digging vast tunnel networks beneath our homes.
On the surface, everything appears normal. That’s because these tunnel-building architects of the underworld can be active 24/7, year-round, even in some of the colder months. In contrast, drywood termites prefer warm, low-humidity environments. They’re found in parts of the West Coast and the Texas Hill Country.
Myth: Treating Just the Visible Infestation is Enough
Fact: Treating visible signs of termites without addressing the colony is ineffective.
Termites live in colonies of thousands to millions of individuals. If only the visible signs of a termite invasion are treated, the colony and the majority of the termites will be left to rebuild and continue doing what they do best – eat wood. This is what makes a termite inspection Charlotte NC critical to finding out if you have an infestation.
You may be fortunate, or misfortunate, enough to see the worker termites out in the open, but if you do, the treatment of the visible evidence of the termites are only temporary measures. To regain control over your house, the entire colony must be eliminated and not just the part of it that is visible to you.
Myth: Only Wooden Homes Are at Risk
Fact: Homes made of various materials are at risk since termites can find cellulose in numerous places.
Termites find cellulose in all kinds of places. A “wood-free” home is still not termite-proof. Termites use cardboard and any number of approximating cellulose in and around your home. Building materials and methods may seem to be offering an alternative to wooden structures, but they’re not doing anything that makes them termite-proof.
An insulation-type problem (e.g., too much non-dry insulation in close contact with building frame wood) or a wall with too much moisture in it can, and do, make a home even more hospitable to termites.
Myth: Termites Are Easy to Eradicate Permanently
Fact: Termite control requires ongoing effort, as they can reinfest treated areas over time.
Eradicating termites takes work, and even successful control efforts can leave the door open for the same or a different colony to move back in. The main reason reinfestation is such a real possibility is that, as we’ve seen, termites are incredibly persistent and adaptive pest to control. They may have some of the most advanced survival tactics of any pest we deal with.
And they don’t just hang around in the areas where they eat wood. They keep moving, through the soil and beyond, in search of more food and to help build their colonies. This is why effective termite control requires ongoing effort though regular termite inspections Charlotte NC and why termite treatment is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution.
Schedule Your Termite Inspection Charlotte NC Today
The takeaway here is that controlling termites effectively means knowing the facts about them and not relying on mistaken beliefs. Regular inspections and common-sense precautions are what really count. If you do those two things and keep the interior of your house dry, you can be virtually certain that it will be termite-free.
