Termites are Swarming....are you covered?!

on April 17, 2015 Blog with 0 comments

It is now that time of year to make sure that you have a termite contract. Spring is the time of year that termites start to move up and out. When this process starts you will see what looks like flying ants, but in this case they are very much not ants. Alates (swarmers) are termites that are adults starting their on family. Swarmers can be identified by a black body with four clear wings that are the same length, the body type is not segmented with a pinched in waist. Termites eat wood and any other cellulose material as their meal choice, this can pose a great deal of trouble for you if your home is not treated. Termites can get into walls and move all the way up your home from the crawl space/basement/slab all the way up to you attic causing major damage in the process eating anything form the drywall to the books on your shelf. (see below) Shown below are termite tunnels going from the ground to the floor joists above. Termite do not need to be in direct contact with wood directly they can build their tunnels free standing or up concrete block walls. If your home is on a crawl space it is important that the company technician gets under the home to inspect for termites. If home is on a basement the technician will need to get into your basement to do a thorough inspection of any finished and unfinished rooms in that area. If you home is on a slab then the technician will have to come inside to check for any signs of damage. Slab home are not safe from termite activity, in most cases when a slab home has activity from termites damage has occurred already.

Termite Tunnels in a crawl space

Inspection of your home on a yearly basis is a vital part to making sure that termites do not cause any damage to your home. Termite inspections are what allow your company to be able to see termite activity like above to prevent any damages. Termites cause 5 times the damage than any other disaster, which is why it is important to make sure that you have a termite contract on your home. The contract on your home provides coverage to protect you from incurring any expenses down the road, such as retreating your home which can be costly and or damages later caused by termites, which is not covered by your homeowners policy.