Although termites are active year round, they are rarely ever seen. They will swarm out during the Spring when they are mating. Other than that, they will stay in the ground or hidden behind walls or other voided areas. A trained inspector will know to look for damage to sheetrock or trim work within the house and will be able to easily distinguish between termite damage and water damage. Baseboards and window sills are places termites will typically present themselves first.
Termites around the world cause damages in excess of a billion dollars each year. When detected early, damages are usually limited to minor sheetrock or trim repairs. Left undisturbed in load bearing walls of a structure, termites could easily cause excessive damage resulting in tens of thousands of dollars if not more.
A trained professional can easily determine the difference between termites and ants. Termites have a slightly pinched waist and 4 equal length wings which are about twice the length of it’s body. An ant has 3 segments to it’s body and 2 pairs of unequal length wings which are about 1 1/2 times the size of it’s body. Many customers send us a picture and we can identify on the phone.
Customers who are unsure about the insect they are seeing can always send us a picture for identification.
Termites are the only insects that can actually digest wood. Many people think carpenter ants do as well but they only take advantage of already damaged wood by carving it out to nest in it.
Termites live in the ground and need a lot of moisture to survive. When they leave the colony to invade a structure, they build shelter tubes (mud) to protect them from predators and keep them moist. The will build these tubes right up the side of the foundation, piers or come right through an expansion crack.
There are termites everywhere in Georgia. It is estimated that there are at least 2 termite colonies per acre of ground. You don’t need to know if your neighbor had them or not. You can know that there are termites in almost every yard in your neighborhood. Every home should have some form of treatment around the structure to protect it from termite invasion.
Most houses can be treated in less than half a day with a liquid soil treatment. Baiting systems take even less time.
Most people are at home when treatment is happening. Most chemical labels require to stay out of the treated areas until it dries, usually 3-4 hours. We certainly require children and pets to be in a safe area while treatment is going on.
