Some pests can be ignored because they are a simple annoyance, not really causing any harm. Termites however are not merely pests to be annoyed with. They can cause damage to your home that can cost thousands of dollars to repair. If you have an infestation, go ahead and reach out to your local pest control service here in Katy, TX right away so we can help you with termite prevention and avoid the long-term consequences of termite damage.
Termite Infestation in Katy, TX: Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Get Help
Know the Signs
Knowing what to look for when you think you have a termite infestation is the first step to knowing if you have a termite problem. Other pests such as boring bees and mud-dobber wasps can make sawdust and dirt in your walls. Knowing what termite activity actually looks like can be helpful in identifying your problem so you don’t spend thousands when you actually just have a wasp making mud nests in your wall.
Some of the damage that termites can cause in your home is hard for the untrained eye to see. If you can learn what to look for when it comes to termite damage and call your local pest control service in Katy, TX you can halt their chewing before it gets out of control.
Don’t Ignore the Signs
The tricky thing with termites is that they are not always very obvious until a lot of damage has already been done. To discover where the termites might be in your home, look for areas with peeling paint or discoloration in your drywall. Termites can do damage behind your paint that makes it look like your paint and drywall are water damaged. In trying to discover where water is coming from, you might discover something else all together.
If the termites have been around for a while, you might begin to see tiny holes in your paint. Termites can add moisture to your floors with their tunnels and mounds, so you can also look for loose tiles and squeaky floorboards caused by this extra moisture. More obvious signs like mud tunnels, piles of termite wings, and maze patterns in wood on your walls, or an actual termite sighting, will give you a more definitive answer that you have an infestation.
Learn About Long-Term Damage
Termites can cause long-term damage to your home, they need to be taken very seriously. If you ignore small termite damage, it will very quickly turn into a huge problem. If you don’t act quickly, termites can hollow out the wood in your walls and in the frame of your home, causing weak supports and even collapsing walls or roofs. Once they have started hollowing the wood out, it will quickly disintegrate.
While you don’t want to wait to start treatment, waiting for a professional to come to help you is ideal. Before tearing down your walls to check out the damage, call a professional pest technician to come out and see what they would suggest as far as treatment is concerned. They will be able to tell you what the best steps forward are and could save you some dollars in the process.
Call a Local Pest Control Service
When it comes to pest companies, there are many options. However, here at Life After Bugs we offer a unique product called Sentricon. Sentricon is a green product that has more cellulose in the base to ensure colony elimination. In fact, it is the only product that the EPA has awarded the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award to. You cannot find this product everywhere as it cannot be bought in stores and pest control companies must be certified to distribute it. Therefore, Life After Bugs can offer you this effective and safe treatment that other companies cannot.
When you’re looking for a pest company, do your research on companies that care about their customers and will have your best interests in mind when they come up with a solution for your infestation. You want someone working for you that cares about you and your home. There are also many different methods of treatment, so do some research on what is best for your family and find a company that matches what works best for you.
Check your Finances
Unfortunately, termite treatment for an established colony can be very expensive. Ignoring the termite problem is not a viable option, as that can be even more expensive as you repair huge damages to your home. Find out all the details and costs that you will need to cover from your pest control company in advance so you are not surprised by extra costs that you did not budget for.
Once you have figured out what you’re able to pay, find out what kind of payment plan or agreement you can set up with your pest control company to make the termite treatments affordable for you. Not only will you need to pay to get rid of the infestation that you have, you likely will need some repair work done on whatever they destroyed. You should also calculate future termite prevention in your plans.
Begin Home Treatment Immediately
Once you’ve figured out the financial side of things, it’s time to begin treatment. The pest control technician will let you know what they are going to do. You will need to find out if you need to vacate the house during treatment because every treatment is different.
One additional thing to ask about is if the treatment they are using requires cleaning of your home afterward. You want to make sure any pets or children living in your home are safe following treatment. Feel free to ask the technician any questions you have before you begin treatment. They will want you to be comfortable with your choice to have your home treated!
Start Future Termite Prevention
Once you have your home treated, you want to make sure you never have another infestation. Prevention is much easier than treatment. Ask your technician what the best option for preventing termites is at your home and they can help guide you in the best direction.
Once you have your preventative measures in place, you can rest easy, knowing that your home is safe again. Most of these preventions will need to be repeated at least annually, some quarterly, depending on what option you decide on. While each of these treatments can be costly, it is worth it to prevent your home from being destroyed by these pests, and is just part of the cost of owning a home.
Now that you know why you shouldn’t wait to take control of your termite problem, give us a call here at Life After Bugs and find out how we can help you. We can find the best solution for your termite problem and make that problem go away. We want your life to be as bug-free as possible, so give our bug experts a chance to do their magic and save you thousands of dollars in home damages simultaneously.
