Alpharetta Termites It’s about that time again, snow is finally going away for a while and those nice summer days are rolling in, bringing plenty of fun in the sun for all of us. You’re thinking about going to the lake, the beach, the pool… and enjoying life outside again. But you know what you shouldn’t have to be thinking about? Termites.

Even though you might not ever even think about termites, they can quickly become a serious issue. Termites are small social insects that eat wood, and these little guys could end up costing you thousands in damages and associated repairs. In fact, there’s a saying in the pest control business that goes like this: There are two types of homes, when it comes to termites… those that have them, and those that have been treated for them.

That fancy porch you have overlooking the lake is nice, but unless you’ve made sure it’s protected by pest control professionals, it’s likely it will fall victim to termites. Your deck, the supporting walls inside your house, and any other wooden or cellulose containing materials are all susceptible to the munching of these voracious wood-destroying pests.

So how can you tell if you’ve got termites? And then what do you do once you’ve found them?

First off you can start by looking for clues that they’re there. Knock on wood to test if it is hollow or not. Termites will eat from the inside out and build shelter tubes out of mud to travel in search of food sources. So if you notice pencil-sized mud shelter tubes and/or hollow wood, you probably have a termite infestation. The affected areas need to be professionally treated and the damaged wood needs to be repaired or replaced quickly in order to prevent any further damage.

Second, check around the foundation of your home as well for those little mud tubes. If there are any wet spots or areas that stay damp regularly they can be grounds for a termite infestation, so be on the lookout. Finding a bunch of their wings is also a giveaway that you are home to a mature colony. Winged termites are reproductive termites or “swarmers” that appear in order to establish new colonies when the existing colony becomes too crowded. Remember, termites quietly destroy what they eat, often times causing damage that isn’t readily apparent until significant damage exists and costly repairs are required.

You’ll want to get any termite issues taken care of quickly, because ridding your home of these destructive pests is far less expensive than paying for the repairs they will necessitate if you don’t take action in a timely manner. In fact, the estimated costs of termite damage a year is upwards of $5 billion. Do yourself a favor and get protection beforehand, so you’ll never have to worry about dealing with termite damage. Termite treatment is affordable, fast, and effective. We offer both structural foundation treatments with Termidor and the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System with Always Active Technology, a green alternative to traditional liquid treatments, with written guaranteees for your peace of mind.

Call 770-475-7419 to reach long-standing professionals North Fulton Pest Solutions today, Atlanta’s pest control specialists.