Have you been looking to buy a new house? If so, then you should inspect for termites! Termites cause millions of dollars in damage to your property. But you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a full termite inspection.
Termites not just leave behind dangerous damage, but they also spread deadly diseases that lead to serious health problems. It is essential to take the proper steps before buying a new house and selecting an appropriate pest control company.
Read this article and learn about the basics of termite inspection, how it works, and how to get the best results for the least amount of money.
Termite life cycle
These long, stinging insects chew on a wooden tree to eat the essential oils through which they reproduce. The adults feed on trees and flowers and lay eggs under the bark of softwood plants (Lepidoptera). Their larvae are about two millimeters long and can be difficult or impossible to damage repair. Nests are formed by laying eggs inside an old dry wood knot. After three months of larva development, they pupate into adults.
The termite colonies reproduce fast, and only the few queen ants survive through many generations to succeed their nest brothers as soon as possible. They are more complex than other insects because of this big reproduction cycle: with a single colony, there can be more than 10,000 colonies in a year. These insects are garden pests for people and buildings!
Your No 1 Invisible Enemy
They are microscopic, but termites can still damage your home if you don’t know what to look for. Termites do not cause visible signs of their presence and may be present in small numbers. Your inspector will take pictures and record results from the site to help determine their implications on the property:
- How many were active?
- What type of termite activity was there?
- Was this consistent with the history of infestation? Or is it new?
Damage from termites is expensive
Pest control specialists estimate that repairing a single damaged wooden-framed building can cost $10,000 or more.
Bidders have paid as much as 1 million dollars for old 18th-century homes in New Orleans’ French Quarter because of termite damage.
You can add the cost of repairs, whether it is on your home or business structure. Most of the cost of repairs to a building that suffered from termite damage could come directly out of your pocket in lost profits.
Why hire a termite inspection specialist?
Before attempting repairs yourself, make sure the home or business structure is good enough to support new work. You can hire a professional termite service that would offer guidance and advice on what steps can help control the infestation. Termites can survive in small spaces and create colonies more than a mile (1.5 km) from where they live.
To locate termite infestations, you should assess your building structure to determine the potential for significant damage and respond quickly to limit any future costs related to repairs that should be performed only by a termite specialist. Termites may temporarily reside in places hard to reach and assess, making it difficult for do-it-yourselfers to follow rectifying steps unless they have specific training in the repairs.
In addition, if you are unable to locate the source of a problem, you will most likely wind up spending much more on repairs and replacing damaged sections than initially anticipated.
Termite survival skills
Termites may survive off-system for months or even years without food, but they eventually need to return to the colony to continue growing and reproducing.
Think of termites as a social organism that makes their home in buildings, soil, or timber. In some cases, it may take millions of them in a single gathering place for termite infestation issues to arise, such as paver stone patios with good food sources.
Benefits of inspecting for termites when buying a new house
Termites are one of the most common pests found in a home, and they will eat through wood, paper, and other materials.
There are many benefits of inspecting for termites when buying a new house:
- Protect your investment by identifying any potential structural issues before moving in or signing a contract.
- Avoid costly repair bills after purchasing the home.
- It gives you an idea about preventing infestation by using preventive measures such as sealing cracks and gaps around windows, doors, and vents where pests could enter the house. – Reducing the risk of damage by sealing moisture and termite nests.
- Preventive control measures are often safer, cheaper, and more effective than removing an infestation once it has begun.
- The time needed for preventative control is typically less than one working day.
- The upfront costs can be a fraction of the damage that could occur from removing pests after they have become established.
Termites are one of the most destructive pests that can infest a home, and they are capable of causing thousands of dollars worth of damage in just a few years. When buying a new house, it is crucial to inspect termites before signing the final contract, and this can help you save on repairs and prevent expensive damage during ownership. It is also essential to maintain your current home appropriately, as this will reduce the risk of termite infestation in future purchases. If you have any questions about inspecting termites when buying a new house, please contact us!
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