Signs It's Time to Call an Exterminator

Real Estate Blog

Friday, March 04 2011

Pests are not just unwanted houseguests--they're also a threat to your home investment. In many cases, pests bring down a home's price more than high crime rates or low quality schools. In this sense, they pose a greater risk than fire and flood. Termite damage costs U.S. homeowners more than $5 billion annually.

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The best time to call an exterminator is right away, before the symptoms of an infestation appear. Early detection of termites or other pests can help you protect your investment and avoid thousands of dollars in treatment and structural repair costs. Termites and carpenter ants work from the inside out, gradually consuming the wood until the structure fails altogether. Unlike rats or raccoons, these destructive pests are "silent invaders"--they may hide undetected for years, leaving no marks on the wood's exterior surface.

Exterminators Detect the Early Signs of Termites

Professional exterminators possess a trained eye to spot the early signs of a termite or carpenter ant infestation. Telltale evidence of termites or ant colonies includes:

Mudholes or "mud tubes" along the exterior walls of your home. About the size of a pencil, these are tunnels that provide termites a direct thoroughfare from the soil outside into your home's wall.
Piles of sawdust along windowsills or on the ground next to walls.
Cracks, small holes, or paint bubbles on the wall's surface.
Wood that sounds hollow when tapped with a hammer.
Swarms of winged insects in and around the home.

These signs indicate that an infestation is underway. An expert can assess the extent of the problem and recommend solutions. Exterminators are trained in pest identification and control. They understand how pests such as termites behave, and how best to clear the premises of these destructive visitors.

A standing relationship with a pest exterminator can help you protect your property from pest invasion. "Every successful pest control program begins with a partnership between the homeowners and the professionals," explains Ron Harrison, Ph.D., technical director for a leading pest control company. Routine inspections (at least once a year) by an experienced exterminator can catch the worst offenders--termites and carpenter ants--before they eat into your walls and your property value.

Source: http://www.guidetohomeimprovement.com/pest/servicearticle/signs-it's-time-to-call-an-exterminator.jsp

Posted by: Rolando Trentini AT 08:00 am | Permalink | Email