Is DIY Termite Control Effective For Chesapeake Residences?

Termites are tiny insects that might have a fully grown colony within your walls or foundations, sometimes with over one million workers, yet go completely unnoticed for years. Termites are not the only pests that attack wood. Carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and powder post beetles can do a number on wooden structures too. However, they are the only ones we know of that are capable of digesting cellulose. A beneficial bug outdoors, termites can effectively break down plant-based materials and contribute to healthy soil and ecosystem. From an evolutionary point of view, this makes sense, but the consequences can be dire when instead of chewing through fallen trees and plants, they start digging tunnels through your foundation and attacking your home’s wooden beams. Every year, billions of dollars are spent in the United States to get rid of termite infestations and repair the damage they can cause. If you suspect termites have been causing damage on your property, now is the time to learn how to identify the termite signs around your home, get educated on termite fumigation, and understand why DIY termite control can do more harm than good. If you are struggling with a termite infestation, Hawk Mosquito & Pest provides professional termite pest control in Chesapeake that you can rely on to get rid of these destructive pests safely and effectively with treatments proven to work quickly.

How To Identify Signs Of Termites Around Your Home

To get rid of an infestation, it is crucial that you understand how they work and learn to identify the signs of termites in your home before your termite problems grow too big. You might be dealing with these unwanted pests if you see the following:

• Your floorboards are buckling for no apparent reason: If you suddenly find buckling floorboards in your home, it could be because of termite activity underneath. Some termites live exclusively under your home, and because wood is their favorite food, it makes sense that they would go for your flooring.
• You can see mud tubes in your foundation: Subterranean termites do not live in your walls, unlike drywood termites. These sneaky invaders need moisture and soil to thrive and will build colonies in your foundation. These galleries allow them to reside where they prefer to be while still having access to travel to their food sources or other parts of the colony.
• Your drywall shows signs of damage: Termites prefer wood as a food source, but anything containing cellulose is at risk, including drywall.
• You find dead termites around your home: Termite colonies can have over a million members working day and night to break down the wood in your homes. You might find dead termites around when a termite problem is large enough.
• You see flying termites: Termites flying around your home aren’t always a sign of an infestation. It could simply be reproductive alates (swarmers) trying to find a place to start a colony. That said, they could have come from an existing infestation, or they might decide to settle on your property.
• Your tiles are coming loose: Tiles coming loose could be the result of moisture damage due to a termite infestation.
• The paint on your walls is peeling: If you have termites in your walls, you are bound to see signs of activity on the other side eventually, including peeling paint from moisture damage, damaged drywall, and more.

Old homes are not the only targets of these voracious insects, and even new construction can be at risk. If you see any evidence of termite damage, you must treat the infestation as soon as possible. Read on to learn everything about the termite fumigation process.

The Termite Fumigation Process

The idea of exterminating a pest infestation through fumigation can understandably raise many questions. But at Hawk Mosquito & Pest, we proudly provide the safest and most effective termite protection in Chesapeake to get rid of your termite problem for good while also keeping your household, including pets, safe. While you might not need termite fumigation, it could be the only way to get rid of your infestation if it is widespread or the termites are hard to find. The process is simple. Our experienced licensed technicians will cover your home with a tarp, releasing a product that can go through your entire home, including the tiniest nooks and crannies where drywood termites might be hiding. After a certain amount of time, after which there is no way that any of these pests have survived, we will remove the tarp. Do not worry about needing to stay out of your home for an extended period of time after treatments, as your home will be safe again in less than a day. Fumigation will effectively eliminate your invaders, but to prevent a new infestation from happening, you will need to use other termite control methods. A pest control professional can provide recommendations, including prevention strategies like sealing off entry points and treating wood or scheduling regular home inspections if termites are known to be a problem on your property. After completing the fumigation process, we will check your home once more for signs of termites and give you tips on staying pest-free long-term. The duration of the fumigation treatment will depend on the severity of the problem. It is important to note that while your home will be habitable soon after being treated, the pesticides used can be dangerous if not used properly.

For this reason, only trained professionals should be using them, and fumigation is in no way a DIY termite control method. In fact, DIY termite control, in general, can do more harm than good. Read on to learn why.

Why DIY Termite Control Can Do More Harm Than Good

DIY termite control can do more harm than good for a variety of reasons, including the following:

• Determining the extent of an infestation can be tricky: Termites are notorious for being good at hiding. While you might have a good idea of where they are, treating only the termites you know about will not do anything to address the rest of the colony. Also, more extensive infestations might require larger quantities than you might think.
• Some termites can be hard to reach and treat: The treatments need to reach every single termite to exterminate an infestation. If you miss a cluster, it will reproduce in no time. Some non-reproductive termites can mold into reproductive alates if needed when the colony requires it.
• Many pesticides can be a safety hazard: Some of the most effective termite control products can be dangerous if used incorrectly. They can even contaminate the water supply. However, they are perfectly safe when applied by a trained professional.
• Ineffective treatments cause infestations to grow further: Applying termite treatments can be tricky. If done incorrectly, they might not make a dent in your infestation, which will then have time to get bigger and harder to control.
• Termites have evolved to resist many everyday products: While some treatments used to be reasonably effective in the past, termites have evolved to resist many of them. A professional pest control company can help you determine the best for your situation.

Termites are a year-round problem in the Virginia area, and these hardy invaders can spend all day and all night eating through your home’s wooden structure since they do not need to sleep and can live for quite a long time. But you do not need to put up with an infestation with the help of professional termite control made easy for Chesapeake homes.

Professional Termite Control Made Easy For Chesapeake Homes

Professional pest control is the best way to get rid of termites safely and effectively. At Hawk Mosquito & Pest, we provide the best treatments to quickly get rid of your pest infestation while keeping your household safe, pets included. Contact us today to get a quote and schedule a home inspection. After determining how and why termites have been able to settle on your property, we will recommend treatment plans that fit a variety of needs and budgets. And we will, of course, ensure that we have taken care of your termite problem for good so that you do not have to go through the same problem again. Termites cause billions of dollars in damages nationwide yearly, but your home does not need to be part of the statistic. Whether your situation requires spot treatments or fumigation, we can help.

Termites are invasive pests that can eat through the structure of your home efficiently and relentlessly and cause floors and ceilings to collapse without you being aware that you have a termite problem in the first place. Also, it only takes a little more than five years for an infestation to have over a million workers, and these resilient insects have adapted to resist a variety of treatments. Don’t put yourself at risk by using products that can be dangerous if used incorrectly and might let the infestation grow larger and harder to control. Contact us today for a free quote, and let our team of experts take care of the problem for you.