What is the North Carolina building code for termite treatment?
Current North Carolina Building Code requires that all residential structures under construction have some sort of termite protective treatment. The particular type termite treatment does not have to be a liquid treatment.
Can You fumigate for termites in NC?
In North Carolina, structural fumigation (sometimes called "tenting") is rarely used for our common subterranean termites. Most residential fumigations are performed for drywood termites, which are relatively uncommon in North Carolina, or for wood-boring beetles particularly in log homes.
When is it best to treat a structure for termites?
Whenever possible, it is best to treat a structure completely in accordance with the Structural Pest Control Rules. The North Carolina Official Waiver of Minimum Requirements for the Control of Subterranean Termites in Existing Structures is a standard form prescribed by the NC Structural Pest Control Committee.
What is a termite protection contract?
With a termite protection contract, the pest control company inspects (or should inspect) your house for termites annually. If they find evidence of termite activity or if you find evidence of termite activity, then the company takes some appropriate measures, usually a local or 'spot' treatment of the infested area.
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How long does termite treatment last in North Carolina?
5-10 yearsIt is a matter of choice by the builder and/or property owner but it must be a method approved by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. As mentioned previously, modern termiticides applied properly to the soil are typically effective for 5-10 years.
Is a termite inspection required in North Carolina?
The standard sales contract in North Carolina, in accordance with regulations of the NC Structural Pest Control Committee, has provisions for a termite inspection and report. The purchaser pays for the inspection and report; the seller pays for any extermination services.
Can you spot treat termites and will they return?
Can Termites Return After Treatment? Unfortunately, they can. Termite treatment is very involved and requires ongoing maintenance to keep these pests out. Once your termite problem is fully treated, our termite control professionals will work to create a barrier around your home that will deter termites from returning.
How often should you retreat for termites?
5 yearsA traditional liquid termite treatment should last a couple years, so it is recommended to get most liquid treatments retreated in 5 years. Baiting station treatments will need to be continually added as needed through the time that they are being installed and monitored.
How common are termites in North Carolina?
North Carolina is considered a moderate to heavy termite activity area according to the Termite Infestation Probability Zone Map. Statistically, one in five homes has been or will be infested.
How much is a termite inspection in North Carolina?
A termite inspection will average about $100 and range anywhere from $50 to $280. This inspection is usually free when not tied to a home sale. Termite and home inspections are usually separate, though often bundled together.
How quickly can termites come back after tenting?
Sadly, no kind of treatment offers a permanent solution for eliminating termites in your house. Termites are quite resilient and will always find a way back into your home given a chance. However, usually, it should take at least five years before termites can finally find their way back into your home.
How do I know termites are gone?
It's possible you can come across mud tubes that are no longer active. If you want to see if termites are still crawling into your home, break off a small piece of the mud tube. If the tube is repaired in a few days, that means the termites are still present and using the tunnels.
Do termites come out after treatment?
Post-treatment termite swarms are not uncommon and may occur up to around four weeks after an effective treatment. The goal of termiticide use is to create mortality among the workers and the other caste members of the termite colony, weaken the colony, and eventually eliminate it.
How long does it take for termites to destroy a house?
A single termite on its own would take thousands of years to do serious damage to your property, and termites only live for around two years. The problem is that termites do not live on their own; they live in colonies with hundreds, or even thousands, of other termites.
How long does Termidor last?
8 yearsHow long does termidor last? Termidor termite barriers installed by Pest-Ex will provide complete termite protection for 8 years. We recommend yearly termite inspections as part of the 8-year life expectancy to ensure the termite treated zone isn't weakened or breached by conducive conditions.
Why do they drill holes for termite treatment?
Drilling into the slab is a good way to reach termites. Holes can also be drilled directly into infested wood, which is another way of reaching termites directly. Some of the other ways termites can infest your home is by getting into your crawl space or burrowing into your home through the soil along the foundation.
Does digging soil around foundations kill termites?
Digging or removing the soil along your foundation also removes any chemical termite barrier around your home. Most termite protection contracts stipulate that removing or disturbing the soil along the foundation will void your termite protection guarantee.
Can termites be treated in wells?
Termite treatments must always be done in a manner that avoids damaging or contaminating water sources. Wells, cisterns and foundation drains can pose a challenge to termite treatments. Although these situations are difficult, there are options for protecting your home with some type of termite treatment.
Do you have to ask for a pesticide label?
The pesticide label is the law; don't ask or allow a pest control company to do otherwise. If you have a well, cistern, drain or other unusual situation under or near your house, make sure that the pest control company is aware of it before any termite treatment is done. For additional information:
Do termite control companies know about drains?
If a pest control company is going to treat your house for termites, make sure that they know about the drain before they start any work. This will help prevent accidental runoff of the termiticide into your yard, a creek, ditch, pond or wherever your drain line empties.
What is the purpose of termite control?
From there, they forage for food and will often attack the wood in homes as a food source and can cause significant structural damage. The purpose of termite control is to prevent termites from feeding on a structure.
What is the first step in protecting your property against termites?
Initial Inspection. An inspection by a qualified pest control technician is the first and most important step in protecting your property against termites. The purpose of the inspection is to determine if termites have infested the structure and to develop a specific treatment plan based on the type of construction.
What is termite bait?
The purpose of termite control is to prevent termites from feeding on a structure. Because of the specialized equipment needed to perform a termite treatment, a licensed pest control operator (PCO) is needed to perform these procedures. In addition to the conventional termite treatment (liquid), termite baits can also be used for termite control.
What does PCO do after termites are discovered?
Under this type of agreement, the PCO will provide additional treatment (s) if termites are discovered in the structure after the initial treatment and during the service agreement period. This agreement does not obligate the PCO to repair, replace, or correct any damage caused by the termites.
What is the best treatment for termites?
The most common method of treatment for subterranean termites is called a conventional treatment (liquid treatment). The goal is to create a continuous pesticide barrier in the soil.
Can termites be rushed into a termite control program?
DO NOT PANIC. Termites will not cause significant structural damage in a matter of weeks. Do not be rushed into a termite control program. It is more important to select a "reputable" pest control company.
Can you use baits on termites?
As stated earlier, baits can be used as an alternative (in some cases supplement) to soil-applied termiticides. Termite baiting is a relatively new concept and cannot be compared easily to conventional termite treatments in terms of their effectiveness.
How long do termites live?
They remain underground or in wood after they’ve started their colony, and can live up to 10 years.
Why do termites drop their wings?
Hollow wood . Because termites like dark, humid places, they typically eat the interior of the wood.
How much damage do termites do to homes?
When termites invade your home, they aren’t satisfied until they’ve caused thousands of dollars worth of damage. Every year these pests cause over five billion dollars worth of destruction, and unfortunately for us, termites love the North Carolina climate. Because of how devastating termites can be to your home, we’d love to help you protect it.
How many eggs can a subterranean termite lay?
A: Subterranean termites will end up having massive colonies with millions of termites. A queen can lay 2,000 eggs a day! It can take a few years for this colony to reach its mature size, but in that time, they’ve been doing considerable damage. It can start right away but gets worse with time.
Why do termites sag?
Sagging floors . Old homes have uneven floors, but termites will make your floor or ceiling sag a bit due to the destruction. Maze-like tunnels .
What do mud tubes do to termites?
Mud tubes allow termites to have access to moisture while they search for more food. These tubes will connect a termite nest to wood, soil, and moisture. Cracked paint . When termites eat wood, any paint on that wood can crack because the wood’s become distorted. Small piles of wings .
What is the most common termite in North Carolina?
Subterranean termites are by far, the most common termites in North Carolina. Several subterranean species are native to North Carolina, but their biology and activity are essentially the same. The Formosan subterranean termite, an imported species, has recently been identified in a few locations in the state, but they are not widely distributed ...
What is termiticide bait?
Presently, termiticide baits are either insect growth regulators (IGRs) or slow acting poisons. The use of termiticide baits can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for a conventional liquid insecticide. There are two strategies for the use of termiticide baits.
What is the best way to kill termites?
Wood treatment . This type of treatment involves applications of termiticides directly to wood to eliminate existing termite infestations or to make the wood resistant to termites. There are several supplemental ways in which wood treatments are used in the pest control industry.
Can you spray termite on wood?
Spraying termiticides on the wood already in place provides only surface protection and doesn't penetrate to the center of the wood, where it is most needed. In damaged wood, termiticide can be injected into the cavities made by termites. This will provide better control than will a brush or spray application.
Do you need a waiver for termite bait?
The waiver form is not required for termite baits/monitoring systems as long as the pest control company provides a service agreement and/or warranty for the entire structure treated. Remember the best method for the control of subterranean termites is prevention.
Can termites be treated with bait?
Termites then feed on the bait material. There are advantages and disadvantages to the use of termiticide baits. Baits may be used to treat structures that cannot be treated with liquid termiticides due to the presence of a well, inaccessibility of infested areas or concerns about the use of pesticides.
What to know before signing a termite contract?
Before signing a contract for any termite treatment, make sure that you understand what control methods will be used and to what extent each is serving in protecting your home and the additional cost of combined methods (versus the use of either a bait or liquid treatment alone).
How far away from the foundation should termite bait be?
All of the current termite baiting systems use bait stations that are inserted into the soil about 2-4 feet away from the foundation and at no more than 20-foot intervals around your home.
What is baiting for termites?
Baits are an important tool for termite prevention and control programs. A typical termite treatment on a home is done with a soil-applied liquid termiticide. However, there are a number of situations where a baiting system may be preferred or the only alternative to a liquid treatment or may even be used to supplement a liquid treatment.
What is the purpose of liquid termiticide?
Soil-applied liquid termiticides act essentially as chemical barriers to stop invading termites and kill the ones that are actively infesting the structure. Termites encounter these treated barriers during the course of their normal underground foraging (“food hunting”) activities.
Do termite baits work?
Unlike most conventional insecticides, the impact of termite baits is not immediate. By design, the insecticides used in the baiting systems are slow acting “insect growth regulators” (IGRs) so that the bait can be spread by the foraging worker termites to other members of the colony that do not collect their own food.
Do IGRs affect termites?
However, unlike regular pesticides, the IGRs disrupt the ability of the insects to molt which means that only affect immature termites that are still growing (and molting). The IGRs do not affect the reproductives and soldiers. As a result, it may take several months before the entire colony is substantially reduced.
Can termites travel in dry soil?
If the soil becomes very dry (for example, during drought), termites may move further down or stay in surrounding moister soils (such as in mulched or irrigated areas) and so they may be less likely to travel to stations in the drier areas .