It’s that time of year again…
The pirate invasion has come and gone in the Tampa Bay Area…now it’s time for the TERMITE INVASION!! It happens each year, just like Gasparilla and so many other wonderful annual Tampa Bay events. However, this annual event doesn’t have all the fantastic floats, colorful beads and thousands of people having a great time. In fact, I can’t think 1 joyous thought about termites as a homeowner. They’re not pretty, they have a ravenous appetite that can literally eat you out of your home and they cost a lot of money to treat and repair damages.
Dear Friend,
Did you know that Tampa is ranked the #3 city in the US for termite activity? Not exactly a distinction we’re proud of, but it is a fact that nearly every home in Tampa Bay and surrounding cities will have a termite infestation at some point.
Whether you’ve had Subterranean Termites, Formosan Termites or the much-dreaded Drywood Termites in the past, termites are just not welcome guests for any homeowner at any time. The Subterranean Termite & the Formosan Subterranean Termite don’t get as much coverage simply because homeowners aren’t too inconvenienced with the treatment process. Drywood Termite treatments, on the other hand, can make homeowner’s lives miserable.
I actually think Drywood Termites get a bad wrap. What do I mean? Well, Drywood Termite colonies are smaller and take longer to develop, which means the potential for structural damage is actually less than Subterranean Termites and much less than Formosan Termites. I’ve seen Subterranean & Formosan Termite damage so bad that structural support pieces of wood actually crumble into tiny pieces in my hands. Imagine having that wood supporting your entire home. (I have many videos on YouTube.com at the ChetsPestControl channel that shows exactly what I’m talking about).
So, from a wood damage perspective, Subterranean & Formosan termites are most destructive. However, the inconvenience factor makes the Drywood Termite a more formidable foe.
For a Subterranean & Formosan termite treatment, you don’t have to leave your home for treatment. Besides the sound of loud drill noises, the only inconvenient part of the treatment is…you have to be home for service. Not too bad, right?
Well, the complete opposite is true when treating for Drywood Termites… in most cases. Most Drywood Termite infestations require Tent Fumigation, which means you and your entire family, including pets have to leave home for a few days. You also have to bag up food and medicines and a plethora of other things that need to be done prior to treatment. For most families with kids and pets, this can be a very difficult and daunting task.
Late Spring, early Summer marks the return of the Drywood Termite. We’ve already seen a few swarms in Tampa & St. Pete, but we haven’t seen the major swarms yet….oh, but they’re coming just like the Love Bugs come each year. If you’ve ever experienced a swarm of termites, you’ll never forget it. For those of you that have yet to see a swarm or want to know what to look for, here is some information you may find helpful:
You’ll usually find them around your lights and windows. They’re naturally attracted to light. It’s not unusual to be watching TV or reading by a lamp at night and suddenly hundreds of these termites come swarming out of a crack or a kick out hole.
A kick out hole is a small nail size hole they make in wood or drywall and pellets or piles of droppings, especially around window sills, baseboards or on hardwood floors.
Usually, a swarm is the 1st indication you have a termite problem. If you see a swarm, don’t panic…because they don’t bite, and believe it or not, they can’t eat wood. These are the reproductives, whose only function is to find a mate and reproduce. Their job is the same as all love bugs we get a few times year here in Florida.
Do you remember watching World War 2 movies? In scenes where the plane would be circling over a target to let out the paratroopers? Once they were over the right location they would open the door of the plane and start jumping out, one after another. Floating to the ground and then discarding their parachutes.
This is similar to what reproductive swarming termites do. They develop during the course of each year and when the time is right, they make their own little door and come out, one after another.
Since they are really bad fliers, they’ll land on the closest window or light. Once they land, just like a paratrooper, who no longer needs his parachute, they break off and discard their wings.
This is why you’ll see so many wings lying around without their bodies.
We get a lot of calls about flying termites that turn out to be swarming ants. At this time every year most insects are breeding and flying around. You’ll see both termites and ants around your outside lights.
One of the most dreaded pests that any homeowner can have is termites. Termites left unchecked can literally bring the house down around your ears. We know your house is a major investment, and we want to help you protect it.
We’ve had some homeowners wait decades before calling us to come out and solve the termite problem. By then it could be too late, and may require lots of wood replacement. Why would a person put a free inspection or treatment off for so long? It’s simple. They flat out refused to move out of their house for three days. Some people don’t want to put their dog in a kennel or they just have too many pets to move out. I know it can be very stressful and interrupts you and your pet’s daily routine.
Termite control begins with a thorough inspection process. We provide this free of charge to businesses and homeowners. We search all of the visible and accessible areas of the structure for wood destroying pests.
We’ve added a revolutionary new device called a Termatrac®. It detects termite activity even through walls. We move it along drywall or the wood itself. It picks up any unusual movement, insect body heat or moisture. Just like being able to finding wall studs with a stud finder. It’s the same way the military finds its targets with thermal imaging.
If you suspect you have a termite issue… or just want to make sure you don’t have any issues, call my office at 813-935-7554 right now, while it’s fresh on your mind. Ask for your FREE INSPECTION and more specific details. You’ll have the peace of mind knowing one way or the other.
Yours for a pest-free home,
Chet Rowland
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