HOW DO YOU GET RID OF TERMITES IN A HOUSE?

Getting rid of termites is all about understanding how termites work and prescribing the best termite treatment to get the job done right.

There are five steps to getting control of termites in and around your home.

Identify the threat.

Understand treatment types.

Choose the treatment type that is best for you – what is the best treatment for termites?

Plan your budget – how much does it cost to treat a house for termites?

Get the job done – There’s a Sims for That.

The Termite Threat

Experts estimate that termite damage amounts to between $1.5 billion and $16.6 billion per year. Termites do not sleep. They are solely focused on finding food, finding water, and creating more termites. If you live in South Georgia, you can count on termites being present in the ground beneath and around your home.

Selecting the best termite control method is critical to protecting your home from termites.

Termite Control Methods

In Georgia, there are two primary types of termite treatments. Exterminators can perform liquid termite treatments. They can also install termite baiting systems. Sentricon® and Trelona® ATBS are the two most commonly used baiting systems in our area.

Liquid Treatments

The idea behind a liquid treatment for termites is to create a barrier of insecticide between where termites live and your house.

Typically, this treatment method involves trenching around the foundation of the house, filling the trenches with a termiticide, and filling in the trenches. This approach also involves drilling holes 12-18 inches apart where carports, patios, and porches meet the main body of the house. Termiticide is injected into these holes and the holes are patched.

Significant advancements in termite treatment chemicals like Termidor® have made liquid termite treatments extremely effective.

Baiting Systems

The idea behind a termite baiting system is to surround a house with bait stations that draw in foraging termites.

When termites find a bait station, they begin feeding at the station. Since termites are a very social species, they share their food and even clean one another. Using our knowledge of termite biology and behavior, we can achieve a deep kill that devastates termite colonies when they share active bait with one another.

Our favorite termite baiting system is made by the same company that manufactures Termidor®: BASF. It is called Trelona® ATBS, and we find it to be far superior to its primary competitor, Sentricon®.

Why do we like Trelona® ATBS the best?

Trelona® ATBS gained our confidence for a few reasons.

Faster Discovery: The bigger Trelona® ATBS stations are found faster and more often.1

Faster Consumption: The highly palatable bait matrix results in faster consumption by termites as compared to other food sources.2

Faster Colony Elimination: Faster discovery and continued feeding promotes faster control. Through social interaction, termites unknowingly pass the active ingredient onto other termites.3

Field Comparison of Time to Termite Discovery in Two Commercial Bait Systems Study, Ph.D. Dissertation, Dr. Charles Mason’s Lab, University of Delaware, 2012.

Termite Consumption and Preference of Selected Materials, Dr. Brian Forschler, University of Georgia, 2002.

Transfer and Efficacy of Trelona Compressed Termite Bait in Subterranean Termites, Dr. Ed Vargo, North Carolina University, 2011.

WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR TERMITES?

Choosing the right termite treatment for your house depends on a few different factors: type of construction, areas infested, and your budget.

Type of Construction

The way your home was built can influence which termite treatment method will be best. Things such as the size of your home, size of your porches, siding type, and foundation type will determine which termite products will be ideal for you.

Areas Infested

If you already have a termite infestation, it would not be wise to wait for a baiting system to deal with the termite colony. An active infestation requires immediate action, and applying a liquid termiticide or a foam termiticide is the best way to eliminate a termite infestation quickly.

Budget

After considering the type of construction of your home and potential active termite infestations, it is time to consider your budget.

Generally, the initial installment of a termite baiting system is less costly than a traditional liquid treatment. There are some exceptions to this rule, but typically your results will be the same.

 

However, on an ongoing basis, termite baiting systems are usually costlier to maintain than a liquid termite treatment. For example, many homes in the 1800 – 2000 square foot range will cost around $300 per year to maintain with a baiting system. The same home would only cost about $150 per year after a liquid termite treatment.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TREAT A HOUSE FOR TERMITES?

Determining the termite treatment cost for a house is dependent on the size and the type of construction. Other variables may come into play such as cellulose debris in the crawl space that will have to be removed.

For example, a house built on a concrete slab foundation will not require any work underneath like a home built on a crawl space would. Sometimes, simply trenching and treating the exterior wall as well as drilling and treating porches and patios is all it takes. Other times, a slab construction home will have a brick veneer that must be drilled and treated. This is a variable that can drive up the cost due to the additional labor and termite chemicals it requires.

Termite baiting system installations are fairly consistent in cost since they require less labor by comparison. Removal of cellulose debris in crawl spaces and scraping down active termite tubes still influences the treatment price, but drilling requirements usually do not come into play with baiting system installations.

Every house is going to be a little different when it comes to pricing termite protection. However, getting a quote that is customized for your needs is free and easy.

HOW CAN SIMS PEST CONTROL HELP YOU WITH YOUR TERMITE CONTROL NEEDS?

We’re glad you asked.

Our Legacy

To start with, we have been fighting termites in South Georgia since 1971. That’s over 45 years of experience. We like to think you don’t make it to 45 years of service without providing excellent results.

Our People

Our Wood Destroying Organisms department is made up of licensed, insured technicians who are experts when it comes to keeping termites out of your house. Our technicians go through continued training throughout the year and strive to be the best of the best when it comes to protecting homes from termites. Every one of our technicians must possess a clean criminal background, an acceptable motor vehicle history, and a drug free lifestyle.

Our Methods

We are passionate about making sure the termite control method we recommend is the best fit for you. We take all the variables into consideration before we make a recommendation, and we are committed to only offering services that we would recommend for ourselves and our families.

We are experts in performing liquid termite treatments as well as termite baiting system installations. You can count on us to perform your chosen termite treatment in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations. We do a great job, and we do it safely.

Our Guarantee

We think our repair and retreatment warranty is the best in the business. When you receive a repair and retreatment warranty for our treatment, you can rest easy knowing that your home is in capable and trustworthy hands.

If your home develops an active termite infestation while it is under our warranty, we take care of additional treatment and repairs for you – expenses and all.

We have been protecting homes like yours for over 45 years, and we think we have made it this far because of the commitment to excellence that we have carried through three generations of leadership.