Have Drywood Termites? Then How Do You Know If Your Home Needs A Fumigation Or If A Spot Treatment Will Do?

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Everyday, thousands of homeowners face this question and many of them wind up getting screwed. With the information found in this report, you’ll know how to avoid being ripped off!

In Southern California, we have a big problem with drywood termites. This is especially true along our coastal areas and it is common to hear homeowners arguing about whether or not they need to fumigate their homes.

I don’t mean to offend anyone, but after nineteen plus years in this business, I have come to the conclusion that some homeowners don’t care about the facts – They just want someone to tell them what they want to hear!

It’s like that old joke about the guy that went to one doctor for a check up and the doctor told him to stop smoking. He didn’t like hearing that, so he went to another doctor. The next doctor told him to stop smoking, too! But finally, after he went to ten different doctors, he finally found a doctor that said it was o.k. to smoke. The facts didn’t matter to him – He just wanted for a doctor to say what he wanted to hear!

I’ve seen homeowners that are exactly the same way. The other day I inspected a four plex that had thousands of dollars in termite damage all around it’s exterior eave areas. This home also had termites flying around the kitchen – There’s no way anyone could know which wall they were coming out of! Several termite inspectors looked at the home and they all said that the home needed to be fumigated. But she kept calling different termite companies until she finally found a man that said he could spot treat her home and fix her problem. SHE HIRED HIM! Will he really solve her problem? To put it mildly, I think she’d have better odds if she’d take that money and play the lottery, instead!

Why argue about it? Why trust what a salesman tells you? Why not look at the scientific facts and then make your own decision?

The California Structural Pest Control Board tells us in their literature that not all homes with dry wood termites need to be fumigated. If an infestation is contained in a small area(s), the dry wood termites may be eliminated by local applications. If treatments other than fumigation are recommended, you should be aware that localized treatments will not provide eradication of other hidden infestations in the building.

Local or spot treatments include the use of pesticides, electric current, extreme cold, localized heat or microwave energy. These methods are intended for a specific targeted area only, leaving open the possibility of other undetected infestations within the structure. These treatments are NOT designed for whole-house eradication. They also tell us that any pest control company that claims whole-house results with local or spot control methods is guilty of false advertising and should be reported.

The Structural Pest Control Board tells us that there are currently two methods for total or whole-house eradication of dry wood termites – fumigation and heat. Fumigations are where the house is enclosed in a tent. For the heat method, the house is also enclosed in a tent. But, instead of using a lethal gas, the house is heated until the inside temperature reaches 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Please note that this procedure may not be practical for structures that cannot be heated evenly.

NOTE: MUCH OF THE INFORMATION ABOVE IS FROM A CALIFORNIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS “STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL FACT SHEET”, DATED JULY 1998. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IN MY REPORTS IS ACCURATE AND WHAT BETTER SOURCE IS THERE THAN TO GET IT STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE THAT REGULATES OUR INDUSTRY!

BOTTOM LINE: If your home is more than ten years old, it has more than just a few spots of dry wood termites, you have no record of the home being fumigated recently and a localized/spot treatment is recommended, I strongly suggest that you talk to the inspector about this. Another inspection/second opinion may be necessary.

To learn more about the Fumigation Service offered by Termite Terry please feel free to call us at 949-631-7348 in order to set up an appointment or use our online Order Form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Remember, it’s your neck and it’s your money that’s on the line!

The following link contains a lot of information that you will find to be very useful:

Vikane Fumigation Information Website

Do you have questions or concerns about termite fumigations?

Click on UC Berkely's link below for the latest information, recent fumigation safety studies By Dr. Rober Krieger and frequently asked questions.

http://nature.berkeley.edu/upmc/fumigation.php

We use Termidor on most of our localized drywood termite treatments. For more information about this product, click on the Termidor logo.