There are a few types of bug infestations which can damage and even ruin your home, and one of the most common is a termite infestation. Termite control is a specialty of ours at A1 Exterminators, where we’ve been providing the Salt Lake Valley with industry leading pest control services for over five decades. We know how devastating a termite infestation can be, as we’ve seen the worst of them up close.
What exactly are termites, and how can they damage your home? Some basic facts:
What are Termites?
Termites are small insects somewhat similar to cockroaches. They’re considered some of the most “successful” insects on earth because of how widely they’ve spread – they can be found on every continent but Antarctica.
Termites feed on dead things, particularly dead plants or decomposing wood. They thrive primarily on moisture in the home, so people who live in damp regions or have moist areas of their home are at higher risk.
Home Damage
Termite damage is most commonly found in homes with wood paneling or any wood which touches the ground outside the home – this can be the entry point for termites, and once they’re in, they’re in.
An average colony of termites can eat roughly one foot of a two-by-four board of wood in six months, though there are several species which eat much more quickly. This may not sound like too fast a rate, but because termite colonies are constantly eating holes in wood to provide more space, they’re also increasing the size of their colony as they eat more and more.
Untreated termite infestations can badly damage and even completely ruin homes. They can weaken support structures behind walls before people even know they’re there in some cases.
Odor
The potential damage to your home is obviously the primary concern, but odor becomes a problem for many people as well (in some cases, it’s how the termites are discovered). Termite fecal pellets carry a distinct smell, and they can also lead to discoloration or marks on your walls. In bad cases, just the odor alone will require you to replace sections of wall to remain in your house.
Cost and Home Value
There’s an obvious immediate cost associated with the problems we’ve noted here, but there’s also a future cost. A termite infestation can drastically lower a home’s value, to the point where many people are simply unable to sell their home for a reasonable return due to a previous infestation.
The only way to completely eliminate a termite infestation is through a termite exterminator, and A1 Exterminators are here to serve you. We can help you with everything from detecting and identifying termites to ridding them completely from your home. Our experts are standing by to assist with all your pest control needs.
