How big of an issue are termites in the Temecula Valley and Fallbrook areas? Well, that’s not easy to answer. There is not one central place, like a government agency or scientific organization, where termite activity is reported, so it’s difficult to determine the exact number of homes that are infested each year with termites. However, it is estimated by the National Pest Management Association, a nonprofit trade association of the pest control industry, that in the United States, approximately $5 billion is spent each year on termite control measures and to repair the damage caused by termites. This means that termites are a more costly threat to wood-based structures than even fire, floods, or wind! What makes matters worse is that termite damage is almost never covered by homeowner’s insurance policies, so people have to pay for any repairs out of their pockets.
It’s not just structural damage you have to be worried about—termites can do damage to other things as well, like your cherished antique book collection, photo albums, furniture, or important documents. We’ve seen some irreplaceable items damaged by termites in our years in the pest control business.
This makes it all the more imperative to catch termites early—before they have the chance to do costly damage. Since most real estate transactions require a termite inspection, almost all of the termite inspections we do in Temecula and Fallbrook are because a property is changing hands. However, you don’t have to wait until you are buying or selling to have your home or office building inspected for termites. You can schedule a termite inspection at any time.
A termite inspection is especially important if you suspect you may have termites—even if you haven’t seen any evidence of damage—because they can do damage before you know it! Termites eat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so even though they’re small, it really doesn’t take long for them to damage a wood structure.
It’s usually not difficult to identify termites if they’re out in the open (you can read this blog post about how to identify a termite); the problem is, they are only out in the open during certain times of the year—usually spring. Because of this, you may want to consider doing regular termite inspections with a Temecula or Fallbrook pest control company like Knockout. We can do a thorough termite inspection and let you know if any action should be taken to eliminate the termites or to prevent them from entering and damaging your structure. If termite activity is caught early and is only in a fairly localized area, treatments like orange oil or heat can be used to take care of the problem, and you won’t have to vacate your house for a full termite fumigation.
Our biggest piece of advice is: Don’t wait! Contact Knockout Pest Control & Termite today for a termite inspection or for termite treatment in Temecula or Fallbrook.
