Don’t just kill termites, eliminate the colony by Arthur Katz

Arthur Katz, Knockout Pest Control

Termites are one of the most destructive forces in the New York metro area. A home or building that is not protected is just waiting for an invasion. At one time or another almost every building in the area gets termites, it’s a matter of when.

Swarming season in this area generally runs from late March through early June. That’s when billions of reproductive subterranean termites take flight from their colonies in search of new homes to infest. Swarming is an obvious sign of a termite problem but not seeing a swarm does not mean that you are termite free.

Keep an eye out for dead termites or wings around windows, doors, radiators, bath tubs and sinks. Termite mud tubes on walls located outside or inside is another sign. Termites eat from the inside of the wood out, so damaged wood may not be seen but a hollow sound to the wood should alert you to inspect it.

Green technologies like Sentricon are available to eliminate active colonies. This innovative green technology eliminates termite colonies including the queen. This gives your home or business long term protection from termite problems.

The termite will carry the treated material back to the colony eliminating the entire colony including the queen. This product is registered by the EPA under the Reduced Risk Pesticide Initiative.

Get A Real Estate Transaction Termite Inspection

Termite inspections may be required for real estate transactions. But you shouldn’t wait until you sell your property to find out if you have a problem. The best solution is to prevent a termite infestation before it starts.

An inspection of both interior and exterior, will include looking for damage to wood, mud tubes, molted wings, dead termite swarmers and exit holes.

They should also look for areas inside and outside the structure that attract termites, such as standing water, moisture around the foundation, wood mulch close to structures, tree branches overhanging structures, and any wood features of the structure that are touching or buried in the soil.

Arthur Katz is president and CEO of Knockout Pest Control, Uniondale, N.Y.