Termite Awareness 2016

Spring! It’s arguably the most anticipated season of the year. You have had all you can take of those long, dark nights, high winds, and grey landscapes. This is when you look forward to setting your clocks ahead and having an extra hour of light after work. Spring is that time of year when all hope seems renewed. The flowers begin to bloom, the trees bud and bring forth a new crop of leaves, and all those woodland creatures begin to have their babies. Spring is also the time of year when the National Pest Management Association’s Professional Pest Management Alliance holds their termite awareness week.

This year’s termite awareness week is set for March 13 – March 19, which is the perfect time to raise awareness of termites. In Tennessee termites are active underground all year long- they never take a break. During spring, termite reproductives begin to swarm and you might find a cloud of hundreds of termites around your home. This means it is more important to get the word out now so that you know exactly what you are looking for in the coming months. Also, this is peak season for buying and selling homes, another reason for you to learn about termites. In order to protect your new investment, you should never purchase a home without a termite inspection. And, if you plan to sell your home a termite inspection before placing your home on the market can save you aggravation and embarrassment in the event there is already a termite infestation present. You definitely do not want a prospective buyer to be the one that discovers your hidden termite issue.

Here at All-American Pest, we want to do our part to inform you about the hidden danger of termites and how to be on the lookout for these elusive and reclusive creatures. To that end, here are some of the subtle signs that you should be aware of:

1. Be on the lookout for piles of wings or dead termites near windows, tubs, or sinks.

2. Check along your foundation for ‘mud tubes’. These pencil width tubes are the highways that termites use to travel from their nests in the ground to the studs in your walls.

3. Watch for swarms of ‘flying termites’ in spring, especially after a rain. These are actually termite reproductives.

4. Look for ‘flying termites’ around stumps and other moist wood sources after a rain.

5. Notice any signs of termite damage to the wooden structures in your home, especially in the basement. Signs may include wood that appears crushed, sounds hollow, or looks blistered.

If you find signs that termites are present in your Tennessee home, give us a call. We can inspect your property for signs of an active termite colony and then quickly and discreetly deal with them. In fact, we are certified operators of the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System which is the environmentally friendly, odor free way to control termites on your property, and there is no need for drilling or trenching with this system either, making it a pain-free, mess-free solution.

Protect your Tennessee home or business this spring by knowing the subtle signs that termites leave when they have decided to make your home or office their favorite eatery and trust the name that thousands of your friends and neighbors have trusted for termite protection, All-American Pest!