Are your termite bait stations effective if your termite company never checks them?

A watched phone may never ring just like leaving your termite bait stations unchecked will prove ineffective!

You know the old saying about “a watched phone never rings”? The same rings true when you expect your termite bait stations to work even if your termite company never checks them. Termite bait stations serve as a signal for termite activity. They are a means to alert you that termites are around and looking to nest. Within the industry, the term used to signal termites are entering the bait stations is called “getting a hit”. It’s crucial your termite company check them in order to determine if your termite bait stations are getting hits. To help understand the importance of checking your bait stations, it is important to know how bait stations work.

Mosquito Squad of Columbia offers the area’s most cost effective, proactive method of termite protection for your home.

How termite bait stations work

There are two types of termite bait stations which are most often used. These are the Advance bait stations and the Sentricon bait stations. Mosquito Squad of Columbia uses the Advance termite bait stations. With the Advance bait stations, you can see they are working as our Mosquito Squad Termite Technicians keep you informed if any termite activity is found during the monitoring of the stations. Of course, cost is always a concern, and Advance bait stations are just as effective as the Sentricon stations that the “big” companies use and only costs about half the initial installation price.  The “big” termite and pest control companies like to use the Sentricon stations to minimize labor, fuel and product cost.  They only monitor their stations once a year whereas Mosquito Squad of Columbia monitors the Advance termite bait stations every three months.  Usually, when other companies monitor their stations, they do not inform the customer if any activity was found.  Mosquito Squad of Columbia believes in communication with the customer, so that when activity is found in our stations, the customer is informed.  Since we monitor the stations this closely on a routine basis, we will know whether you have termite activity and then we will add termiticide to the bait station. Advance bait stations are equipped with wood and a bait cartridge filled with cellulose which will keep the termites in the station longer than Sentricon bait stations. This is because it takes the termite longer to eat and digest the cellulose within our bait stations. Tiny amounts of insecticide are deployed like edible smart bombs to knock out populations of termites foraging in and around the structure. Foraging termites will consume the live bait and share it with their nest mates resulting in a gradual decline in termite numbers. Some bait stations may actually eliminate entire termite colonies.

Termites eating wood.

Bait station technology has really evolved. The bait stations of yesteryear only monitored termite activity and required follow-up with a liquid termiticide to keep the termites from penetrating the alert system set forth by the stations. Our stations provide both. Our bait stations begin protecting your home the moment they are put into place.

Termite prevention and control is a very complex topic and no two properties are alike in terms of what termite prevention method works best. One home may only require bait stations and another may require a more intensive treatment such as liquid termiticide. It’s crucial to hire a company that seeks to maintain a termite-free environment on your property through ongoing monitoring and re-baiting as needed.

Mosquito Squad of Columbia checks our bait stations every 3 months.

Mosquito Squad of Columbia is offering a thorough termite Inspection of your home or business.  Using state-of-the-art LED camera and video technology, we are able to show you images of what the technician actually observes. This allows us to recommend the solution to protect your home. We will show you images of these areas so you can make a more informed decision regarding prevention, treatment, and repairs. Our services cost about 40% less than the big named termite companies in our area.

The crew at Mosquito Squad of Columbia.

Your home is likely to be the single-biggest investment you will make in your lifetime. Our termite service can ensure that your home is protected against the damages inflicted by termites. Call Mosquito Squad of Columbia today to schedule your comprehensive Termite Inspection today for a quote  (803) 345 – 7575 • email: Columbia@MosquitoSquad.com

Mosquito Squad of Columbia answers the million dollar question of what is my termite bond really worth?

Mosquito Squad of Columbia offers the area’s most cost-effective, proactive method of termite protection for your home.

The Midlands area of South Carolina lies in one of the most heavily termite infested regions in the nation. Termites are known as “silent destroyers” because of their ability to chew through wood, flooring and even wallpaper undetected. As a result of their stealth nature, US residents spend an estimated five billion dollars annually to control termites and repair termite damage. Here in the Southeast United States, termites cause more damage to homes than fire or theft.

Many homeowners look to termite professionals to obtain what is known as a termite bond as a way to have confidence that their structure is protected from termites.  You have probably heard the term “termite bond” before because this term is readily used within the pest control industry and among homeowners. A termite bond is not a protection guarantee. It’s a service guarantee between the homeowner and the termite company. It indicates that if termites are found in a house, the company will treat at no cost. This can mean that from a protection standpoint, the bond is only worth as much as the paper it is written on.

This photo shows termite damage under a Columbia, SC home.

Many companies that offer a termite bond offer either a 5 year or 10 year bond. This means you will pay a large up front fee. They will treat the house and you will then be placed under their termite bond. Many termite companies do not inspect on an annual basis as they should nor do they maintain a respective level of communication keeping homeowners aware of what is (or is not) lurking under or around their home! The effective life of many termite chemicals ranges from about 10-15 years. At 10 years, when the life of the chemical is running out, the company will then ask for more money to retreat your house in order to renew your bond for another 5 or 10 year period.

The termite protection we offer here at Mosquito Squad of Columbia goes far beyond the bond. We offer homeowners a termite damage guarantee which covers your home for not 5 or 10 years, but the lifetime of your home. This means once you pay the initial treatment fee and continue paying your yearly renewal fee you are covered for life or as long as you own the house. Not only is our service affordable, it also provides peace of mind in knowing your home is protected. We stand behind the effectiveness of our treatment. We stand behind our technicians and we stand behind the inspectors who are inspecting your home. Our way is a more cost-effective and proactive approach to termite control and protection!

Termites eating wood.

Our termite services include:

• Comprehensive inspections and reporting – this includes on-site home inspection with LED imaging
• Comprehensive termite treatment & protection – including liquid termiticides, termite bait stations and construction pre-treats
• Structural moisture control – this can include one of more of the following: moisture barriers, French drains, sump pumps, guttering, foundation vents and encapsulation
• Termite damage repairs

Your home is likely to be the single-biggest investment you will make in your lifetime. Our termite service can ensure that your home is protected against the damages caused by termites. Call Mosquito Squad of Columbia today to schedule your comprehensive Termite Inspection at (803) 345 – 7575 • email: Columbia@MosquitoSquad.com

The crew at Mosquito Squad of Columbia.

Mosquito Squad – America’s leader in Outdoor Pest Control – now handling all of your Pest Control needs.  Ask about our Bundled Pricing Option at one low Monthly Payment.

 

Mosquito Squad of Columbia discusses the key to complete control over termites

Wood eaten by termites.

The key to gaining control over termites at your home or business is understanding how termites operate. Termites are eusocial insects which means they divide labor among castes and produce overlapping generations in order to take care of their young. Termites are random foragers and are also blind. Because they are blind they seek out food sources for the colony using thermal shadowing. The termite’s ability to detect temperature gradients allows them to verify food sources quickly and accurately. This could include their ability to detect a fallen tree in a clearing or in your yard.  Worker termites leave the colony to find a viable food source for the colony and in doing so they leave a pheromone trail to lead the colony directly to the found food source.

The Midlands area of South Carolina lies in one of the most heavily termite infested regions in the nation. Mosquito Squad of Columbia provides total termite control solutions. This starts with comprehensive inspection and reporting which includes on-site home inspection with LED imaging. We also use both bait stations and termiticide applications to fight these wood destroying pests. The course of treatment we recommend depends heavily on the termite activity you are experiencing and also the age and termite history of your particular home. Effective termite treatment does not fall into a “one size fits all” category. One home may only require bait stations and another may require a more intensive treatment such as liquid termiticide.

Termites are blind and detect food sources through thermal shadowing.

Termiticides: the active approach to treating termites

Liquid termiticides, hands-down, offer the best level of termite treatment. The termiticide Mosquito Squad of Columbia uses works on both Formosan and Subterranean termites. Termites ingest the termiticide not even knowing it’s there. They then carry the termiticide back to the colony. They unwittingly distribute the termiticide throughout the colony which eventually destroys the entire colony.

Termite colonies work together to survive and even raise their young.

Bait Stations: double trouble for the termites lurking around the perimeter of your home

Homes with no history of termite activity may be better candidates for bait stations over that of a home that is older and has experienced previous termite activity. Modern bait stations are very effective at keeping the termite away from your structure.

Bait stations target the termites that may be lurking in the ground around your structure. Termites only burrow about 4-6 inches below the ground and our modern bait station are loaded with a cellulose product as well as termiticide which will kills the termites. The bait stations of yesteryear only monitored termite activity and required follow-up with a liquid termiticide to keep the termites from penetrating the alert system set forth by the stations. Our stations provide both. Our bait stations begin protecting your home the moment they are put into place.

Mosquito Squad of Columbia is offering a thorough termite Inspection of your home or business.  Using state-of-the-art LED camera and video technology, we are able to show you images of what the technician actually observes. This allows us to recommend the solutions to protect your structure. We will show you images of these areas so you can make a more informed decision regarding prevention, treatment, and repairs. Our service also costs about 40% less than the big named termite companies in our area.

The crew at Mosquito Squad of Columbia.

Your home is likely to be the single-biggest investment you will make in your lifetime. Our termite service can ensure that your home is protected against the damages inflicted by termites. Call Mosquito Squad of Columbia today to schedule your comprehensive Termite Inspection today for a quote • (803) 345 – 7575 • email:Columbia@MosquitoSquad.com

Mosquito Squad – America’s leader in Outdoor Pest Control – now handling all of your Pest Control needs.  Ask about our Bundled Pricing Option = one low Monthly Payment