Termite Control Done Right For Homes In The Bay Area

Your home plays an important role in your life. It is a safe place for you to spend your nights, to store your valuable belongings, to make memories with your family. It is also equipped to keep you warm during the winter and cool during the summer. All of the necessities your home provides for you, it can also provide for pests. One common pest that really likes to invade human dwellings here in The Bay Area is the termite. If you have never taken the time to consider why these local insects are a problem or how to control them inside or around your home, we have some things for you to consider. Take time today to learn about termite control in The Bay Area and find what methods work best to identify and deal with these insects. Contact our team at Bay Pest if you would like information about our advanced offerings. We can provide you with information about pest control in The Bay Area and help you find a treatment plan to properly deal with termites on your property. 

About The Termite Caste System

Termites in The Bay Area are not the most complicated creatures--on a surface level. Within each colony is a system of workers, soldiers, and reproductives that work together to survive. As their name suggests, workers are in charge of working, specifically building tunnels and gathering food. Soldiers work hard to protect nests against potential threats. Reproductives produce young and assign them roles within the colony. During certain times of the year, nests will produce what are called termite swarmers. These are winged reproductive termites that are tasked to leave nests and find new places to build and feed. Swarmers are also one of the first signs of an infestation. We will talk more in a bit about other signs of termites and how to identify these pests within your home. First, let’s discuss what is the most common species of termite in The Bay Area.

There are many different types of termites around the globe. The most common species here in The Bay Area are subterranean termites. These pests live in large social nests underground and use tunnels to get around. Subterranean termites mainly feed on wood that is water-damaged or items that are rich in cellulose like cardboard, newspaper, and leaves. Your home will be more likely to have trouble with these pests if it has sections of wood that have been negatively affected by water or other conditions. 

Something you should know about termites is that they do not destroy homes in a loud way. They damage properties silently and cause problems slowly over the course of several months or years. Because these pests are so quiet, identifying a problem inside your home can be difficult. What we recommend is learning about common signs of termites and how to use them to spot a problem on your property. Here is more information about this. 

How To Identify Signs Of Termite Damage

When termites settle onto a property, they do their best to keep their presence a secret. They do this by staying deep underground or within structures of wood. Keeping this in mind, one of the only ways to identify these pests is to look for the damage they cause to wooden structures. This damage can be subtle. Keeping this in mind, here is how to check for a few common signs of termite damage inside your home and on your property.

• Walk around inside your home looking for moisture spots. Check for these spots on floors, walls, and ceilings. Although not a clear sign of a termite infestation, these spots might indicate a problem.
• Go around your home and try to open windows and doors. If they are difficult to open or are jammed entirely, this could be a sign of termites. 
• Check floorboards and stairs throughout your home and keep track of which ones squeak. If this squeaking becomes louder or more prominent over time, this could indicate termites. 
• Look at wooden supports under your home and look for visible galley ways and other forms of termite damage. 
  Inspect your floors and ceilings to see if they are sagging at all. This is a severe sign of termites and will be accompanied by other common signs if these pests are around. 

Other signs of termites include mud tubes crawling up your home’s exterior, a rustling noise coming from inside structural wood, and termite swarmers flying around inside your home. If you see flying termites outside your home, this is a sign that you have an active infestation or that your home is under inspection and could be invaded soon. 

Sometimes identifying termites before they cause severe damage is difficult. If you need help finding out if these pests are inside or around your Bay Area home, let out team lend you a helping hand. We are termite identification experts and would be more than happy to help you determine if these pests are causing trouble on your property. All you have to do is schedule an appointment. We will take care of the rest.

Causes And Factors For Termite Infestations

Termites are all over the place here in The Bay Area, you just might not see them around. These pests might be on your property right now. If they are not, they could be encouraged to invade in the near future. The question is, does your yard and home provide termites with what they need to survive? The main things these pests look for are food to eat and places to build. Since subterranean termites only need a patch of ground to build their nests, they can typically build on any property. This means that the biggest limiting factor is food. If you did not know, termites like to eat items that are rich in cellulose. Cellulose is found in a variety of things including sticks, leaves, cardboard, newspaper, firewood, and lumber. Often times termite infestations start when these pests find something tasty on a local property. This might include an untreated pile of lumber near your home, a few pieces of wet cardboard, wet firewood, a fallen tree in your yard, an abandoned stump, or some discarded newspapers. 

If you do not want termites settling down on your property, you need to do something about attractants that bring these pests in the first place. The best thing to do is to walk around your property and look for anything these insects might find tasty. If you see anything like newspaper, cardboard, sticks, or even dead trees, remove these items. This will go a long way in helping you avoid these pests here in The Bay Area. We also highly recommend taking action if your home has been negatively affected by moisture, rot, or other similar damage. If you do not know how to address these things on your own, bring in a professional to help.

Contact Us For Termite Control Done The Right Way

Trying to deal with termites on your own can be difficult if not impossible. The biggest challenge is with knowing if the treatments you are using are working or not. Your best option is to contact a home pest control professional and ask about their termite control offerings. If you are looking for a provider you can trust, talk with our team at Bay Pest. We are a local and family-friendly provider that has been servicing homes in our area for over 40 years. Here is what our process looks like to control termites and why you should choose us for the job at hand.

Inspection: All of our jobs start with a thorough inspection. This involves a full evaluation of your home and property to identify termite damage and other signs of these pests.

Treatment: One way we treat homes for termites is by drilling small holes around the foundation. These 12- to 18-inch-long holes are then filled with termiticide and then filled with mortar or soil. We will then locally treat infested areas, pier posts, crawlspaces, basements, and pad foundations in areas where termites are most active. The beauty of our treatments is that they do not just work to eliminate existing infestations of termites, they also work to stop future infestations. This gives you peace of mind in knowing that these pests cannot damage your equity. 

Warranty: We stand by our termite control solutions. This is why we offer a three-year renewable warranty with our liquid and fumigation services. We also offer a one-year warranty with our baiting systems. All of this is to ensure that you are well taken care of and do not get hit with hidden costs if these pests return.

Reach out to our team at Bay Pest if you would like to learn more about our advanced termite control offerings. One of our highly trained pest control representatives will walk you through all of our options and help find a treatment time that will work best for you and your Bay Area property. All you need to do is let us know you need help.