Got a Termite Problem?

As a homeowner, there are a lot of things that have probably crossed your mind to be concerned about or get preventive maintenance for. Unfortunately, once the home inspection has long passed, termite prevention probably isn’t of the highest priorities. After all, the inspector didn’t find any termites 6 years ago when you bought the place, so surely you’re still in the clear, right?

Picture this Scenario
It’s too cold to do much outside, so you decide to finally tackle that home improvement task you’ve been putting off to paint your bedroom. You’ve picked out the color, acquired all the items necessary to complete the job, all that’s left to do is move your furnishings to one side of the room and get started.

In the midst of moving your dresser, you accidentally knock a hole in the wall – oops! Good thing you’re a hard-knock expert at small wall repairs! Moving along, because you’ll fix the hole after you finish painting the first wall, you begin prepping. As you’re laying the last of the paint tape and plastic down and cracking open that fresh can of beautiful sea foam green color you picked out, something flitters past your face. You don’t think much of it, swatting it away, and dip your roller into the freshly poured paint.

As you take the first swipe with the roller, something else flits across your face and you swat again. This time, whatever it was lands in that freshly rolled paint… a flying ant?! Uhhh… A flash of fear washes over you as your thoughts collect and reality sets in. You slowly turn around to gawk at that hole in the wall. To your dismay – those ‘flying ants’ aren’t actually flying ants at all… but termites awakening from their colony tucked behind the wall you just knocked a hole into!

Oh. My. Goodness! Your first instinct is to set the house on fire, but that seems a bit irrational, doesn’t it? They’re just termites… living inside your walls… eating away at the wood holding your home together. Maybe you’ll just patch that hole up and pretend like it never even happened. But that’s not going to solve the problem is it? That’s just putting a cover over a problem so you can pretend like it’s not there. Obviously ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away. So, what do you do?

The answer is simple. You’re going to call a certified termite expert. You’re going to call A B Pest Control & Insulation!

Call A B Pest Control – the Certified Termidor® Experts
A B Pest Control & Insulation is a certified Termidor® expert who can help eliminate your termite infestation. They’ve been hiding out in your home going undetected for so long, and it’s time to fight back with the same tactic. Termites can’t avoid what they can’t detect. Termidor is an advanced undetectable liquid technology. That means termites cannot see, smell, taste, or avoid it. Instead, they contact, ingest and share Termidor, completely unaware that doing so inevitably will kill them.

Termidor eliminates termites in several ways. When termites eat Termidor-treated material, they will die. But Termidor doesn’t stop there. It eliminates termites by contact as well. And since termites can’t detect its presence, termites can directly ingest and contact Termidor as they go about their normal routines.

The Termidor “Transfer Effect™”
Whenever a termite ingests or touches Termidor, it can become a “carrier,” transferring Termidor to other termites it contacts. These termites, in turn, can become secondary carriers, behaving normally while they transfer Termidor to other termites they contact—and so on within the colony. Because Termidor is slow-acting, it gives individual termites ample time to transfer it to others in the population. This unique, spiraling process is called the “Transfer Effect,” and its devastating results maximize the protection of your structure.

Protect Your Home From Termites
Annual termite inspections are recommended to help you protect your home because a Lake of the Ozarks pest control company can look for the early warning signs of termites. If you find yourself in a scenario like the one played out above, or termites are found in your home during an inspection, A B Pest Control & Insulation will see what the best service plan for you would be. We offer a 10-year guarantee on our termite control services. Call A B Pest Control & Insulation at 573-964-1100 today to schedule your free termite inspection and get rid of the swarm once and for all!

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

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Are There Termites In Your Firewood?

With temperatures this cold, many people are really starting to utilize their fireplaces to help keep their homes warm and cozy. While having a fire in the fireplace can help save you money, you need to be aware of the firewood you are bringing into your home. A B Pest Control & Insulation knows that your firewood might be home to many different insects including termites. When firewood is outside, it offers insects shelter, food, and water, essentially everything they need to brave the cold winter. If there are termites in that firewood, you are carrying those termites right into your home when you bring the firewood in. Your Lake of the Ozark’s pest control company has all the information you need to protect yourself from termites in your firewood.

Signs There Are Termites In Your Firewood

Subterranean termites live in soil and they construct mud tunnels to their food sources. These tunnels they create may be visible on the outside of the firewood, or they may be visible within the logs themselves. The main termite colony – the colony where the queen lives – will remain in the soil, but her workers will find their way into the firewood for a food source. If those termites are brought into your home through the firewood, they are not likely to start an infestation. But if your firewood is stacked against the house or in close to the foundation, it gives termites an invitation into your home.

The best way to help keep termites from entering your home is to properly store your firewood. A great way to store firewood is to keep it off the ground. You can do this by using a rack that is specially designed for holding firewood, or you can use a do-it-yourself approach and stack bricks or concrete pads to form a platform to store the wood. Another important thing to note is that you shouldn’t store firewood near your house. You should store it far enough away from your home and its foundation, so termites and other bugs don’t have access to your house.

Finding A Solution

If you find termites in your firewood, you may be tempted to try to figure out how to kill them, but you should never attempt to kill them by using chemicals. You should never chemically treat firewood you intend to bring into your home and burn. The best way to deal with termite infested wood is to simply dispose of it.

A B Pest Control & Insulation Can Help 

If you find any evidence of termites in your firewood or even in or around your house, give A B Pest Control & Insulation a call. While using the fireplace during the winter months is a great option for many people, your Lake of the Ozarks pest control company wants to remind you that it’s important to properly store your firewood and check it before you bring it into your house. To keep your home pest free this winter, and all year long, give us a call! 

Lake of the Ozarks
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The Truth About Termites

Termites are a problem for many homeowners across the United States. According to the MU Extension, more than $4.5 billion is spent annually to control termite infestations and to repair the damage they have caused. There are lots of myths that surround termite control, so A B Pest Control & Insulation wants to share the truth about termite infestations and treatments. 

Myth: It's easy to detect a termite infestation.

Truth: Termites are the silent destroyers. If you see termites swarming, it's because their colony has gotten too big and they are looking for a new place to start a new colony. It takes a while before termites are visible and able to be found. Termites like to hide in spots that are small and hard to reach on your own, like small cracks and crevices. Due to their breeding habits, it's very difficult to be aware of where they're hiding before they have settled in. 

Myth: Termites won't go to my home if there's lots of mulch or wood nearby.

Truth: While termites may spend some time chewing through the mulch and wood lying around your house, they're always on the hunt for a new food source. Your home has enough wood that's concentrated in one area to help a colony grow and thrive. It may seem safe if your home is surrounded by woods, however, termites are always looking for a new place to grow and protect their colony.

Myth: My house is safe because it's brick and on a concrete slab. 

Truth: Luckily, termites don't eat brick or concrete. However, they do eat anything that contains cellulose. Termites can eat through drywall, wallpaper and wooden furniture. Also, a lot of brick homes still have wooden frames that are susceptible to damage. Termites are capable of finding cracks in brick and concrete and still can get into your home. 

Myth: DIY treatment is the best solution for a termite infestation.

Truth: Solving a termite infestation is hard work and doing it on your own will not produce the results you desire. While it may seem like the most affordable and simple way to deal with the problem, you may ultimately make it worse because you are not treating it and allowing the colony to grow. It would be difficult to target the right areas without the help of a professional. 

Myth: Termite protection and treatment are costly.

Truth: While you may think that protection and treatment are costly, the cost of repairing a termite infestation could be worse. Termites can do lots of damage that can be costly. You can avoid these costly repairs and make sure your home is protected by having an annual termite inspection done by a trusted pest control company at the Lake of the Ozarks. If termites are found in your home during an inspection, A B Pest Control & Insulation will see what the best service plan for you would be.  We offer a 10-year guarantee on our termite control services.

Protect Your Home From Termites

Annual termite inspections are recommended to help you protect your home because a Lake of the Ozarks pest control company can look for the early warning signs of termites. If you are needing protection before the next swarm comes in, call A B Pest Control & Insulation at 573-964-1100 today. 

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

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www.abpest.net

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Avoid The Swarm

Termites are a problem for many people across the United States. According to the MU Extension, more than $4.5 billion dollars is spent annually to control termite infestations and to repair the damage they have caused. There are approximately 2,500 different types of termites around the world. However, there are 45 different species live in the United States, and only four are found in Missouri. The most common type of termite in Missouri are the Eastern Subterranean termite. This type of termite is gearing up for another swarm, so make sure your home is protected by hiring a professional pest control company at the Lake of the Ozarks.

What Are Termites?

Termites are small, wood eating insects. All termites are social insects, and raise their young as a group, similar to bees and wasps. Termite colonies eat nonstop and are known as the “silent destroyers” because of their ability to chew through wood structures, wallpaper and flooring undetected. Along with wood, the subterranean termite can also eat plastic and fabrics that are made from plant material. Their size ranges from 1/8” to 1” and they are long, narrow and oval. They are a creamy brown color and have six legs. Their colonies can have up to two million members; the colonies are divided into three groups known as workers, soldiers and reproductive. The queen termite is rather large and can lay up to 2,000 eggs in a single day.

Termite Swarms

“Swarmers” are male and female reproductive termites that have wings. Once a colony becomes established the swarmers leave their colony to establish a new nest. Subterranean termites are active all year long. However, swarms usually happen in the spring and fall. Swarms will occur during the day, most frequently on a warm day after a storm. Termite and ant swarms look very similar, but there are a few distinctive characteristics between the two. Ants will have bent antennae, while termites have straight antennae. Ants will also have a small waist and unequal size wings, while termites have a big waist and equal size wings.

Do You Have Termites?

A termite swarm in your home is an obvious sign of infestations. However, there are other subtle signs that you may have termites. Subterranean termites often use mud tunnels to get around. These tunnels are often found in basements, along pipes or baseboards, near cracks, behind siding or along the foundation of your home. Buckling paint or tiny holes in wood is another sign that termites may have made themselves at home. Finding broken wood is a sign that termites have found a food source. Damaged wood will sound hollow, so check the wood by tapping it. If it sounds hollow, you may have a termite issue. If the damage is bad enough, you may accidentally break through. Finally, piles of wings is a sign that the swarmers have found a new nest and are moving on to the next stage of development, which is colonizing. 

Protect Your Home with A B Pest Control & Insulation

Termites can do lots of damage that can be costly. The MU Extension estimates the average repair work for termite destruction ranges anywhere from $3,000 to $11,000. Avoid these costly repairs and make sure your home is protected by using a trusted pest control company at the Lake of the Ozarks. A B Pest Control & Insulation offers a 10-year guarantee on termite control services. Annual termite inspections are recommended to help you protect your home by having a Lake of the Ozarks pest control company look for the warning signs of termites. If you are needing termite protection before the next swarm comes in, call A B Pest Control & Insulation at 573-964-1100 today.

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Termites: The "Silent Destroyer"

Termites are often referred to as the "silent destroyer" because they can take up residence in your home or yard without any signs of immediate damage. All termites consume cellulose-based plant materials. Unfortunately, this can lead to a termite infestation, as all homes regardless of construction type can provide cellulose. Damage may not be apparent until infestation is full blown. As a result, a pest control company at the Lake of the Ozarks will need to uncover the source of the infestation. A B Pest Control and Insulation can control termites and prevent them from reappearing in the future. Here are some common signs of termites:

Mud Tubes

Termites build and travel through mud tunnels or 'mud tubes' to protect themselves from predators and dry air. If you see a line of dirt running up the block wall in a crawl space, you could have termites. Beware of bubbled paint or pencil-sized mud tubes running across concrete or connecting soil to wood.

Swarmers

In spring, termites erupt by the hundreds looking to find a mate and start a colony. Termites are winged insects. Look closely if you see insects crawling together or if you see a cloud of winged insects. Determine whether they are termites or ants. Ants travel in swarms too and termites can be commonly mistaken for ants.

Visibly Damaged Wood

Termites will hollow out wood, leaving a paper-thin surface. It may appear blistered or peeling. Look for wood that has been hollowed into. Soil is typically mixed in with the wood. Termites prefer soft or previously damaged wood, but will eat most anything. 

Control Termites From Entering Your Home

The best way to prevent a termite infestation is to prevent them from coming into your home. To keep termites from damaging your property, keep basements, attics, and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry. A B Pest Control and Insulation can install a vapor barrier in your crawl space that makes it become a conditioned living area. This means it gets rid of moisture, heating problems, odors, and vents that go to the exterior. Here are some common ways termites can cause damage to your property:

• Termites are able to access homes in soil against siding. This happens due to the slope of most homes in the area. Make sure to keep landscape blocks, and soil at least a couple of inches from the start of the siding, stucco, or other building materials.
• Scrap lumber left in the crawlspace or in the foundation itself.
• Leaking faucets, water pipes, and AC units on the outside of your home.
• Fascia and soffits and any rotted trim and roof shingles.
• Weather stripping and loose mortar around the foundation and windows.
• Water not properly routed away from your house through non-functioning downspouts and gutters.
• Firewood not stored at least 20 feet away from your home and 5 inches above the ground.
• Mulch kept 15 inches or closer to the foundation.
• Rotting tree stumps on your property. 

 

A B Pest Control and Insulation Prevents and Treats Termites

A termite inspection is recommended every one to three years. Homes with previous termite infestations should be re-inspected every year. An exterminator at the Lake of the Ozarks should be contacted if termite activity is suspected. A B Pest Control and Insulation offers termite inspections and preventative termite treatments for new and existing homes and buildings. We also offer an advanced termite treatment that is two to six times faster than baiting systems. You can count on us to find the right solution for your termite infestation at the Lake of the Ozarks! 

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

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