The Facts about Termites all Homeowners Need to Know

Termite pest control is one of the most important considerations for homeowners, but many people don’t think about this issue after the initial inspection during the real estate transaction. That is, they don’t think about it until they are struck with a termite infestation of a critical level. There is no good reason for this, though, when Black Night Termite & Pest Control offers termite control inspections free of charge for all homeowners, and termite inspections for real estate transactions for only $85. That initial inspection when buying a home may be required, but with free inspections for homeowners and low-cost ongoing preventative services, why not make it a regular thing? Once you consider the facts it should be clear why this isn’t such a bad idea.

The Facts about Termites

If you think termites aren’t that big of a deal, or that it won’t affect you, think again. Termites are responsible for more than $2 billion in damage to homes and other structures each year – that’s more damage than windstorms and fire combined! This may come as a surprise; termites are capable of doing more damage than most people realize. They don’t only chew through wood, which most people know them for. Termites can also chew through linoleum, vinyl, and cables under the ground and underneath your house. This little problem can quickly lead to thousands of dollars in damage.

Types of Termites to Watch Out For

In typical American cities like the Southern California communities of Temecula and Murrieta, subterranean and drywood termites are the main types of termites for homeowners to be concerned about. Dampwood termites are also found throughout the U.S. Subterranean termites live underground and require soil moisture, dampwood termites require moisture sources or prefer damp wood, and drywood termites can thrive without soil or water sources.

Home Termite Control Tips

The best way to avoid the thousands of dollars in damage that can result from a termite infestation is to invest in an affordable Termite Control Service Contract. This not only reduces a homeowner’s termite control cost by preventing critical infestations; it also provides homeowners with the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is safe. The Black Night Termite Control Service Contract includes annual termite inspections as well as ongoing treatment for dampwood, drywood and subterranean termites.

Should A Bedbug Infestation Scare You?

The liberal utilization of the term "bedbug" might lead you to believe that we're only dealing with a single species of insects. However, the truth is that the genus Cimex contains a plethora of different specimens, each of them with a proprietary behavior and habitat. From this genus, the most frequently encountered exponent of the family is the Cimex Lectularis.

In fact, the reason why these insects have earned the general title of bedbug consists of their preferred habitat, which consists of the sleeping areas of the home. Due to the fact that popular culture suggests that bedbugs are not able to transmit deadly diseases, many people tend to ignore their presence. But are they really so harmless?

The typical behavior of the bedbug

Bedbugs are masters of concealment and camouflage, thanks to their small dimensions that permit these parasites to hide in the smallest crevasses of your bed/sofa. They are night predators and they generally prefer to come out at night and feed on you while you are sleeping. Bedbugs don't have a powerful bite, but they can penetrate the skin and you will notice bumps on your body as well as small dot-size drops of blood on the sheets.

The bite of the insect is accompanied by the injection of an anti-coagulant chemical that permits it too feed continuously until it's saturated without the wound closing (3-5 minutes). They spread quite quickly and pass through the 5 nymph stages in no time at all.

How did I get bedbugs?

Because humans are their preferred "prey", some people erroneously believe that we are also the carriers of the bedbugs. That is in fact untrue: bedbugs are transported from one place to another via luggage, sheets, old furniture and similar means. This is the reason why purchasing a second-hand bed or mattress is a genuinely bad idea, particularly if you are uncertain of the provenience.

Furthermore, as previously mentioned, these parasites are incredibly resourceful and it won't take them long to start a colony with only a couple of exponents of their species. At the same time, they employ ingenious methods to avoid eradication, as you will find out in a moment.

Can't I eliminate the infestation myself?

Unlike certain pests, it's almost impossible to get rid of the bedbug colony completely or avoid a relapse. I remember a friend of mine was telling me about her bedbug infestation, which started out in the bedroom of her 6 year old son. While at first they did not believe the child's stories about the bedbugs, the bite marks became so prevalent that they had to take action. Although they won a small victory against the colony of bedbugs and successfully eliminated them from the kid's room, they sprouted again in the living room sofa. And again in their bedroom! And again in the child's room!

In essence, all they managed to do with conventional DIY pest control solutions was to chase the bedbugs from one part of the home to the other. Finally, they had no choice but to call in a professional who managed to effectively eradicate the bedbugs. Even so, the extent of the colony gave that guy a lot of trouble. Now, they're a lot more careful about tiny bite marks, I can tell you that.

Cockroaches, Probably The Worst Pest In The World!

Few people in the world can truthfully state that they never had a midnight encounter with these "adorable" insects. Whether you just turn on the bathroom light to see it charging towards you with an unbelievable agility and speed or you found them evaluating the quality of your trash, cockroaches are probably the most versatile pests in the world.

And, did you know these insects are completely immune to radiation that would be sufficient to kill a human? The vision of a post-nuclear world in which all other forms of life are extinct and the cockroaches rule supreme is enough to send shivers down my spine. But radiation invulnerability is just one of their many traits.

Fast breeding, adaptable and armored

The lifespan of a normal cockroach – depending of course on the species, environment and other factors – is of several months. However, these insects transcend the egg-to-adult stages incredibly fast and the females have the ability to develop and deposit the egg sacks at an unmatched rated. Safely hidden from dangers, the eggs spawn into a nymph, which gradually eliminates sections of the exoskeleton as it grows into an adult.

Roaches are not pretentious in terms of habitat or food. They only need a water source and organic material – ANY organic material – to ingest in order to survive. The species is also constantly developing resistance to poisons and it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up the pace with their immunities.

Furthermore, the armored exoskeleton provides a lot of protection for the softer inside parts of the body. Have you ever tried to crush a roach? You'll either splatter him on the floor or he'll be up and running as you're getting something to clean up the mess. There's no grey area here. Also, there's absolutely no point to try killing them with a rolled-up newspaper, like you would do with a fly.

But my house was clean, how come I have roaches?

There's the old dilemma, because of the "filthy" aspect and the omnivorous diet of these insects, people naturally assume that you won't find cockroaches in a clean environment. However, as I previously mentioned, roaches are not pretentious when it comes to finding a new home. It only takes one female to deposit the egg sacks in a hidden crevasse to get a whole colony on your hands.

In fact, it happened to me last year: after having renovated the bathroom – to be read rebuilt it from scratch – and cleaned every possible corner, installed new tiles, replaced all the fixtures, etc. I was convinced that there was no way their colony would survive. And yet, as I turned on the light, here it was, staring at me one fateful night, wiggling his antennas and waiting for the chance to escape as I was looking for a proper bug-squashing tool.

Ok, roaches are disgusting, but are they dangerous?

Oh yes, and how? These pests carry dysentery, salmonella, gastroenteritis and a whole other plethora of digestive tract viruses. The conditions are transmitted via their feces, their secretion and their exoskeleton. The larger the colony (you have a real problem on your hands if you see these nocturnal pests circulating during daylight hours), the higher the chances of infection. In addition, the components of the exoskeleton they shed are airborne and can be grounds for respiratory infections.

Feral Pigeons, The Feathery Winged Version Of Rats

Many will disagree with the fact that pigeons should be considered pests – mostly people who live in areas where the pigeons are scarce – but the truth is that their ability to adapt to the urban and rural settings as well as multiply incredibly fast has earned them this title. While these birds have originally descended from a species known as rock doves whose habitat consisted of remote cliff areas, feral pigeons now have no problem living among humans. Moreover, since numerous people feed these birds and water sources can be found almost anywhere, their exponential multiplication doesn’t come as a surprise.

In addition to their numbers, what else qualifies pigeons as pests?

If you live in a zone with a high pigeon population and you haven't been hit by their droppings once, you can consider yourself lucky. However, it's not only their innate ability to spot and hit a new set of clothes. The pigeon droppings cumulate to a few tons per year and cleaning up the mess costs municipalities millions of dollars.

Furthermore, the acidic nature of the feces eats into the walls and roofs of buildings and deteriorates it, which adds a few extra millions of dollars for repairs and renovations. At the same time, as the droppings dry out, they begin emanating particles that transmit viruses like Chiamdiosis and Psittacosis (similar to influenza and respectively pneumonia). Studies are still carried out to determine the risk levels of these infections. Finally, in rural settings, their diversified diet in association with their high numbers makes them the perfect predator for crops/vegetables/fruits.

How can you get rid of a pigeon infestation?

At first, you might be tempted to opt for shooting them and this solution could be appropriate in rural areas where the numbers aren't that great and gun control is not heavily enforced. However, chances are that even in this case shooting the pigeons might prove ineffective, simply because you cannot kill them faster than they can spawn new baby pigeons. An integrated approach to the pest problem comprises of:

Traps with live pigeons inside

Roof spikes

Nets

Modified ledges

Electrified tracks

.22 BB gun shots

In essence, countering the development and natural habits of the pigeons on several levels might diminish their numbers enough and/or force them to move their colonies.

Pest control approaches in the urban areas

It's fairly evident that the rural methods wouldn't have the same success rates in large cities with big pigeon colonies. Therefore, municipalities prefer to opt for the introduction of natural real/fake predators in the habitat of the pigeons as well as feeding them with contraceptive-filled seeds. The idea is to either reduce their numbers or determine them to relocate to less sensitive regions like the outskirts of the main cities.

However, the current approach does not exactly solve the problem, but relocates it. Nevertheless, one thing is for certain: pigeons cannot be allowed to multiply at this rate within human inhabited territory because soon enough, the birds will become unmanageable as their number escalates!

Are Termites Nibbling On Your Walls?

A termite infestation is probably the worst thing that can happen to your home. Well, that is excluding a fire or a flood, of course. However, there are still numerous homeowners who ignore the signs that a termite colony is "moving into the neighborhood" or worst, attempt to deal with the problem on their own. I mean, you've successfully managed to get rid of pests before; termites cannot possibly be any different, right?

Wrong! A termite colony is one of the most difficult things to eliminate completely, right next to cockroaches and bedbugs. Even if you do manage to wreck their home in one part of the house, they will come back stronger and in greater numbers elsewhere. It's a game of cat and mouse that you cannot possibly win without specialized help.

Why do termites constitute such a major problem?

First of all, I want to point out that only in the US, these pests cause homeowners billions and billions of dollars per year in damages. They will eat through virtually any type of wood, everyone knows that. But what you may not know is that wood is not their exclusive diet. Termites also love paper and cardboard, vinyl (think of your pool's liner and your prized disk collection), plastic and insulation materials.

As these pests make their way into your drywall, they weaken the structure of the house considerably. Now, considering that the termite inspections is one of the key points in the real estate evaluation of your house, you'll get a substantially lower price for it, if you are able to sell it at all without major renovations. Finally, the galleries dug by the termites represent an inviting pathway for additional pests like carpenter ants. Starting to get the picture?

Is my house infested?

First off, in order to answer that question you need to perform a basic investigation of the signs that suggest you might be dealing with a termite infestation. Their natural attraction to light makes them easy to spot at night by shining a flashlight on the corners of the foundation, the patio deck and other adjoining sections of the home.

A second indicator of termite colonies consists of tubular mud formations across the surface of the walls or floor joists, which these insects utilize for traveling and protection. Lastly, search for evident damage to the wooden components of the house (holes, dents, etc.). Naturally, that's just a superficial inspections, so you should consider hiring an experienced inspector if you have reason to suspect that a colony of termites is living in your home.

How can you get rid of them?

Most contractors prefer either the termite repellant or the poison bait variants. I'd have to point out that the decision is based on the extent of the infestation, the type of termites, the specs of the affected area and, of course, the expertise of the pest control contractor. While the former method implies coating the wood with a repellant substance that forces the insects away and in time kills the ones that are already inside the structure, the latter involves bait (cardboard, wood, etc.) coated in poisonous substances and placed in the zone of the infestation.