Termite Swarming Season Approaches, Threatens Homeowners

Tips for how to prepare for the swarm and detect the presence of termites

Indianapolis – Feb. 26, 2009 – What causes more damage to homes than storms, fires and earthquakes, yet is rarely covered by homeowner’s insurance? Suprisingly, the culprits are only about 10 mm in length — subterranean termites.

Alone, a subterranean termite isn’t terribly destructive, but when each tiny termite teams up with other termites in the colony, damage to homes can be devastating. In fact, nationally, subterranean termites cause an estimated $5 billion in damage to homes on average each year, according to the National Pest Management Association. And some experts say that estimate is too low.

“Year after year, subterannean termites continue to pose a significant threat to many people’s biggest investments — their homes,” says Dave Maurer, marketing specialist for Dow AgroSciences. “Staying one step ahead of termites is the best way to safeguard a home. It’s important to take the necessary steps to reduce the risk of infestation and pay close attention to any signs of termite activity.”

Termites live with thousands to several million family members, all of whom work together in an organized system to find and use cellulose food sources to grow the colony. This cooperation is called “swarm intelligence,” and it helps explain why termites are so successful.

Swarming Season Approaches
Subterranean termite swarming season, the time when winged “swarmer” termites leave their colonies to create new ones, is right around the corner, and it is often how homeowners find out their home is infested. Unfortunately, termite swarmers usually only appear when the colony is mature and damage is under way. And sometimes they do not swarm at all.

Taking Preventive Action
Because termites attack homes in every state but Alaska, few homes are safe. Risk of termite infestation is highest in Southern and coastal states. There are things homeowners can do, however, to prevent termites from easily accessing food sources. Experts suggest:

• Minimizing or eliminating the use of wood mulch around the foundation
• Keeping wooden fences, planters and other items at least two feet away from the home’s foundation
• Stacking firewood and scrap lumber away from the home
• Keeping air conditioner condensation and other water away from the foundation
• Keeping an eye out for mud tubes, discarded termite wings and other signs of termite activity

While these are helpful tips, they are no assurance that termites won’t attack a home. The best protection is to have a pest management professional conduct a termite inspection and consider a preventive treatment to stop termites before they reach the home.

Effective Treatment Options
Controlling subterranean termite infestations doesn’t have to entail disturbing expensive landscaping, drilling holes into a home’s floors, foundation, patios or sidewalks, or injecting hundreds of gallons of chemical into the soil. Termite baiting systems like the Sentricon^® Termite Colony Elimination System are minimally invasive and environmentally responsible, using only grams of termite bait when and where needed.

The Sentricon System is the No. 1 brand¹ in termite protection because it detects and stops subterranean termites from attacking homes by eliminating termite colonies — not just individual termites.

For more information about subterranean termites and to determine whether a home is at risk, visit www.sentricon.com.

Contact:
April Dart
Bader Rutter & Associates
(262) 784-7200
adart@bader-rutter.com