If you are purchasing a new home, request a professional Termite Inspection from a licensed pest management company. If you don’t it could cost you thousands of dollars.
As long as I’ve been in the pest management industry, these inspections have been required to complete a real estate transaction. Recently, changes were made to the Standard Georgia Real Estate Contract making these all too valuable inspections discretionary. It’s a Buyer Beware contract.
A large number of the homes purchased in Atlanta today are by transplants from other areas of the country. They are not aware that because of our humid southern climate, Georgia is one of the most highly infested termite and wood destroying insect states in the nation. Every year termites cost Georgians tens of millions of dollars in damages, repairs and control cost.
Don’t let this happen to you. Have a professional pest management company inspect your new home prior to closing. The cost of this inspection is negligible compared to finding out you have an infestation after the fact.
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The Heat is On… And so is the Termite Pressure
As summer begins and the temperature rises across the country, homeowners should be attentive to termite pressure – a potential problem that can impact their single greatest investment. As termites can feed on wood, sheetrock, wallpaper and fabric, an infestation can possibly affect the structural dependability of one’s home.
“Termites cause over $5 billion in property damage every year,” said Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs for NPMA. “Warm weather combined with the increased moisture, which we experience in summer months, may increase termite pressure. Although termites do not pose as health threat like mosquitoes, ticks and rodents, they do pose a threat to your home. Summer is a perfect time to both inspect your property for these hard to detect pests and take proactive steps to try to prevent infestations.”
NPMA experts offer these tips to help homeowners prevent termite infestations:
• Avoid any moisture at the foundation of your home.
• Divert water away from your property through properly functioning downspouts, gutters and splash blocks.
• Reduce humidity in crawl spaces with proper ventilation.
• Prevent shrubs, vines and other vegetation from becoming overgrown and covering vents.
• Remove old form boards and grade stakes, which may have been left behind after a home was constructed.
• Eliminate any wood that comes into contact with the soil; maintain an 18-inch gap between soil and any wood.
• Routinely inspect the foundation of your home for signs of termite damage.
“Just as parents wouldn’t prescribe medicine for their children, homeowners shouldn’t attempt to remedy a termite infestation in their own home,” advises Mannes. “If you suspect termites in your home, contact a licensed pest professional whose expertise and technology can best rid your home of these unwanted pests and prevent future infestations.”
For more information regarding termites and other pests or to find a pest professional in your area, visit: www.pestworld.org.
The NPMA, a non-profit organization with more than 5,000 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry’s commitment to the protection of public health, food and property.
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The months of May and June are typically filled with calls from clients on Carpenter bees. The female nests in wood and creates a distinctive gallery for her eggs. The opening will be a one-inch diameter hole and will take a right turn and go for about 4 to 5 inches within the wood’s grain. The evidence of holes and yellow staining from both the female’s frass and pollen will indicate such an infestation. Decks, rafters, stairs, barns, banisters and windowsills are all likely areas to be infested. Carpenter bees are very territorial and even though the males cannot sting, they will aggressively defend the gallery, while females can sting, but it is rare to be stung by one. Carpenter bees will continue to return year after year to areas where they have previously nested or emerged from a nest as young adults. Unless the wood is sanded down and painted well, females will continue to drill in the same area. Applications of dust or liquid insecticide labeled for the carpenter bee can be placed within the gallery. After a day or two the gallery can be sealed and plugged with wood putty or caulk.
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