TERMITES - THE PROBLEM
There are more than 2,600 known termite species found throughout the world, and fifty species are indigenous to the United States. Termites play an important role in nature because they recycle decaying plant matter and return important nutrients to the soil to keep our forests healthy.
Today, as the world population explodes and more and more forests are destroyed, termites are turning to the wooden beams inside the structure of our homes as a food source. The termite’s negative impact on our urban environment is most often described in economic terms, such as expenditures for damage and repairs and preventative treatment costs. Termites cause an estimated $6.5 billion in property damage in the U.S. annually. Most homes incurr about $7,900 in damage before the termites are even detected. A home is the largest single purchase that most of us will ever make, so treating that structure against termites is critical to protecting your investment.
Left undetected, this termite tirelessly attacks your home 24/7, causing dangerous and costly structural damage. Subterranean termites tunnel their way through wooden members, such as timbers in the structure of a house, as they search for and consume cellulose, the material found in the plant cells of wood. They are most likely to attack from beneath the structure, gaining access through the smallest cracks and imperfections in the foundation. As a rule, subterranean termites travel above ground for food (cellulose) and underground for moisture. A termite mud tunnel found between the soil and wood construction of your home is a sign of infestation.
