Proudly Serving Inland Empire, Upland and Surrounding Communities
Call us right now: (909) 774-0555
Pay Online Schedule now
  • How to Determine If You Have a Termite Infestation

Tag: Termite Treatment

Categories
Termite Control

How to Determine If You Have a Termite Infestation

How to Determine If You Have a Termite Infestation

Termites are often called “silent destroyers” because they can be hard to detect and may cause extensive damage before homeowners realize there’s a problem. In regions like Southern California, where termite activity is prevalent, it’s crucial for homeowners to know how to identify signs of an infestation. The good news is that you can detect a termite problem in your home if you learn a few of the signs that indicate an infestation.

Understanding Termites and Their Behavior

Termites are social insects living in colonies. In the U.S., the most common types are subterranean and drywood termites. Subterranean termites build mud tubes for moisture while traveling between their colony and food source, whereas drywood termites live directly in the wood they consume.

Key Indicators of a Termite Infestation

  • Mud Tubes: Subterranean termites create mud tubes on walls, foundations, and other structures. These pencil-sized tubes are a highway for termites and help protect them from predators, and maintain a humid environment.
  • Wood Damage: Termites consume wood from the inside out, leaving a thin veneer of timber or paint. If you tap an area of wood in your home and it sounds hollow, it may be a sign of termites.
  • Swarmers and Discarded Wings: Reproductive termites, or swarmers, leave the nest to start new colonies. After swarming, they shed their wings. Finding discarded wings near windows, doors, or other home access points can be a sign of an infestation.
  • Frass: Drywood termites produce wood-colored droppings called frass as they eat through infested wood. Finding these tiny pellet-like droppings can be an indicator of a drywood termite infestation.

Steps to Take If You Suspect Termites

  • Inspect Your Home Regularly: Regularly check for signs of termite activity, especially if you live in an area prone to termites.
  • Consult a Professional: If you suspect a termite infestation, it’s crucial to get a professional inspection. Termite control requires specialized skills, knowledge, and tools that most homeowners don’t possess.
  • Consider Professional Treatment Options: If termites are found, a professional can provide effective treatment options. This may include soil treatment, bait systems, or direct wood treatments, depending on the type and severity of the infestation.

Preventative Measures to Avoid Termite Infestations

  • Reduce Moisture: Fix leaks, ensure proper drainage, and keep gutters clean to minimize moisture, which attracts termites.
  • Eliminate Wood Contact with the Ground: Keep wood, including firewood and lumber, away from the foundation of your home.
  • Regular Inspections: Schedule annual inspections with a termite control professional, especially if your area is known for termite problems.

Early Detection Is Key

Detecting a termite infestation early can save you significant time, money, and stress. By knowing what signs to look for and taking preventative steps, you can protect your home from these destructive pests.

Early detection is a good thing – but prevention is even better. A knowledgeable termite control expert can help you in both eradication and prevention efforts. If you do not see any signs of an infestation, that is amazing. You can keep it that way with a few proactive prevention steps. For more detailed information and professional assistance, visit Bug Baron’s comprehensive website to learn more.

Categories
Termite Control

Does Southern California Have a Lot of Termites?

Does Southern California Have a Lot of Termites?

The Termite Scenario in Southern California

In Southern California, termite infestations are a common concern for homeowners. The region’s warm and inviting climate is not just appealing to its residents and tourists but also to termites. These pests find the local conditions ideal for thriving, leading to frequent infestations in homes and buildings.

Recognizing the Signs of a Termite Infestation

Identifying a termite infestation early is crucial to mitigating damage. Homeowners should look out for:

  • Hollow-sounding wood: This indicates that termites may have eaten away the inside of wooden structures.
  • Discarded wings: These are often found near windows or light sources and indicate a recent termite swarm.
  • Mud tubes on exterior walls: A sign of subterranean termites, these tubes protect the colony from predators and conserve moisture.
  • Visible damage: This includes blistered wood surfaces and damaged woodwork.

The Risks of Untreated Termite Infestations

Ignoring a termite infestation can lead to severe consequences, including:

  • Structural Damage: Termites can compromise the structural integrity of a building, leading to costly repairs.
  • Financial Burden: The cost of repairing termite damage can be substantial and is often not covered by standard homeowners’ insurance.
  • Decreased Property Value: Known termite issues can significantly reduce the value of a property.

Why Termites are a Problem in Southern California

Several factors contribute to the high incidence of termites in Southern California:

  • Easy Access to Food: The architectural trends in Southern California, which often favor wooden structures, provide an abundant food source for termites. This makes local homes more prone to termite attacks.
  • The Right Weather Conditions: The warm, often humid climate of Southern California is perfect for termites, particularly during spring and summer. This weather not only supports their survival but also aids in their reproduction and spread.
  • Diverse Termite Species: The region is home to multiple termite species, including drywood and subterranean termites. Each species has distinct behaviors and infestation patterns, complicating control measures.

Reasons You Should Bring in Professional Help

Dealing with termites requires expertise that goes beyond DIY methods. Professional termite control services offer:

  • Expert Inspections: Professionals can accurately identify the termite species and the extent of the infestation.
  • Customized Treatment Plans: Based on the inspection, experts devise a treatment plan tailored to the specific needs of your home.
  • Advanced Treatment Methods: Professionals use advanced and more effective termite control methods that are not available to the general public.
  • Preventative Strategies: Besides treating the current infestation, professionals also focus on preventing future infestations.

Choosing the Right Termite Control Service

Selecting the right termite control service is critical. It’s advisable to choose a service with:

  • Experience in dealing with local termite species.
  • Positive customer reviews and testimonials.
  • A comprehensive approach to termite control, including prevention.

A Proactive Approach to Termite Control

Southern California’s climate and construction trends make it a hotspot for termite activity. Homeowners should be proactive in identifying and addressing termite issues. By engaging in professional termite control services, you can protect your home from these destructive pests and ensure the long-term safety and value of your property.

Worried about termites in your home? Discover effective solutions and professional assistance from the pros at Bug Baron.

Categories
Termite Control

How Often Should I Have a Termite Inspection?

How Often Should I Have a Termite Inspection?

Termites can really do a number on your home if they are not eradicated soon after they infest your house. To stave off a termite infestation, the absolute best way to protect your home from the expensive damage caused by termites is to have a regular termite inspection. Learning the signs of termite infestation can help identify a termite problem in progress. But most of the signs to look for are after the termites have already caused significant damage. But having a professional termite exterminator inspecting your property at regular intervals of time will help guarantee that a termite infestation never gets started.

Quick treatment can greatly reduce the destruction to the structural integrity of your house, giving you peace of mind that you and your family are safe from extensive damage done to your house by termites.

Termite inspections

When you call an experienced professional pest control technician to inspect your home for termites, the termite control service will want to look in all the available places around your home that provide a window into what is behind the walls or up in the attic.

Preparing your home for termite inspection will help the technician to thoroughly check your home in a timely manner. Clearing out items from dark places like crawl spaces, high unused cabinets, or items outside around the perimeter of the home will greatly help the technicians get a good look at your home.

To make sure no termite colony has time to establish itself in your home, you will want to have a termite inspection at least once a year.

Signs of termites

Searching for signs of termites can be difficult because they stay out of sight. But if you  see any evidence that your home has a termite infestation, you need to get your trusted pest control professional on the phone right away. Signs of termites to look for are:

  •  Tube tunnels around the exterior foundation
  • The appearance of water damage on floors
  • Termite wings around exterior windows
  • Weak paneling and boards in certain spots around your home
  • Piles of sawdust looking excrement
  • Bubbled or peeling paint

Termite damage

Because the termites eat cellulose in boards causing structural damage to the home, the destruction can easily be extensive if not caught early. Light repels termites leaving them to cause damage out of sight with little evidence on the surface of walls, wooden furniture, or wood floors. When the infestation is discovered, the destruction can be so much that the home is now structurally compromised. In addition to at least a yearly inspection, be sure to have a professional inspect your home before you sell or before you buy to protect yourself from termite damage.

Give Bug Baron Exterminator a call today to set up a yearly termite inspection in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Categories
Fumigation Termite Control

How Do I Know If I Have Drywood Termites?

How Do I Know If I Have Drywood Termites?

Termites, in general, are not the type of pest you will see skittering across your floor. In fact, especially when dealing with drywood termites, you may not see much evidence at all. This can unfortunately lead to major repair bills if the drywood termite infestation goes a long period of time without being addressed. The average homeowner that has to deal with termite damage repairs will pay around $3,000 to restore their home back to normal. Because drywood termites infest the wooden structure of homes, these repair costs are not simply for aesthetics, but often to support beams and other important elements that affect the structural integrity of the home.

Signs of drywood termite infestations

While drywood termites often go undetected, there are still a few signs you can keep a lookout for to make sure you do not fall victim to paying for repairs to your home caused by termites. Signs of drywood termites are:

  • Hollow sounding wood: If you tap on a wall, trim or floor and it sounds hollow, it is possible that drywood termites have eaten away the cellulose in the wood.
  • Bubbling paint: This can also be an indication that termites are inside
  • Piles of frass: Termite excrement resembles sawdust. To clear the colony of droppings, the termites will make small holes in your walls and push out the frass, creating small piles of sawdust looking droppings.
  • Shed wings: New infestation can be caught early if you find shed termite wings on your window sills outside. Termites usually swarm and move to new locations in the summer and fall.

Tent fumigation treatment

Because drywood termites can be widespread through the structure of your home, sometimes it can be difficult to treat the colony with a localized insecticide. Tent fumigation is the better option in this case because the fumigant can get into every crevice and piece of wood in your home.

When hiring a termite exterminator to fumigate your home, there are a few things you need to be aware of in order to prepare for a home tent fumigation.

  • Time out of the house: Typically, the entire process will take about three days, so preparing a place for you and your family to stay is important
  • Pets and plants: Don’t leave anything living in the home during tent fumigation. Make arrangements for all pets, including the goldfish. It is possible that some plants will survive the fumigation. But if at all possible, move your plants outside during this process
  • Law requires all food and medications be put in special bags or removed from the premises

Returning after fumigation

Before you will be allowed to return home after a tent fumigation and aeration, the air in your home will be tested for gas levels to be sure it is safe to return. Surprisingly, the gas used in fumigation can not stick to surfaces so once the gas clears out, there should be no residue left in your home.

For drywood termite treatment in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, give Bug Baron Exterminator a call today.

Categories
Termite Control

Drywood Termite Problems in Rancho Cucamonga

Drywood Termite Problems in Rancho Cucamonga

Learning your home has termites can be quite unsettling. Termites can easily cause thousands of dollars in repair costs, especially if the termite infestation went a long time before it was discovered. In Rancho Cucamonga, drywood termites can be quite difficult to detect because they burrow deep into wooden structures, and they are almost never seen unless they send out swarmer termites in the summer and fall seasons. There are a few signs to look for but having a regular termite inspection is the best way to protect your home from drywood termites.

Drywood termite facts

Knowing a few things about drywood termites can help you better protect yourself against this incredibly damaging insect.

A few facts about drywood termites are:

  • They are a creamy white color
  • They infest wood that stays dry like the structure of an attic
  • The western drywood termite found in Southern California is the most common drywood species
  • They have relatively small colonies of around 1,000 insects
  • They will kick their excrement out of tiny holes and the sawdust-like droppings will make a pile on the floor.
  • Drywood termites can infest wooden furniture. If the furniture is brought into your home, the termites can move into your house’s structure.

Treatment

If you suspect that you may have termites of any kind, call a termite exterminator immediately. You do not want the infestation to cause more destruction to your home. A professional termite control technician will thoroughly inspect your attic, floor, wooden furniture, and any woodwork for signs of termites. If a small infestation is identified, the technician will administer a localized treatment by inserting insecticide into the colony.

Drywood termite colonies can spread out into several different spaces in the wooden structure of your home. A drywood termite exterminator may suggest fumigating your home if the infestation is widespread.

While it is a big inconvenience to have to be out of your home for two to three days so your home can be fumigated, it is comforting to know that your home is completely termite free. Once the fumigant clears from the air and a professional tests the air quality in your home, you can return.

To prevent termites from coming back into your home, you can have the wood in your attic and crawl spaces treated for termites to prevent them from infesting your home once again.

While drywood termites are difficult to detect, scheduling a yearly termite inspection with a pest control service you trust can prevent termites from causing damage to your home. If you are in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, give Bug Baron Exterminator a call today. We will get rid of every last termite so you can rest assured that your home is termite free.

Categories
Termite Control

Best Termite Control Company in Upland

Best Termite Control Company in Upland

Termites are known to silently cause immense damage to homes and businesses by literally eating the wooden frame of the building. Over time, the boards weaken and the structure can be compromised from the destruction caused by an infestation of termites.

In Upland, CA, Drywood and Subterranean termites can make their way into your home, causing you to pay thousands of dollars in repairs. To protect your largest investment, your home, from becoming termite food, you want the best termite control company on your team.

Inspection

Generally, a yearly inspection is recommended for most homeowners to protect their homes against termite damage. But depending on where you live and the different terrain or weather conditions, it may be recommended that you have a quarterly inspection or an inspection every six months.

A thorough termite inspector will look in areas around your home that provide the perfect environment for termites. For Subterranean termites, a water source is needed for them to thrive. Your technician will search under sinks, in humid basements, and in bathroom walls.

Drywood termites do not require a water source quite like their Subterranean relatives. A termite exterminator will look under wooden roof shingles, or even in the siding, or on the eaves of your home.

Treatment

After the inspection is complete, your termite inspector will inform you of any termites or signs of termites that have been found. Depending on the type of termite that has infested your home, your trusted Upland pest technician will develop the proper treatment plan for your situation. Hopefully, the inspection caught the infestation early so your repair costs will be minimal. But by not having a routine termite inspection, you could be leaving yourself vulnerable to astronomical repair expenses if the termites have been living in your home for years.

Infestation growth

A termite colony can begin with one pregnant female termite. The queen termite can produce thousands of eggs in a single day. Many Subterranean termite nests can have up to two million members before they begin sending out termites to start new colonies.

With mild weather in Upland, CA, termite queens may produce eggs year around, causing the infestation to steadily grow. A structure of a house can be devastated after about five or six years of having a termite infestation.

Call in an expert

Do not let your Upland home become termite food. Having the best termite control company on your side means not only will you stop termites from eating your home, you can stop them from coming inside in the first place. For Upland residents who want the best, call Bug Baron Exterminator. Our experienced and professional technicians will carefully inspect and treat your home so you can rest assured that your home is safe and sound.

Categories
Termite Control

How Do I Know If I Have a Drywood Termite Problem?

How Do I Know If I Have a Drywood Termite Problem?

Termites are bad news no matter which type of termites has infested your home. Even though Subterranean termites cause a majority of the damage in the U.S., Drywood termites can be just as devastating if they are in your home. Some warning signs of a Drywood termite infestation may be less well known to homeowners, which could give these termites more time to munch on your home before you discover the damage they have caused. If you notice any signs of termites in your home, it is important that you call a professional termite exterminator as soon as possible. Eradicating termites can be difficult and a professional will know how and where to best treat them so that the problem is eliminated before more damage is done.

Signs of Drywood termites

Because Drywood termites live inside the wooden walls and eat the wood, you will not see them walking around your home. But knowing what to look for will help you keep a sharp eye out for signs of Drywood termites.

  • Frass: Termite droppings that have six sides and resemble sawdust can be found under light fixtures, next to walls, or in the basement.
  • Shed wings: Drywood termites do not tunnel their way into your home. They send out their swarmer termites to fly up to your house and find a way inside.
  • Eating habits: Unlike other termites who eat the cellulose, or soft part of the wood, Drywood termites can eat across the grain, producing large, smooth feeding galleries inside the walls.
  • Paper thin woodwork: Because Drywood termites eat all parts of the wood, they will leave a paper thin outside layer in your trim, furniture, or floor that can appear warped when it is actually just hollow.

Treatment

If you have noticed any signs of Drywood termites or are due for a termite inspection, give a highly trusted pest control company a call as soon as you can. The termite exterminator will thoroughly inspect your attic, floor, woodwork, and wooden furniture for signs of termites. If a small infestation is identified, the technician will administer a localized treatment by inserting termicide into the colony.

If the termite infestation is more widespread, the experienced technician may recommend fumigating your home. Unfortunately, this means staying out of the home for about three nights so your home can be tented and the fumigant can be pumped into every part of your house. Once the fumigation clears from the air and a professional tests the air quality in your home, you can return.

To prevent termites from coming back into your home, you can have the wood in your attic and crawl spaces treated for termites to prevent them from infesting your home in the future.

If you discover signs of Drywood termites, give Bug Baron Exterminator a call today. We will get rid of every last termite so you can relax knowing your home won’t end up as insect food.

Categories
Termite Control

Termite Prevention Tips for Upland, CA Homeowners

Termite Prevention Tips for Upland, CA Homeowners

The thought of a termite infestation can cause serious stress for Upland homeowners. The damage an undiscovered termite colony can do to your home is devastating. Termite colonies average in size from about 5,000 to 2 million termites depending on the species. Every last one of those termites is hungry, and if they are in your home, your house is on the menu. Though termites stay out of sight and quietly eat the cellulose out of the wood in your house, there are ways for you to prevent this hidden threat from literally eating you out of house and home.

Protect your home from the outside

Unless you have an easy entry point for termites to fly in, termites can not simply waltz into your home. They have to find a way in and many times they try to come in through the foundation. Keeping a close eye on your foundation whether slab or on piers, is an excellent way to keep your Upland home safe.

Termites will create mud tunnels to conceal themselves as they get close to your foundation and look for small cracks or holes to enter your home.

Be sure that mulch in your flower beds or even the soil do not come up above your foundation line. In general, it is a good idea to not let anything directly touch your foundation. Termites can infest mulch and if the mulch is up against your foundation, termites have food and time to find the best place for entry into your house.

Prevent water from attracting termites inside your home

 If termites have chosen your home to be their home, they have found an efficient amount of food in the wood in your walls and a water source to sustain their colony if they are Subterranean termites.

 If you have small water leaks in your home, fixing these issues immediately will keep your home from looking like the perfect place for termites to live.

Roof damage during winter months can cause just enough water to come in to quench the thirst of a colony of termites. Be sure to check for any outside damage that may let water into the home.

Termite inspections

To make sure termites are not eating your home from the inside out, set up a regular termite inspection. You can do your best to keep your foundation clear of debris and your home water tight, but having trained eyes to look for evidence of termites and knowing what to do when they find them is the best way to protect your home.

A termite inspector is the best line of defense against termites. Having a trained, experienced Upland technician inspecting your property at least once a year will keep termites out of your home or will stop their infestation early, to prevent your home from being destroyed by termites.

In Upland, CA, give Bug Baron Exterminator a call today.

Categories
Termite Control

Top 3 Signs You Have a Termite Problem

Top 3 Signs You Have a Termite Problem

Termites can really cause some serious damage to a structure. While they are constantly eating the wooden beams and frame of a home, the queen termite cranks out thousands of eggs a day. Termites are relatively quiet and stay hidden deep within your walls, floor, or ceiling so you may not know they are there for months or even years. To minimize the damage, you want to catch any termite problem early. To be able to identify an infestation, you have to know what the top 3 signs are that tell you that you have a termite problem.

1. Look for piles of wood pellets on the floor

As termites munch away at your home, they produce large piles of excrement that resemble sawdust. These piles are called frass and you may look for them underneath windows, below wall hangings, or directly beneath light fixtures. As the termite tunnels become full of chewed up and biologically processed cellulose, the termites make little holes in your walls and ceiling to push the frass out of their home and into your’s.

2. Evidence outside

Termites have to get inside your home first before they can start wreaking havoc. They will often leave evidence of their entry outside your home. Look for mud tunnels on the foundation. Termites do not come out into the open air so they create mud tunnels that allow them to get close to your home so they can find a way inside.

You may also find shed wings from swarmer termites outside of your windows. When a swarmer termite lands, they will shed the wings as they start hunting for a way to get inside your home to begin a new colony.

3. Swarmers pouring out of the walls

In the spring, a termite colony will produce swarmer termites who will fly off in search of more homes to destroy with new termite infestations. The swarmers will spill out of a hole in the wall into the interior of your house. If you are home during the swarm, you will definitely be aware of the termites covering your floor and walls. Be sure to locate exactly where the termites are coming from so you can tell your trusted exterminator when they arrive. Likely, the swarm will be over by the time the exterminator is able to come to your home.

Call a professional termite exterminator

If you see any of these three signs of a termite infestation, call your termite exterminator as soon as possible. You do not want a termite colony living in your home a minute longer than they have to. If you are in Upland, CA, give our trusted team at Bug Baron Exterminator a call today.

Categories
Termite Control

Do Termites Cause Expensive Damage?

Do Termites Cause Expensive Damage?

The scariest part about termites is that they can eat away at your home for a long time without you even knowing they are there. This allows the damage they create to get much worse before you start treating your home for termites. Because termites affect the wooden frame of your home, the hidden damage can really be a blow to your wallet when you finally start to repair the destruction caused by termites.

Every year in the US, termites cause billions of dollars worth of damage. The average homeowner who discovers termite damage will spend about $3,000 on repairs. That can be devastating, especially in this economy with inflation already making everyday expenses difficult.

Prevention

Keeping termites away from your home is key to not having to pay a dime in termite damage repairs. A few ways you can prevent termites from choosing your house as their new home and meal are:

  • Keep wood piles away from the home
  • Remove dead, fallen trees or old stumps from your yard
  • Make sure soil around the exterior of your home is not above your foundation
  • Keep shrubs and trees near your home from touching your siding or roof
  • Quickly repair any leaks or drips inside
  • Make sure your roof is in good condition
  • Have a yearly termite inspection

Termite inspection

Termites are experts at getting inside your home. Some try to get in by flying inside while others build elaborate mud tunnels so the colony can enter your home without being exposed to sunshine. While you can definitely keep an eye out for signs of termites as well as use prevention measures to keep the termites out, the single best way to safeguard your home against termites is to have a termite exterminator to routinely check your home for termites.

Depending on how at risk your home is for developing a termite problem, you may have a termite inspection every six months to a year. Once your home gets the all clear from a termite inspector, any new termite invasion will first have to find your home, find a way inside, start the colony, and begin eating. A routine  inspection greatly reduces how much damage the colony can make before the next inspection.

What kind of treatment does my home need?

Depending on where you live and the humidity around your home, a termite exterminator will decide on the best way to protect your home from termites. A few ways to treat for termites and prevent them from coming back are:

  • Preventative barrier around your home in the the soil that kills any termite that gets into the treatment
  • Bait stations outside that entice worker termites to bring poisoned food back to the colony.
  • Preventative exposed wood treatment in the attic or any accessible crawl spaces
  • Localized treatment when the technician discovers the location of the termites
  • Fumigation when the infestation is wide spread or in difficult to reach areas of the home

For the best termite extermination services in Upland, CA, give Bug Baron Exterminator a call today.