Wenatchee Termite Control

The most important caste in termite society is the worker caste. Reproductive and warrior termites cannot feed themselves. The workers are responsible for ensuring that the rest of the colony is fed. How do they do that? They spend all day (termites don’t require sleep) chewing up your home and extracting the cellulose from plant-based building materials. They then go back to the colony where they provide the rest of the castes with sustenance. 

In extremely advanced cases, homeowners report being able to hear worker termites chewing up their support beams and wood. The worst part is, many homeowners won’t even realize there’s a problem until the infestation has gained a foothold in their home.

How Do Termites Get into Your Home?

Termites are always on the lookout for a good place to settle. While we’ve built our homes to conform with our own needs, we aren’t the only ones who appreciate warmth and shelter. Termites do too. They also like the fact that our homes provide them with a great source of food.

The termites that do the majority of damage here in the U.S. are subterranean termites. These termites attack your home from the ground up. They often come from underneath your home’s foundation exploiting tiny cracks in your foundation to gain access to your home. Termites are small. They can fit through a crack that is no larger than the side of your credit card. 

Once they have access to your home, they begin attacking any plant-based building material. While they prefer wood, they can also eat drywall or anything else that has sufficient cellulose in it. The warmth that homes provide is another factor in the colder months. While experts do talk about “termite season”, your home is vulnerable all year long in a climate-controlled setting. 

Signs of an infestation may not be recognized until it’s too late. Homeowners are left to analyze termite poop, study the insect themselves, or look for mud tubes that would be a clear indication of a termite infestation. This is not the easiest task unless you know what you’re looking for. 

Managing a Termite Infestation

Pointe Pest Control offers free home inspections to anyone who believes they have a termite problem. Once identified, we can then begin to attack the problem at its heart. Typically, this involves some variation on three different treatments. 

Baits are used to destroy an existing termite infestation. When applied correctly they can destroy an entire colony. Then, we start to look for ways to prevent a future infestation. This can include soil treatments in the area surrounding your house or wood treatments to protect your wood from termite damage.