Guess What? It’s Termite Awareness Week (March 12-18), sponsored by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA). If you’re digging out of snow right now, you may be saying “Whaaaa?”

Does it seem too early to think about termites when it doesn’t even feel like spring yet? That’s exactly how termites hope you feel, they don’t want to draw attention. Termites are experts at laying low, staying hidden, and working under cover, even if that’s snow cover.

TERMITES CAN REMAIN HIDDEN FOR A LONG TIME

You don’t know you have termites until you know you have termites:

• One spring morning you see some flies fluttering around the basement window, but then you discover that they are on the inside of the window, and they’re not flies, they’re termites with wings. Surprise! (see Termite Swarmers Inside!)

• While cleaning up your foundation flower beds, you see a mud tube plastered on the concrete foundation wall and disappearing under the siding. But when you scrape the mud off, termites spill out. Surprise! (see What Do Termite Tubes Look Like?)

• While renovating the family room, you pull off the old baseboards to expose wood that looks strange. It’s dark, spongy, hollowed-out and packed with dirt. Surprise! (see What Does Termite Damage Look Like?)

ADMIT IT – YOU NEED HELP!

Termites are one of the pests that you really cannot control successfully on your own. If you suspect that you have a termite infestation, PPMA recommends that you contact a licensed pest professional immediately to determine the extent of the problem and to develop a course of action.

Termites are among our most destructive pests, causing $5 billion worth of property damage annually, an expense that isn’t typically covered by your homeowners’ insurance. A recent survey showed that 38% of U.S. adults worry about discovering termites in their home, yet less than half have ever had their homes inspected for termites.

See It’s Never the Wrong Time for a Termite Inspection. Call Colonial Pest today!

Photo Credit: Pinto & Associates, Inc