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What is the Best Way of Getting Rid of a Termite Infestation?

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Termites cost approximately $5 billion in property damage every year. What is worse is that homeowners’ insurance policies typically do not cover these costs. Many homeowners try prevention tactics to deter termites from their home and avoid this extremely costly problem. Unfortunately, prevention tactics do not always work and sometimes, homeowners have to consider how to get rid of termites that have already invaded their home. When that is the case, it is best to enlist the help of a pest control company that can eliminate a termite infestation effectively, and make sure it does not return.

Soil Treatments

Soil treatments are particularly effective against subterranean termites that live in the soil. When applying these treatments, a pest control treatment will use a termiticide, a type of pesticide, directly in the soil. The first step in applying this treatment is digging a trench around the foundation of a home, the area in which termites first enter. These trenches are typically dug to an approximate depth of 50 millimeters from the top of the foundation.

Once the trench is dug, the soil is then treated with either repellant or non-repellent chemicals. Repellent chemicals are the more traditional form and they simply deter termites from entering the home. Due to the structure of the soil, this method is not always effective because termites may still find an area that is not treated and make their way through. On the other hand, repellent chemicals actually kill the termites and are much more effective.

After the soil is treated, the trench is then filled again with the treated soil, effectively creating a barrier that keeps termites out. Soil treatments are very effective and will usually keep termites out of the home for five years, on average.

Wood Treatments

Wood treatments are particularly interesting because these treatments affect the actual wood of the home and not the soil around it. These treatments are also not limited to just one type of treatment, but several. Wood treatments include spraying the surface of the wood, injecting sprays and foams, and using Borate treated wood.

Termites often enter a home when there is exterior wood that sits on the ground or close to the ground, making for easy access for termites. Borate is a chemical that penetrates the wood and creates a barrier that termites cannot pass. When the critters eat this wood, they are poisoned and die. The borate must also be treated afterwards to seal in the chemical and ensure its effectiveness. These applications should never be done by homeowners on themselves. Protective gear is crucial, as the poison that affects termites can also adversely affect people, so a pest control company is critical in applying these treatments.

Wood treatments can be applied prior to the construction of a home, but homeowners currently experiencing a termite problem can also benefit from these wood treatments.

Bait Systems

Bait systems are extremely effective at destroying termites and eliminating an infestation. Using this method, a pest control specialist will install bait stations around the perimeter of a home where termites are likely to reside and travel to get into the home. 

Sometimes these bait stations are called traps, but that is misleading. These systems do not actually trap the termites, but they contain bait, such as wood or cellulose, that is treated with a substance that is poisonous to termites. That bait also does not necessarily kill the termites instantly. The bait is slow-acting so that termites can return to their colony and spread the bait to others, effectively eliminating the entire problem.

Bait systems are one of the best ways to get rid of termites, particularly for homeowners that find that wood surface treatments do not work. Bait systems are often used in locations where wood surface treatments are not effective, such as close to foundation drains and areas covered by certain types of flooring that may require drilling.

Bait systems are available for purchase, but to gain the most effectiveness from these types of treatments, a professional pest specialist should always be called to set up these systems. A professional will know how to effectively set these bait stations so they eliminate the most amount of termites in the least amount of time. A professional will also continue to monitor the bait systems to ensure their continued effectiveness.

Our Missouri Pest Control Specialists are Here to Help

Although homeowners have many solutions that can help them kill termites that invade the home, it is always best to call a St. Charles pest control specialist for help. At Amco Ranger, we understand the best ways to kill termites in the home, and to keep them from coming back. If you are having a termite problem, call us today at (636) 224-6099 or contact us online to schedule a free inspection.

How Will I Know If My Home Is Infested With Termites?

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Termites can do rapid and serious damage to any home. The trick to preserving your most valuable asset lies in early diagnosis. While many newer homes are constructed with termite-resistant features, many older homes are not. So if you enjoy beautiful older homes with a lot of history and character, you’ll need to be on the look-out for the following signs of termite infestations.

Termite Damage

Termites can be found in your window frames, foundation, and door frames without you even noticing. Just about any piece of wood they find will become food. Worse still, the worker termites can chew up your wood 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They never sleep. It’s estimated that termites cause $5 billion worth of damage each year. 

Instead of looking for the termites themselves, homeowners are forced to look for signs that they were there. Catching them early ensures that the damage done to your home is kept to a minimum.

Signs Of Termite Damage

Luckily, termites leave the same kinds of signs everywhere making them fairly recognizable. Some of these include:

  • Headbanging – No, not the kind of headbanging you’ll find a Megadeth concert. Soldier termites will make noises (using their heads) to signal to the other termites that danger is afoot. Additionally, the worker termites who spend all day chewing up your wood are fairly noisy themselves. If you listen closely enough, you will be able to actually hear them destroying your home.

Incidentally, if you play loud and fast rock music, the termites will actually begin working faster. A study showed how termites keep the beat to the music and work that much harder. If you’re afraid you have a serious termite problem, it might be time to pull out Barry Manilow. 

  • Flying termites – The only termites that can fly are the reproductive termites. Termites are divided into three castes with one queen. You have your workers, your soldiers, and your reproductive termites. Once you start seeing reproductive termites flying around, you have a problem. These are the guys who establish new colonies. That means that the colony inside your home is doing so well, it’s about to give birth to another colony.

Scientists have discovered all-female termite colonies in Japan. These termites reproduce asexually making tiny genetic copies of their mother. 

  • Timber is flaky, papery, and hollow – Termites will consume wood from the inside on out.
  • Hard-to-open windows and doors that stick when you try to close them – Some of the signs of a termite infestation can mimic the effects of humidity. Termites create moisture when they’re eating and this results in the warping of wood fixtures.
  • Tunnels in broken wood – If a piece of wood falls of a termite-ridden home, you’ll be able to see tiny tunnels through which the termites burrow.
  • Floor damage – Termites can damage both laminate flooring and hardwood. The also like skirting boards. If you begin to see blistering there, it may be time to call in the exterminator.
  • Wall damage – You may notice cracks in your walls that weren’t there before. The termites extract the cellulose from the wood weakening the overall structural integrity.

I’ve Seen The Signs! Now What?

Termites are incredibly destructive and notoriously difficult to get rid of. However, the skilled pest technicians at Amco Ranger have decades of experience dealing with these critters. Our technicians will take a look at the current infestation and provide the means to prevent future ones. 

If termites are a major concern given your home, you can sign up for our prevention plan. This will ensure that you’re not one of the thousands of Americans each year who is contributing to the $5 billion that is spent annually to repair the damage done by termites.

Call Amco Ranger Today

You can get rid of termites in Missouri. At Amco Ranger, we provide various degrees of protection against these destructive critters. This includes making recommendations on the best way to protect your property before there is a serious termite infestation. Give us a call or talk to us online to set up your free inspection today.

How To Prevent Termites From Attacking My Home

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Termites are among the most destructive insects for homeowners. Each year, homeowners deal with millions of dollars of damage caused by termites. While dealing with a current infestation is, of course, possible, it’s better to have never had to deal with it in the first place. 

When Amco Ranger removes a current infestation, we also make several recommendations concerning what you can do now that it’s gone to prevent a future one. Below, we’ll talk about some of the preventative remedies that you can take to avoid major termite damage. 

Understanding Termites

The termite brain may not be very sophisticated by our standards, but their society is very well ordered. They have a reproductive caste, a warrior caste, and, of course, a worker caste. The workers work 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Clearly, they haven’t invented the union yet. On the other hand, termites don’t require sleep and the majority of their work involves eating. 

Worker termites provide the colony with all of the food it will need. Their very import job is mostly eating and feeding the rest of the colony. While one termite may not be able to make a significant dent in your property value, several thousand will be given enough time. 

Preventing Termite Infestations Prior To Building A Home

There are several technologies that can be used for dealing with termites.

  • Basaltic termite barriers – Newer homes can be built with Basaltic Termite Barriers (BTBs). In other words, the planning stages for dealing with termites begin before the home is even built. BTBs are made of rock particles packed densely enough that it creates an insurmountable barrier for termites. 
  • Termite mesh – This is a stainless-steel screen with holes that are too small for termites to pass through. Additionally, they cannot chew their way through either. These are placed in concrete to prevent termites from entering through small cracks that could arise over the course of time. 
  • Pressure-treated wood – Pressure-treated wood is termite-resistant. Note that we didn’t say it was termite-proof. The wood should still be kept a few feet off the ground to prevent termite access.

Preventing Infestations For Already-Built Homes

Of course, not everyone is so forward-thinking in their home-building approach. Most folks simply own properties that were built prior to these innovations. Nonetheless, there are ways to prevent termite infestations even when the house was not built with these anti-termite measures. These include:

  • Reduce soil-to-wood contact – When possible, reducing soil-to-wood contact is a top first step to any proactive plan to reduce the threat of termites. This not only includes your house itself, but also any mulch, paper, or cardboard that might be around your house. You want at least a four-inch barrier between any mulch and your home. Having a concrete foundation with siding at least six inches off the soil is also a good idea.
  • Beware your landscaping – You’ll want to consider keeping plants at least a few feet away from your foundation. If you’re landscaping is near your home, you can use pine needles as opposed to mulch. If you can’t find pine needles, you can use pea gravel or just about anything else that isn’t organic.
  • Beware your storm drains – You’ll want your storm drains to empty a few feet away from your foundation.
  • Eliminate excess moisture – Termites feed on moisture and are attracted to it. Leaky pipes, faucets, drains and anything else needs to be managed to prevent a future infestation.
  • Sprinkler systems – You want to avoid any pooling water around your foundation. Some folks go out of their way to reroute their storm drains and forget about their sprinkler system. 

It’s Swarming Season!

The first winter thaw is when termites really go into action. They like to hit the ground running and make a breakneck attempt to find food and set up new colonies. One of the things that they are attracted to is floodlights. Yes, I know they look pretty, but they’re a serious risk. You want to either term them off in the early spring or relocate them entirely. There are bug-resistant lights that you can purchase if you’re totally committed to your floodlights. 

Talk To Amco Ranger To Stem Off A Serious Termite Infestation Today

If you’re seeing signs of wood damage or flying termites around your home, it’s time to consider a professional pest control expert. Amco Ranger not only provides top-quality extermination services, but we will also recommend ways to keep the termites off your property once their gone. Talk to us today to set up a free inspection.

What, Do, and How: Everything to Know About Termites

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What to Know About Termites

Most homeowners don’t want to think about termites. It’s understandable, considering these pests can take down a structure in a very short period of time. Not only can they destroy a home, but many of the things within it, too. It’s important that as a homeowner however, you do understand how these pests live, and what they do. Knowing the answers to some common questions makes it much easier to fight against them, and maybe even keep them from invading in the first place. It’s for this reason that we’ve created this guide that tells you everything you wanted to know, or didn’t, about termites. 

What do termites look like?

There are more than 40 different species of termites in the United States. Each species has distinct characteristics, but most of them look similar to each other. Termites are very small, about the size of an ant. They measure between one-quarter inch to one-half inch in length. They have soft bodies and straight antennae, unlike ants that have bent antennae. Worker termites are typically paler in color while swarming termites appear darker. 

What do baby termites look like?

Baby termites do not have a transition phase from larvae to adult, as some other pests do. Instead, they hatch from eggs looking like a very small termite. Young termites are usually white in color.

What do termites eat?

Termites eat cellulose, the most abundant organic compound found in nature. It is the main component of plants and is even found in many everyday objects. Termites seek out this cellulose in plants, cotton fibers, paper products, and wood.  

What causes termites?

There are a few elements that attract termites to a home. These include:

  • Moisture, such as standing water or leaky pipes
  • Wood that comes into contact with a home, such as stacked firewood
  • Openings in a home’s foundation, walls, or roof
  • Geography, as some areas are more prone to infestations

What color are termites?

Young termites are pale in color, typically white or off-white. Adult subterranean termite swarmers are solid black, while adult drywood swarmers are solid red.

Are termites attracted to light?

Termites are nocturnal. As such, they are attracted to light at night including porch lamps, motion lights, and light coming from the interior of the home. When swarming, termites are attracted to utility lights as well. 

Can you hear termites?

There are three main sounds homeowners may hear if they have a termite infestation. The first is a dry rattle. When termites sense danger, they bang their heads against the walls of their tunnels to warn other termites. This causes a rattling sound. Termites also make a papery rustling sound as they move about the tunnels working. Lastly, homeowners may also hear a hollow sound when they tap the wood of their home. These are the voids left in the wood after termites eat their way through it. 

Where do termites come from?

Termites come from the ground, where they build large colonies. Colonies are typically built in areas that have large trees or old, rotted wood. Termites can fly away from the colony and will fly about 50 feet at a time. Once they have found a suitable location to start a new colony, they will land and start to create one. 

What Do Termites Do? Do termites fly?

Subterranean termites do fly during the swarming season when they look for a mate and start a new colony. These termites don’t fly well though, and after settling on the ground, soon lose their wings.

Do termites bite?

Termites can bite invading insects such as ants or termites of a different species. They can also chew through wood, causing extensive damage to homes. Termites, however, are not known to bite humans.

Does mulch attract termites?

Years ago there was a theory that chain stores were spreading termites through bags of mulch. This was proven to be untrue. However, there are certain things about mulch that termites like. It’s not the wood in mulch that attracts termites, but the moisture. Mulch can attract termites because it’s a good place for them to form their colony, or support an existing one. 

Do termites bite humans?

Termites are not known to bite humans.

Does homeowners’ insurance cover termites?

According to the National Pest Management Association, termites cost American homeowners approximately $5 billion annually. Unfortunately, homeowners’ insurance does not usually cover the cost of termite damage. Infestations can often be prevented through regular home maintenance, which is the homeowner’s responsibility. However, certain damage the termites cause, such as a fire caused by wiring they chewed through, is covered by homeowners’ insurance. 

The How’s of Termite. How can you tell if you have termites?

Termite infestations have some common characteristics. If you think you have termites, look for these signs. 

  • Clicking sounds in the walls, which is the termites banging their heads against a tunnel
  • Wings that have been shed on windowsills or doorways
  • The presence of white ants around the home, which homeowners often mistake termites for
  • Hollow sound in wood around the home
  • Doors and windows that are suddenly tight-fitting and hard to open
  • Tunnels in wood or wood around the home
  • Termite droppings, otherwise known as frass, which are small black marks or a dark powdery substance

How long do termites live?

The queen of a colony can live up to ten years. Typically, worker termites only live for one to two years. 

What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Termites? Call a Missouri Pest Control Service

One of the most common questions homeowners have is how to get rid of termites when an infestation has started. The only way to do it is to call a pest control service in Missouri. At Amco Ranger, we know how frustrating termites are, but we also know you don’t have to let them destroy your home. Call us today at (636) 441-2847 or fill out our online form. After inspecting your home for termites, we’ll use our knowledge and skill to get rid of the pests, and prevent them from coming back in the future. 

Is it Worth it to Pay for Regular Termite Protection?

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Homeowners will do just about anything to protect their homes. They invest in burglar alarms, smoke alarms, and a number of other items specifically to protect their home. When it comes to regular termite protection however, many homeowners wonder if it’s worth it. So, is it? The answer will largely depend on where you live, and the structure of your home. For those in Missouri, it’s always a good idea to contact a Missouri exterminator that can determine if a regular termite protection plan is right for you.

Why Missouri Homeowners Should have Termite Protection

If you live in Missouri and own a home, you have likely asked yourself at some point, “Is it worth it to pay for termite protection?” The answer is nearly always a resounding, “Yes!”

Termites are active all across Missouri. According to the Termite Infestation Probability Zone Map (TIP Zones), Missouri is a TIP Zone #2. This means that termites are moderate to heavy throughout the state. This means there is great potential for termite damage to a home, and that homeowners in Missouri need as much protection as possible.

Termites typically swarm on warm days after it rains, but swarms can also occur during the winter in heated buildings. Different types of termites swarm at different times of the year. The only months that aren’t considered swarming season are January and February. As such, Missouri homeowners need to protect themselves all year round.

In Missouri, it is definitely worthwhile to pay for regular termite protection. Termites are widespread and very active throughout the state and so, protecting your home is of the utmost importance.

Routine Pest Control Services

In addition to simply protecting your home, you’ll reap many more benefits when you choose a routine pest control service.

Pests bring with them all types of diseases. Mosquitos, fleas, ants, bed bugs, and rodents all carry diseases. It’s possible for you or your family members to become sick from a bite, or from coming into contact with the animal’s waste. Termites are not known to carry diseases harmful to humans, but they can exacerbate symptoms of asthma, and worsen allergies. A pest control expert can ensure this doesn’t happen.

Pests don’t only destroy your home. They can also destroy anything you have in your home. Rodents can chew through wires and termites can make a building inhabitable in a short amount of time. Rodents will find their way into your food source, as will ants and other pests. An exterminator can prevent and correct these problems so you can enjoy your home, and the things in it, once again.

One of the biggest benefits of routine pest control services is that you’ll have year-long protection and never have to deal with pests in your home. A pest control service will stop problems before they start, so you never unknowingly stumble across a pest, or the damage they cause.

Regular Termite Treatments

Regular termite treatments are especially beneficial in Missouri. First, a technician will inspect your property, looking for signs of existing termite colonies. If any are spotted, they will determine where the termites are feeding and ensure termites have access to bait in these areas. These stations contain scientifically proven termite bait that will destroy the entire colony. Every service, the bait stations are inspected, monitored, and maintained.

The unique distinction between these bait traps and chemical treatments is that the bait stations will not break down over time. As long as the colony has been eliminated and you are receiving regular termite treatments, you will never have to deal with the pests again.

Homeowners also find bait traps less disruptive to their lives. There are no large tank trucks filled with a chemical solution on their property, and the ground and water around their home is not contaminated. Also, because the baits are set into the soil around the home, there is no need to drill into the foundation or floors.

Contact a Pest Control Expert in Missouri Today

Is it worth it to pay for regular termite protection? The answer for homeowners in Missouri is always an emphatic, “Yes!” If you are living with termites or any other pest, or want to protect your home from future infestations, call the experienced Missouri pest control experts today. At Amco Ranger, we use only the highest-quality products to ensure pests are eliminated, while the people in your home remain protected. Call us at (636) 441-2847 to get rid of pests today, and live a pest-free lifestyle tomorrow.

How Do I Prevent Termites From Attacking My Home?

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Termites feed on the moisture within wood and various other materials. Worker termites spend all day chewing up your home and then returning to their nest to supply the warrior and reproductive castes of termites with the food they need but cannot get themselves. Once you have an infestation, these hard workers will spend 24 hours a day removing large chunks of your home. Unlike people, termites don’t sleep.

So, if you’ve had a recent infestation exterminated, you’re probably wondering how you can prevent a future one. Below, we’ll discuss how homes set themselves up for a termite infestation and what you can do to prevent one.

Access Denied

One of the most effective ways of keeping termites out of your home is simply sealing their main areas of entry. The Amco Ranger techs provide our clients with preventative inspections that remove current infestations and prevent future ones.

What can you do?

  • Seal cracks – Termites gain access to your home through tiny cracks in the foundation or areas where your gas and water lines have gaps. When these are sealed, there’s one less way for termites to enter your home. In some cases, all you will need to do is apply a fresh coat of paint around likely areas.
  • Reduce wood-to-ground contact – Areas where you have wood in contact with the ground must be reduced to the extent possible or completely sealed. Subterranean termites will gain access to homes here. If removal is not an option, treating the area with anti-termite pesticide is a good option.
  • Replace weather stripping and loose mortar around the basement– Make certain that the termites aren’t getting in through the windows or the areas where the windows meet your basement walls.
  • Schedule periodic sprays and inspections – Pest control experts are trained to think like termites (it’s not very hard). We know how termites get into homes and we know why your home is attractive to termites. Scheduling annual or periodic inspections and sprays after a major termite infestation will prevent a future one.

No Food For You

Keeping termites out is one thing. Making your home unattractive to termites can be just as effective. Termites feed on the cellulose in plant material. Any extra wood you have lying around is a potential food source. If you have wood siding, it should be at least six inches off the ground. You can also find cellulose-free mulch which won’t be nearly as attractive to termites.

If there is a lot of dead wood in your backyard, you’ll want to remove it. Drywood termites will consider it food. Additionally, you want to protect any firewood or other lumber you have out back.

In other words, you want to make your home a less-than-ideal target for a potential termite infestation.

No Moisture Sources

Moisture is to termites what poop is to flies. You’ll want to fix things like:

  • Leaky faucets or plumbing problems – You’ll want to check under your sink and make sure plumbing problems aren’t making your home more attractive to termites.
  • Moisture in crawlspaces and basements – You want to make sure that your washing machine is properly ventilated and that your basement isn’t overly prone to moisture. Cracks in your foundation can cause water to pool and this results in a major termite attraction.

Other areas that will need to be addressed are:

  • Air conditioner condensation lines,
  • Gutters, and
  • Areas under sinks.

Preventing Termite Exposure Before Your Home Is Built

If you’re thinking about building a home, the best time to think about termite control is before the home is built. Anti-termite strategies begin before the home is built and continue during the construction. Basaltic Termite Barriers are made of particles that are packed so tightly together that termites can’t penetrate the barrier. Termite mesh can be used around joints in concrete which have holes too small for termites to pass through. Lastly, there are termite-resistance options for wood that can be used during the construction process such as pressure-treated wood and heartwood.

Amco Ranger Pest Control Experts Can Help With Termite Protection

Termite prevention is complex because there are different kinds of termites and they generally access homes in different ways. Sometimes, inspecting your home is enough to keep termites out for good. Other times, you will need periodic treatments in order to eradicate nearby termite populations. In either event, Amco Ranger offers a top-quality cost-effective option to prevent your most valuable asset from preventable damage.

We service St. Charles and St. Louis in Missouri Talk to us today for a free inspection.

5 Things To Know About Protecting Your Home From Termites

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Termites are an unfortunately common problem for property owners in our area. Feeding on wood structures, materials used in home construction, and debris typically found on your property, an infestation can cause heavy damage and may leave you facing structural issues that eventually make your home unsafe to live in. At Amco Ranger, our termite control experts have been helping clients address and eliminate termite problems for more than 50 years. Based on our experience, the following are five things you need to be aware of in protecting your home against termite damage:

1- Wood-to-soil contact provides the perfect breeding ground for termites.

The University of Missouri advises that one of the most important steps you can take in preventing termite damage is to eliminate the conditions under which they typically live and breed. Subterranean termites live underground and in wood that is in close contact to the soil surface.

Wood siding, door or window frames, and other wood structures, such as lattice, should all sit at least six inches above the ground to avoid providing a food source for termites and an easy way for them to chew their way in.

2- Keep moisture away from the foundation of your home.

Termites require a moist habitat to live and breed in. Keep the ground around your home dry by grading it at a slight downward slope and routinely check that all gutters are clear and in good working order. Make sure all downspouts are pointed at least a foot away from your home, and use gravel to line drainage ditches. Check air conditioning units regularly for signs of condensation as well and eliminate all leaks in plumbing.

3- Keep crawlspaces dry and vents free of debris.

Crawl spaces and attics tend to get humid and accumulate moisture as well as debris. Consider installing a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from the outside getting in and make sure adequate vents are installed and cleaned regularly. Avoid keeping firewood or wood construction materials in these locations and clear out any leaves, paper, dirt, or other debris regularly.

Make sure your basement is adequately drained as well and that windows or doorways are properly sealed. Avoid keeping wood furniture or other supplies in this area and consider covering dirt floors with concrete. 

4- Avoid mulch or placing bushes too close to your home.

To avoid attracting termites, use caution in your home landscaping too. Play it safe and make an effort to avoid wood mulch when possible, relying on stones or other materials instead. If you do mulch, keep it a foot from your home. If you cut and store firewood outside in a wood pile or have a wood burning fire pit, keep it 20 feet away. Take care when watering your garden or when installing lawn sprinkler systems to always spray away from your home’s foundation

5- Use only treated wood for construction projects.

When installing fencing on your property or in planning to build porches, decks, or sheds, be certain to use only specially treated wood designed to prevent water damage and repel termites. Unfortunately, while this does provide you with a certain level of protection, it is important to be aware that termites can still infest cut edges of the wood or rotten sections.

Routinely inspect all wood structures around your home or property for signs of termite damage or decay. One way to do this is by stabbing the wood with a screwdriver. Termites burrow and eat their way through wood, leaving tunnels as they go. These will immediately collapse under sharp pressure. Note the location where damage has occurred or where termites are suspected and notify our termite control experts immediately.

Our St. Louis Termite Control Experts Are Here to Help You

Termites can cause extensive damage to your home and are a problem that must be addressed at the very first signs of infestation. To avoid structural problems that could make your home unsafe to live in, call in our St. Louis termite control experts at Amco Ranger today.  

We rely on products that are proven safe, environmentally friendly, and reliably effective for addressing termite issues. You can rest easy, knowing our termite control service comes with a 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee. Call or contact us online to request a free, no obligation inspection today.  

How Do You Know if You Have Termites?

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Termites typically live in colonies underneath your home and when the ground thaws, they emerge, entering your structure through cracks in the foundation. You won’t even know they are there until you see signs in your home.


Signs of Termite Infestation
The following list indicates common signs of a subterranean termite infestation. It is recommended that you have your house thoroughly inspected by a pest control professional trained to detect what can be subtle signs of termites.

The swarm
The appearance of a swarm of what looks like flying ants is a good indication of the existence of a termite nest. Swarming occurs when a colony reaches a certain size and is most common in the spring (March, April, May, and June). Most swarmers emerge on warm days after rain.

Bugs and bug parts
You may see live termites in your home. Reproductive kings and queens are 1/2″ long, winged and black or brown in color. Workers are sterile and usually hidden within infested wood. They are 1/4″ long, wingless and white. You might also see piles of wings, indicating that the swarmers have entered their next phase of development.

Mud tunnels
Subterranean termites live in the ground and build “mud tubes” – pencil-sized tubes made from mud particles, saliva, and fecal matter that connect the nest to the food source. Mud tubes are proof of termite infestation, but their absence does not necessarily mean that a structure is free of termites. You can break open tubes to determine if termites are still active inside. Termites often rebuild damaged tubes, another indication of continued activity. Old tubes are dry and will crumble easily.

Hollowed-out wood
Termite-damaged wood makes a hollow sound when tapped with a hammer and may appear crushed at structural bearing points. If you pick and probe the surface of an infested piece of wood with a sharp object, you will find tunnels running parallel to the wood’s grain.


What to do
Termite problems are not a do-it-yourself project. If termites have invaded your home, contact a pest control professional like Amco Ranger that can provide ongoing treatment to protect your largest investment – your home.

Also find out how to control dust mites.