You have invested a lot into your home. In fact, the average American spends almost 40% of their income on their home each year. So, your home should be a place you enjoy being in now, as well as an asset you want to protect for later. Your hard work has helped you meet the mortgage payments, and it is comforting to know you are providing the best for your family and investing in their future.
When it comes time to cash out on your investment, the last thing you want to find out is that termites have eaten it all away. When the pest inspection comes around, you hold your breath that there is no devastating news.
Pests aren’t just creepy, they are destroyers! One of the worst things about pests like termites is that so much damage can be done before you even know they are there. Every year, termites cause about $5 billion in property damage. Termites may be tiny, but they live in large colonies and can cause serious damage in a short time. One colony can eat one foot of wood in six months.
Within each termite colony there are different types or classes of termites that are separated by the job they do. There are workers, soldiers, and alates (or flying termites) and they all work together to destroy your home. The workers build nests and collect food for the colony. Soldiers work to protect the nest, mostly from ants. Alates become the kings or queens of new colonies. Once you have winged royalty you have a real infestation on your hands.
Worker termites are the key to killing a colony and protecting your home. The best termite control uses bait that the workers take back to the colony. The bait prevents the termites from being able to molt and the entire colony dies.
Another wood-damaging pest you need to know about are Carpenter Ants. They tunnel through wood and create primary nests and satellite nests in and around your home. But these guys aren’t so tiny. If you notice sawdust appearing in your basement, garage, or other places in or around your home you are seeing the results of these critters tunneling.
An even larger pest that might be chewing on your home is mice. Mice are rodents, so their front teeth never stop growing. They have to chew constantly to keep them trimmed, so they will chew on anything and everything! But mice getting into the food in your pantry might be the least of your concerns. The wiring in your walls looks just as good to them as a package of cookies. Stripped wire insulation and exposed or cut wires are a real danger to your home and family. Arround 25% of house fires in the US are believed to be caused by exposed electrical wires from mice and rats. And once those wires are damaged it takes some serious work to fix them. A much easier and cheaper way to keep the quality of your home high is to prevent the mice from ever making your home their home.
If all these pests are worrying you, you’re not alone. Every part of the US has pests to worry about. In fact, most pests can be found in every part of the US, so no home is safe. This is something you will think about when you go to buy a new home, and it is something the person buying your home will think about, too. So it makes sense to protect your home now and avoid costly damage that will devalue your home later.
Regular pest control can add value to your home. That is why companies like Fox Pest Control offer a Home Protection Plan as well as a Termite Exterminator Service to keep your home fully protected from the pests that threaten it. Investing in pest control will not only give you the most comfort from your home while you live in it, but you will also get the most value when it comes time to sell. Investing in pest control can help you breathe easy when inspection day comes, knowing that you have guarded your home from termites, ants, mice, and other pests that cause damage.
