Termite Inspections You Can Trust

All termite inspections are not the same. They’re either performed by QualityPro-Certified specialists or they’re not. Active Pest Control is a choice you can make with confidence, having been QualityPro-Certified since 2007 and protecting homes for more than 25 years. The QualityPro mark represents a lot when it comes to separating professional pest management providers from the rest of the pack. This important certification indicates that we have met the highest standards of professionalism in the pest management industry.

More specifically, QualityPro Certification means:

• All of our pest management professionals have had a comprehensive background check.

• Employees who drive a company vehicle have had their motor vehicle records checked.

• The company has a stringent drug-free workplace policy.

• The company meets essential insurance requirements.

• Sales and service personnel have the knowledge needed to successfully reduce and eliminate unwanted pests.

QualityPro is the largest certification available specifically for the pest management industry and administered by the Foundation for Professional Pest Management, an independent organization that develops good business practices and standards for pest management companies in the USA and Canada. You may be surprised to learn that, nationwide, less than 3 percent of pest control companies have earned this certification. Given the extensive and extremely costly damage termites can do to your home, don’t settle for less than an inspection done by a Quality-Pro Certified pro – don’t settle for less than Active Pest Control. Protect your investment by giving Active Pest Control a call today. We’re only a call or click away!

Termite Inspections Are Key

The real estate market is back. Many people have been waiting for this time to buy or sell a home. If you’re one of them, don’t forget a termite inspection. Termites cause more damage than fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined in the U.S. Keep in mind, homeowners insurance will cover all of these disasters … except for termites.

If you are selling your home, why not get a termite inspection and place it in your disclosure documents so prospective buyers can see it? Peace of mind can go a long way to helping your property stand out from the competition and getting yours sold. Next step? Protect your investment by giving Active Pest Control a call today. We have been protecting homes for over 25 years. We can do the same for you!

Why Is A Termite Bond Important?

The subterranean termite is the most destructive termite in the United States. Alone, it is responsible for over a billion dollars in property damages annually. These termites come up from the ground and feed on man-made structures for years, leaving little or no evidence of their presence in a structure. They are so stealthy, they have gone undetected by certified home inspectors. This has led some banks to require a certified termite inspection before lending money for a home. But your protection shouldn’t stop there. While it is definitely important to get a certified inspection, it is vital to back that inspection with a written agreement that includes a promise of protection.

It is important to understand that a termite bond is not a termite letter. Some pest control companies will write up a document that outlines what was found during an inspection. This is not a bond. It is simply a report of findings.

A termite bond is a promise. Not only does it report the findings of a termite inspection, it outlines what pest measures were taken to control any termites found, and what measures will be taken in the future if termites are found during a certain period of time. So, in a way, it is sort of like termite insurance. The pest control company offers a bond as an agreement that they will cover retreatment costs and, in some cases, the cost of repairing termite damage that occurs during a set period of time.

There are two important things to look for when you get a termite bond:

  • Make sure the termite bond is attached to the home, not the homeowner. If you own a home and you want to increase the value of your home at the point of sale, it is important to be able to transfer this “termite insurance” to the new owner. If you are looking to buy a home, it is important to be able to inherit this assurance that no termites are present in the home and that the home will be safe from termites until the time on the bond expires.
  • Find out when the bond expires. If you are buying a home, it is important to know when the bond needs to be renewed. It is usually a simple matter to renew a bond and keep the retreatment and repair guarantee in place.

If you live in our service area and you want the protection and assurance that a termite bond provides, reach out to us. At Active Pest Control, we offer one of the most comprehensive termite bonds available in the industry.

Avoid DIY Termite Treatments

Subterranean termites are a fact of life here in Atlanta. Some say there are only two types of homes, those that have termites, and those that will have termites. That is why it is vital to have termite protection. But not all termite protection is created equal. If you’re considering a do-it-yourself termite solution, here are a few reasons you may want to reconsider.

Termite Treatments Can Be Hazardous

When you apply a treatment to protect your property from termites, you may trade one hazard for another. If termiticides are not applied properly, they can be toxic. Professionals follow strict protocols established by industry experts and government agencies.

Termite Treatments Can Be Ineffective

The last thing anyone needs is to spend a lot of money and a lot of time to stop termites from destroying their property, only to have termites destroy their property. Sadly, this is the likely outcome if a treatment is not performed by an educated professional. The behavior of termites causes these insects to continually search for vulnerabilities in an insecticide barrier. If you miss one spot, those termites will find it.

Termite Treatments Break Down

If you apply termiticides to the soil around your home, or to the structure, you need to be aware that those products break down over time. Even if you make a complete barrier, it won’t stay complete forever. Professional pest control companies know when it is appropriate to apply new treatments to soil.

Subterranean Termites Are Sneaky

There are few insects that can avoid detection the way termites can. They tunnel through soil to find wood to feed on and, when they find it, they tunnel into it and feed on the inside. This makes termite detection extremely difficult, if not impossible, without an education in termite control. So, if your DIY pest control treatment doesn’t work, you’re likely to not realize it till you have significant damage.

At Active Pest Control, we believe the best solution is to completely avoid termite treatments altogether. We use a system that requires no drilling, no trenching, and no termiticides. It is called the Sentricon System. It uses bait stations to systematically stop termites when they come up from the ground to feed on your home. We are a certified Sentricon installer with experienced and educated technicians on staff who know how to effectively deploy this system.

If you need protection for your Atlanta home, Active Pest Control can help. Reach out to us today for a free inspection and stop those termites “before” they feed on your equity.

Realtors Value QualityPro Certification

From an original article in PestWorld

WDI inspections and the role that pest control plays in a green home are of such growing importance that they were among the main topics discussed recently at the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Conference and Expo in Orlando, FL. Inspecting a home for wood-destroying insects is a standard part of most home sales. However, the rules and qualifications of who completes the NPMA-33 and HUD-NPMA-99 A & B forms vary by state. In many cases, the person filling out a WDI report does not have to be licensed or work for a pest management company.

Realtors’ reputations and referrals are built upon trust and strong relationships. When a sub-par inspection fails to find issues, it can reflect badly on the Realtor. Now more than ever, Realtors and home buyers are seeking professionals who meet QualityPro standards.

With this in mind, the Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR) and the NAR have been working to get the industry standards regarding home inspectors regulated.

Read the full article here.

Spring is the Perfect Time for Termite Inspections in Knoxville

What makes termites such a threat? It’s the nature of the beast, so to speak. Silently and unseen, termites burrow underground and make a path straight for your home where they can enjoy wood, moisture, and warmth. You probably will not see them or hear them, and you won’t realize they are in your home until you see a buckling wall, bulging floor, or dipping ceilings. There are a few subtle signs that they leave such as mud tubes around the outside of your foundation or in your basement, you may also see the discarded wings they leave behind after mating, but even these often go unnoticed by the untrained eye until support beams are weakened and damages become noticeable.

Understanding a little about termites is an important first step in preventing their damage. Subterranean termites are highly social and live in colonies beneath the ground sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. These termites use an intricate system of tunnels to run from their colony to places where they can find wood to eat, especially wood that is decaying or water damaged. Once they gain access to your home, they will eat anything that contains cellulose and is fibrous. They can get into your floors, walls, ceilings, and into the support structures of your home.

While termites are a problem all year long, colonies are expanding and creating new colonies in the spring. In fact, this is when you are most likely to see the reproductive caste swarming to find and establish new colonies which is why it is so important to get an inspection in the springtime if you live in Knoxville. Inspections are truly the only sure way to stop an infestation and the damages that come with it.

When you call and schedule your free termite inspection with Active Pest Control, it’s quick, easy, and thorough. The Active Pest Control professionals can identify an infestation, safely eradicate any existing termite colonies, and advise you on how to protect your home from termites in the future. In fact, our termite control experts are certified operators of the Sentricon® System with Always Active Pest Control™ which utilizes discreet, non-toxic, baiting stations that are strategically placed around your home and monitored by our experts. Once ingested, this bait disrupts the termite’s ability to absorb nutrition and their ability to reproduce. The termites will ingest this bait, take it back to the colony, and share it – even with the queen. Not only will any existing colonies be eliminated, but this system will remain in place to discourage any future foraging termites from choosing your property to invade.

Remember, termites are elusive. Often, you don’t even know they are eating away the support structure of your home until damage has become severe. Obtain the peace of mind that can only come from ‘knowing’ that termites have not invaded your home by contacting Active Pest Control and scheduling your termite inspection today.

Termite Letters In Knoxville

Imagine. It was a process that took months. You had to get a real estate agent. You had to get pre-approval for how much you could afford. You examined all of the properties your real estate agent emailed. You spend hours examining house options with online tools. And after visiting a dozen houses, you finally found the perfect one. It was right near the perfect school to send your kids. It was close enough to your work so you wouldn’t have to deal with too much traffic. It even had a park nearby. It was absolutely perfect! You got with the owners. You got with the agents. You signed all the paperwork. You took care of all the details of getting your stuff moved into your new home. It was a lot of work, but it was finally done. Then the unimaginable.

While you were in the basement, getting ready to do your first load of laundry in your new house, you noticed something strange in the exposed beams above. It looked like packed mud. You broke a piece off and crumbled it in your hand. Strange. Very strange. But you shrugged it off. A week later, while doing another load of laundry, you noticed that the packed mud was back. What on Earth? So you did a search online for what would cause mud on basement rafters and learned that it could be subterranean termites!

The online resource suggested tapping the rafters with the handle of a screwdriver to see if the wood sounded hollow. You did, and they did! There were several that did. You stabbed at the wood with the tip of the screwdriver and it splintered easily. What had you gotten yourself into? After an inspection from a certified termite control specialist, you learned that your new home was filled with termites. You also learned that there is no legal recourse. The previous owners claim that they didn’t know they had termites. And the house had been checked out by a certified home inspector. Now you’re paying for a home you don’t even live in, and hoping you’ll be able to earn enough money to eventually fix all of the termite damage…

This is not your story. It happened to someone else. But something similar could happen to you if you don’t take measures to protect yourself.

A Termite Letter Protects Everyone

While a termite letter is designed to protect a home seller and is often suggested by a realtor during the selling process, it also protects the buyer. It is a letter of intent, drawn up by a certified termite inspector, that details what was found during the inspection process, and what services the termite company will provide over a set course of time, should any termites be discovered.

Don’t buy a home without this layer of protection. The last thing anyone needs is to buy into a money pit. For assistance with a termite letter, reach out to Active Pest Control for immediate assistance.

Tips to Reduce the Risk of Termites, Increasing Your Sales

At Active Pest Control, we take pride in educating our neighbors, and yours, about pests. To help ensure that our communities are well taken care of, we provide a curriculum for real estate professionals to help identify issues ahead of time and close more deals. Read the class recap below to learn about termite damage, how it can affect home sales, and how to get rid of those pests!

Why are termites such an issue for my clients?

The leading reason that termites can halt a home’s sale is that they cause massive, often unseen, structural damage. Each year, over $5 billion in termite damages are reported — and homeowner’s insurance rarely covers it. In fact, termites damage more structures in the U.S. than fire, floods, hurricanes, and tornados combined.

Timing is another issue. A “swarm” is the most immediate and recognizable way to identify a termite infestation; however, a colony can be established for 4-10 years before the first swarms appear. During that timeframe, the subterranean bugs are eating away at wooden parts (subfloors, door and window casings, wall studs, etc.) By the time swarms appear, much damage has occurred.

What do I look for when considering a home for contract?

Termites thrive in damp, dark places. Issues that can foster those conditions include leaky gutters, decaying eaves, poor ventilation and drainage, wooden structures sunk directly into soil (decks, foundations, porches, etc.), and peeling paint. Inside the home, signs are more subtle such as termite tubes along the baseboard and holes hidden by picture frames.

Can legal action be taken for an infestation?

Yes. To further protect you from liability when taking a house under contract, make sure it receives a comprehensive inspection by a certified company. It is important to understand, and secure an Official Georgia Wood Infestation Inspection Report. 95% of all termite-related lawsuits arise due to improper use of this “Clearance Letter” report.

What treatment method does Active Pest Control recommend?

Our technicians are trained to use the Sentricon™ Termite Colony Elimination System. It works to attract, bait and eliminate a termite infestation. Stations are placed around the perimeter of the home and loaded with a bait cartridge. When termites consume the bait from a bait tube they distribute the product throughout the colony. We believe the “always active technology” of the Sentricon™ System is the most effective way to eliminate termites from your property without causing additional damage to the structure and driving down the home’s overall price.

My property has termites — how do I get the Sentricon™ System installed?

Simply contact Active Pest Control and your authorized service technician will inspect and install the system at your convenience!

The Active Pest Control’ Realtor Education series is led by Ben Satterfield, Assistant Sales Manager for Real Estate and Builder Services. He works with home sellers throughout Georgia to protect families and eliminate pest issues.

How You Can Know If You Have Termites

If you are like many Americans, spring is an ideal time for cleaning, but did you know it is also a good time to look for signs of termites? Well, how about combining the two? While you are doing all those tasks to give your home a fresh, new look, keep your eyes open for signs of termites as well.

Termites Signs to Look For

  • Mud tubes. Subterranean termites (termites that live in the soil) build mud tubes that serve as bridges from the soil to the wood of a home. These are made of soil, wood and debris, are about the width of a pencil, and typically are found on basement or foundation walls. These keep the termites from being exposed to the elements and predators.
  • Wood damage. Termites eat the cellulose in wood and leave nothing behind but the wood grain. These signs can remain hidden for years and may only be apparent if you embark on a new remodeling project. Sometimes they excavate the wood so only a thin layer of wood is left, but then they will cover the holes with the same mud-like material they use to make mud tubes.
  • Buckling paint. Painted walls, floors, or ceilings with buckling paint occur when termites invade the wood and push the paint up. The paint may also have small holes where termites have broken through to reach the wood.
  • Swarmers. When a termite colony matures, it produces something called swarmers, or termite reproductives. This typically happens in spring or fall and they are only visible for a short period of time. So, they can be easy to miss. They are also sometimes mistaken for flying ants.
  • Discarded swarmer wings. If there have been swarmers that have disappeared back into your walls, they may leave discarded wings behind. Usually, these wings can be found in small piles in spider webs or on window sills. If outside, they can be found on surfaces of your home’s foundation.
  • Termite droppings. If you have drywood termites, you may find the droppings that they leave behind, which are called frass. These tiny fecal mounds often indicate a nearby termite infestation.

Now that your home has been spring cleaned and you have looked for all the signs of termites, what should you do next?

That is a good question. Did you find any of the signs listed above? If you did, it is important to take action. Termite damage costs U.S. property owners billions of dollars each year.

What if I didn’t find any of the signs listed above? Am I safe?

We wish we could say yes, but the truth is, termites are called silent destroyers for a reason. Sometimes they don’t leave any signs of their presence.

When spring cleaning is done, whether or not you’ve found signs of termites, the best course of action is to get a free termite inspection from Active Pest Control. Don’t let termites destroy your property and eat your equity. Make termite protection a part of your spring cleaning with Active Pest Control.

Termite Warning Signs For Macon, Georgia

Of all the pests that can attack a home, termites are by far the worst. And, of all the termites species in the United States, the termites that fall into the category of “subterranean” are the ones that will do the most damage to homes in Georgia. So, we will be focusing this article on the warning signs that specifically relate to these destructive, wood-eating insects.

Swarmers: Winged termites are sometimes mistaken for a species of termite when they are actually a caste of termite. In a termite colony, there are different castes that have different roles. Workers eat wood and bring that food back to the nest. Soldiers protect the colony from predators. Queens make babies and kings fertilize the queen. The job of winged reproductives is to establish a new nest. It may be a few feet from the old nest, or up to a few miles. But, the first sign of danger will be a swarm of insects somewhere around your home. Subterranean swarmers are drawn to light, so you might see them engulfing a streetlight or an exterior light on your home.

Swarm evidence: Swarms don’t last long, so the only warning sign you may get is evidence that a swarm happened. It may be a single swarmer crawling on a wall or it might be the gossamer wings these insects shed after swarming. These might be found on back decks, patios, or window sills. They even get caught in spider webs.

Inside swarmers: If you find wings on inside window sills or swarmers crawling around on interior walls, these are signs of a current and mature infestation inside the walls of your home. You aren’t likely to get more than one or two swarmers inside your home if you aren’t already infested.

Mud tubes: Subterranean termites randomly forage for food underground and build mud tubes up your foundation walls when they emerge from the soil. These tubes can also be found on interior walls, all the way up to your attic spaces. Subterranean termites require moisture to live. These tubes keep them safe from the drying effects of the sun.

Damage: If your home has been infested for years, doors and windows will begin to stick, walls will begin to bulge, and floors will begin to sag. But, by the time you start seeing these warning signs, it is too late.

Learn the warning signs and keep your home safe from termites in Macon, Georgia. If you don’t already have a termite protection plan, give us a call. The team here at Active Pest Control is the best in the business, and we have the awards and reviews to back that up. When you need to know for sure that your home is protected from the damaging effects of termites, Active Pest Control is the right choice.