Termite damage prevalent in Valley during late summer

When you’re walking around your own home, you may not pay much attention to your baseboards or doorframes, but if you’re not careful, termites can do some serious damage.

Urban Desert Pest Control tells ABC15 September through December is usually the busiest time of year for termite technicians in Arizona. That’s largely because termites don’t like extreme heat or extreme cold. So as the summer winds down and after rainfall, termites often begin to work their way inside. But even without a wet monsoon this year, many homeowners could see the impacts from termite damage that has accumulated over years.

Termite Technician Heath Greer says even tiny pin-sized holes in the wall can be evidence of termite damage. Termites typically work their way inside through cracks in the foundation near a stem wall.

The damage isn’t always evident from just the inside or outside of the house. Even if the exterior of the home looks ok, normal-looking baseboards inside can house termite exploratory tubes.

The exploratory tubes for subterranean termites can look like a collection of dirt in a row.

“This is their highway and it helps protect them from the elements,” Greer said. “Little do they know it shows us where they’re popping through."

The next step is removing the baseboard, poking tiny holes in the wall right above it and injecting a chemical foam inside the wall. The hole is then patched up.

“Then we will wipe the excess away and the customer may not ever even realize we were here,” Greer said. “The garage is normally the first place termites show up.”

In the garage the process is similar: a hole is drilled and the chemical formula is inserted.

Termites will pick up and transfer that formula back to their colonies, killing most within 90 days. The termites that survive often start new colonies and attempt to move to the next closest, untreated habitat – usually a neighboring house.

The formula generally takes 90 days to kill the critters. Preventive sprays every few years or so can be used to help make sure termites can’t do major damage to one of your most valuable possessions.

“If you put a lot of money in your house you don’t want it to fall down,” Greer said. “You want it to last forever.”

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