How to Get Rid of Termites with Sentricon Always Active
For how small termites are in size, they’re actually one of the most expensive pests homeowners have to deal with. Termites are estimated to cause around $30 billion dollars worth of damage to crops and structures every single year. These outrageous numbers include residential properties as well — with 600,000 homes being damaged from these tiny pests. As you can see, termites need to be properly eliminated to prevent costly damages. Unfortunately, termite extermination can be an extremely hard task for a homeowner to manage on their own. Most homeowners don’t realize that termite infestations require professional help to step in and get rid of them. In this post, we’re going over how to get rid of termites using the ultimate solution: Sentricon Systems with Always Active technology. This termite bait system is our go-to solution when it comes to termite infestations because it has been proven to work every time. Learn more about how we use the Sentricon System and where other pest control companies tend to go wrong with how they get rid of termites.
Understanding Termite Behavior
What termites like to eat in your home
Everyone knows termites love wood but they’re also attracted to plastic, paper, drywall, and wallpaper. What these pests are really after is the cellulose in these materials, which is essentially the non-digestible fiber found in plants. Fun fact: termites are one of the only insects that can break down and digest cellulose. You will generally find termites throughout multiple areas of your home. They are known to be explorers, constantly searching for new food sources to grow their colony. These pests especially love door frames, outdoor decks, and dead trees — depending on the species of termite that’s invading your home.
An inside look at termite colonies
Each termite colony has its own ranking system that includes a king and queen, workers, soldiers, and two types of reproductive swarmer termites: winged and unwinged. Together, these ranks form large colonies where they work day in and day out to grow their territory and reproduce. Pro Tip: Eliminating the entire colony by exterminating the queen is key. Knowing how to reach her is the best way to get rid of termites once and for all, but more on that later!
Why termite infestations are difficult to catch
When left to their own devices, termites will grow rapidly. Large colonies can have up to several thousand termites under the rule of one queen. Keep in mind, a single termite alone can’t eat that much wood. But when you think about how many thousands of termites can eat over a period of several years — that’s when you start to see the issue! Termites are so small that the damage is almost unnoticeable in the beginning stages of an infestation. They may be eating away at some part of your home you don’t often see — like the attic or crawl space. Truth be told, years can go by before you even notice any damage. Maybe you spot some damage to a door frame and decide to inspect the rest of the home, just to realize the termites have been there much longer than you thought!
Signs of termites
Knowing the early warning signs of a termite infestation is crucial for stopping them before the problem becomes too big to handle. Staying on top of inspecting your home is a simple way to help prevent infestations. However, the average person doesn’t typically know what to look for when it comes to signs of termites — and not that you should, it’s not your job! The most common signs to keep an eye out for include the presence of termite tubes or mounds. These termite structures look similar to mud but can run vertically up a wall that’s several feet tall. If you notice flying insects in or around your home, take the time to properly identify them. The winged termites, or swarmers, look similar to flying ants but are smaller in size. Discarded wings and droppings are another common sign of termites, along with the obvious damage to any wood. Also remember that termites are not strangers to urban areas and will go wherever the wood is. It’s a common myth that termite colonies are completely destroyed when wooded areas are cleared out. Because of this, most new homeowners assume they’re safe from the damage of termites. However, this is not the case since termites typically build their nests underground. Unless the lot and surrounding area have been properly treated for termites, there’s a good chance they’re still lurking in the ground underneath.
Traditional Methods of Termite Control
Monitoring infestations
Pest companies sometimes rely on mere monitoring alone to inspect and get rid of termites. This process simply involves placing a wooden dowel inside of a canister into the ground and checking it at random intervals to see if termites are present. In theory, it’s a valuable way for technicians to check for signs of damage since we know that termites are attracted to wood. The reality is — wood inserted into the ground swells, rots, and gets attacked by other insects which can result in unclear data as to whether termites are the issue (or not).
Liquid chemical barriers
Before Sentricon was created in 1995, the typical process for termite elimination consisted of creating chemical barriers around the home. Gallons of termiticide would be injected into the soil surrounding your home to target colonies. Then, the soil had to be drilled and excavated to make trenches that would disperse the liquid deeper into the ground. This was thought to be the most effective way to kill termites, but it used excessive amounts of toxic chemicals that caused more harm than good. Homeowners’ lawns, landscaping, and soil would be left destroyed by the process. In addition, nearby wildlife, children, and any pets who spent time outside would be at risk of coming into direct contact with high levels of termiticides. Unfortunately, these methods are still used by many pest control companies today. Not only is monitoring a wooden dowel inconclusive or using liquid termiticides dangerous and harmful to the environment, they don’t always work, either. Scientific studies have proven that these methods aren’t very successful, at least compared to the Sentricon System. Not only does the effectiveness of the liquid termiticide fade over time, it doesn’t guarantee elimination of the colony’s queen. The termite queen’s sole purpose is to lay eggs, so eliminating her is how you bring the whole colony down — it’s like Game of Thrones meets Animal Planet.
How the Sentricon System Works
The Sentricon System with Always Active technology is in a league of its own when it comes to handling termites. Sentricon’s main defense includes individual bait stations. Each station consists of a small rod containing a cellulose material that’s inserted into the soil. These traps are strategically placed between 10-20 feet apart where the termites seem to be the most active. The system was created to work this way because of the science behind termite behavior. When termite colonies have a population that’s too big, the pests begin to produce male and female winged swarmers to go out and find new potential nesting areas underground. However, these termites don’t keep their wings for long, permanently shedding their wings and mating at the new nest location to expand the colony’s size. This is when the bait stations start the extermination process. Underground, the worker termites come into contact with the bait station and eat the cellulose material that has added insect growth inhibitors, which prevents the termites from being able to molt. This eventually results in them dying off. The worker termites go on to bring the infected food source back to their colony, where the growth inhibitor is spread to the rest of the members. This growth inhibitor is key for eliminating the queen. The bait formula has been extensively researched and designed to work at the correct time. If the bait worked too quickly it would never reach the queen, as it has to pass through several ranks of termites to get to her.
Why Sentricon is the Best Way to Get Rid of Termites
Sentricon’s unique bait system is what makes this system so successful. Believe it or not, the bait formula is actually more attractive to termites than wood. Over time, it becomes even more attractive to termites as it ages, making it the first insecticide of its kind.
Early termite detection
A major problem pest companies come across is the difficulty in detecting termites early on. As we mentioned earlier, these pests are sneaky and can go undetected for years. With Sentricon, termite identification is easy. A single bait station can be used to determine if termites are present.
An eco-friendly alternative
Sentricon with Always Active technology is an eco-friendly solution that effectively gets rid of termites. Remember the gallons of chemicals we mentioned from traditional methods? These bait traps use just a few grams of active ingredients. This means you don’t have to worry about excessive amounts of unnecessary chemicals that will kill the plants in your yard or pose a potential health risk to your family and pets.
A highly trusted system
We aren’t the only ones that swear by using Sentricon Always Active. This system has been used at some of the most famous structures here in the US! The White House, The U.S. Capitol, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and The Alamo have all been treated with Sentricon to eliminate termite infestations.
How Killingsworth Uses the Sentricon System
1. Home inspection
First, one of our expert pest technicians will thoroughly inspect your property for signs of termites and determine the species type. An assessment of the termite damage will also be made for future monitoring purposes. Once completed, the technician will go over the next steps in taking care of the infestation.
2. Bait station placement
Bait stations will be placed around your home to efficiently get rid of and prevent termites. The amount of bait traps used will depend on the size of your property and the extent of the damage. The good news is, as soon as the station is put into the ground it can be eaten by termites, so treatment will begin immediately.
3. Continuous monitoring and maintenance
As time goes on, our technicians will continually monitor each station to protect your home against future termite infestations and replenish the bait as needed. This will ensure optimal protection against these destructive pests. Plus, you don’t need to be present at any point of the process. It’s all in our hands from here!
Schedule a Termite Inspection With Us
The best defense strategy to get rid of termites and prevent infestations is to have a trained termite control professional check your home. This should be done every year to keep your termite warranty up to date. Protecting your home against future termite infestations with a reputable termite company can make a big difference, and it’s why local pest knowledge is necessary to provide the best service. We offer our in-depth Termite Inspection Service to confirm the presence of pests before we ever begin treating. If you are interested in scheduling an inspection, click the button below to get started.
