Out of Sight, Out of Mind

I was chatting with a neighbor in North Carolina the other day, who is wonderful in that she is deeply committed to her yard. But when I mentioned that, in addition to my firm commitment to our matching grass color, I was also being a good homeowner by having termite control she seemed surprised.

“Oh,” she exclaimed. “Have you seen them?”

And that is the problem with termites. You do not see them, even when they are constructing extravagant tunnels from their subterranean colonies to your impeccably maintained home. And even when they successfully enter your house, they are very adept at remaining entirely undetected.

Prevention is the key to this pest. It is not ideal to start when you see the telltale signs – the swarmers, the mud tubes, or the damage. It is better, or more accurately best, to just assume that they are out there gazing longingly at the thermal shadow of your home, which is their natural cue to get to work removing what they imagine is a fallen tree that must be industriously cleared.

One study in North Carolina found as many as twenty-five termite colonies per acre, with a mature colony (more than five years old) of Eastern subterranean termites ranging from 50,000 to several hundred thousand members. The numbers quickly become startling even based on the conservative estimate of 50,000 termites per colony – 25 times 50,000 equals 1.25 million termites. Other iterations of the equation involving the 100,000-population range suggest that you are seriously outnumbered, with termites occupying your acreage in the multi-million range.

Florida is similarly faced with significant termite pressure, some estimating eight million termites per quarter acre of land. Famed University of Florida entomology professor, Phil Koehler, suggests that there are two types of homeowners – those who have termites, and those who are going to get them. Indeed, the odds seem heavily in favor of our subterranean foes.

The sheer size of the problem is put into context by the estimated $5 billion worth of damage the termites cause every year in the United States. This is more than all natural disasters combined, but rarely makes the national news because it happens across multiple homes and states. It is a problem of volume and frequency, discovered often by surprise and quietly fixed.

Because termites will feed on your home without you ever knowing about it, and because the termites are underground in such significant numbers, prevention is a smart homeowner choice. Termite prevention is easy, smart, and affordable. Call us today to find out about preventive termite control, including prevention methods and financing options.