Termites In Charlotte Don't Stand A Chance Against Aruza Pest Control

Termites are a serious threat to property in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the United States, termites do more damage than fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and windstorms combined. But not all termites are created equal. The most destructive termites in the U.S. are subterranean termites. They cost property owners billions of dollars each year in repairs. Damage caused by all other termite types is in the hundreds of millions. Can you guess what type of termites we deal with in Charlotte? 

Common Termite Species In Charlotte, NC

The termite species we deal with most in our neck of the woods is the Eastern subterranean termite, known scientifically as Reticulitermes flavipes, or just R. flavipes. This species of termite establishes colonies of between 100,000 and 1,000,000 workers. While these members don't eat much on their own, they can do quite a bit of damage together. When you consider that termites are simple organisms that don't require sleep, you can see how they can seriously threaten Charlotte's properties. 

This termite species will not create nests inside the wood of your property. They build nests in the ground. The closer a nest is to your foundation, the greater the damage these termites will be able to cause. Keep this in mind as we discuss what works to protect your property from subterranean termite damage.

Why Subterranean Termites Are So Destructive

When subterranean termites attack man-made structures, they do it in a way that is difficult to detect. They're sneaky by nature. Understanding how they go undetected is essential because it shows why professional termite control is the best way to protect your property from these destructive insects.

• Subterranean termites come up from the ground. If they find wood touching the soil, they will have easy access to a structure with little or no visible sign that they entered.

• Once inside the wood of a structure, termites make slight noises as they feed. These noises are so subtle that you can place your ear to a piece of wood consumed by termite workers and not hear them. However, these termites can make a sound that you might hear, though they rarely do. Termites cause clicking noises by banging their heads on the walls of their tunnels. They do this in response to a threat, but there are rarely any threats deep inside the tunnels they make in the walls of manufactured structures, so termites work most of the time silently.

• You're not going to see termite workers crawling around on or inside your property. They feed almost exclusively on the interior of the wood. Workers have a strong aversion to light. Researchers have observed workers feeding on the painted surface of a board without breaking it down. It is startling to see a home or business destroyed by subterranean termites because the visible evidence of termite damage isn't the chewed wood but rather warped or buckling wood floors, bulging walls, and dipping ceilings.

• If workers must scale foundation walls, concrete piers, or other support structures, they build shelter tubes on surfaces. These are exterior tunnels made from soil and saliva. Workers create these tubes to protect them from the dry air, which can act as a desiccant to kill them. Sometimes, these tubes can be noticeable, while sometimes termites conceal themselves in dark locations that are difficult or impossible to spot. Some termite control technicians report using a mirror to look down each cement pier of a structure to find these, sometimes pencil-thin, shelter tubes.

• The most obvious visual sign that termites have infested a structure is the appearance of winged termites. But even this warning sign tends to be sneaky. When Eastern subterranean termites release swarmers from their nests, this often happens outside, near their ground nests. The swarmers take to the air, swarm around for no more than about thirty minutes, and pair off in search of locations to create new nests. After the dispersal of a swarm, the only evidence left is the presence of tiny white scattered wings. These wings might not even be on your property. It is helpful when swarmers accidentally exit a nest and enter the interior of a structure. It is evidence of a severe and mature infestation when this happens because the nest is close to the structure. It also means years of damage have already occurred.

How Aruza Pest Control Deals With Sneaky Termites

Do you see the problem subterranean termites present? They come up from the ground, feed quietly on the interior of wood, develop shelter tubes in the darkness of voids, and release swarmers outside where they can disperse quickly. How do you battle sneaky insects like this? We have a solution!

The termite control experts at Aruza Pest Control trust Termidor®, the number one termite control product in the United States. Termidor® has a proven track record of protecting properties from termite damage. We trust it so much; we offer a $1 million damage repair warranty. This warranty is attached to your home and transferred if you ever decide to sell your home.

How Termidor® Works

When subterranean termites tunnel through the ground in search of a way to feed on the wood above the ground, they pass through the Termidor® termiticide treatment injected into the ground. This product is undetectable to termites. As they move through it, they become contaminated with the active ingredient and begin to share it with other termites without realizing it. They share it in two ways:

• Grooming: You wouldn't think that an insect that lives under the ground would be into grooming itself, but subterranean termites are excessive about their grooming. As they meet inside their tunnels, they'll do a quick groom of each other. One purpose of this grooming is to inspect for any dangerous substances. Since they can't detect the Termidor product, they consume it as they groom.

• Trophallaxis: In a termite colony, worker termites are the only members that eat wood and other cellulose materials. All other termites get their sustenance from the workers through trophallaxis, essentially the sharing of fluids. If a worker has digested the Termidor® product, they can share the active ingredient in this way.

Slowly and undetected, Termidor® works its way through the colony. This is called the Transfer Effect™. Every termite that grooms and feeds becomes a carrier and eventually destroys the colony. All of this happens without any intervention from you or your termite control provider.

What You Can Expect From Aruza Pest Control

If you live in our North or South Carolina service areas and reach out to Aruza Pest Control for termite control, there are a few things you can expect. First, you'll always speak to a professional. Our team is highly trained and fully certified. Plus, we leverage our 20 years of experience to give you the highest level of professionalism every time. On top of this, we emphasize honest and friendly service. We'll let you know what you're up against and not try to sell you services you don't need.

Here are a few of the termite control services we provide:

• Free Inspections — We offer a free inspection to help you determine whether or not there is a current infestation on your property. If we find evidence of an active infestation, this inspection will help to assess trouble areas and vulnerabilities that may need special attention.

• Treatments — We use Termidor® liquid termite treatments around your property. These require trenching into the soil, but it won't be long before there is little or no evidence of the treatment, and this product will stay active around your home for years.

• Renewal Inspection — Each year, we'll perform an inspection as part of your warranty renewal, making sure those termites don't find a way past your termiticide barrier.

• Pre-Construction Treatments — If you are building a home, we can help you get your termite protection started on the right foot with pre-construction treatments.

Termite Control Services You Can Trust!

Sneaky termites can do a lot of damage to your Charlotte home or business, but you don't have to let them. Reach out to Aruza Pest Control for industry-leading termite control you can trust. You won't get a second chance to prevent termite damage, and the kind of damage termites do is invasive. You can't predict how much damage there'll be or whether or not you'll even be able to fix it. When you invest in termite control with a warranty, there are no surprises. You decide how much you're going to let subterranean termites cost you. You can make it a line item in your budget. Reach out to us today to discuss your options or to schedule a free inspection!