Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are one of the most common wood-destroying insects found in and around the home. They are attracted to wood which has been exposed to moisture. Carpenter ants tunnel and make nests in soft wood; however, they do not eat the wood. The largest of the ant family, the carpenter ant ranges from 1/4 to 3/4 inches, has a constricted waist, bent antennae and is black, reddish-black or brownish black in color. Winged carpenter ants can be distinguished from termites by their larger size and shape of their antennae, waist and wings.

Any wooden areas (porch, tree, veranda, step, door, etc.) which become moist are vulnerable to carpenter ant attack. This is particularly true of rotting sections of wood. The worker ant finds an entry route by gnawing a clean tunnel parallel to the wood grain wherever a crack or crevice exists. The wood is chewed and discarded outside the tunnel. The discarded shavings, which resemble sawdust, provide an indication of nesting areas. Often, the nest is extended into sound wood. Besides being objectionable by their presence, carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting. They excavate galleries in wood which have a smooth, sandpapered appearance. Wood which has been damaged by carpenter ants contains no mud-like material, as is the case with termites.

 

Buying a house? Get a termite inspection!

Buying a house? Get a termite inspection!

If you are buying a home, the last thing you want is an expensive surprise don’t take chances……Before investing in a house in Baltimore Metropolitan area, be sure to have a termite inspection by our certified termite inspector. BUG-OFF Termite and Pest Control specialists can do a pre-purchase termite inspection for the house you wish to buy and we will give you an unbiased termite certification report on site.

Choosing the right termite inspector can be very difficult. Different inspection companies have varying qualifications, experience, training, reporting methods and yes, different pricing. One thing for sure is that a thorough termite inspection takes time, a lot of time depending on the size and complexity of the home inspected. Ultimately a thorough inspection depends heavily on the individual inspector’s knowledge, training and experience.

When you choose BUG-OFF Termite and Pest Control Services for your termite inspections, termite inspection reports and termite treatments you can be confident that you are receiving the quality service you expect and deserve from the termite and wood-destroying insect specialists you can trust.

BUG-OFF technicians are certified wood-destroying insect specialists with over 30 years experience and training in recognizing and treating signs of termite damage and other wood-destroying insect activity and damage in homes, garages and other structures. Our specialists have been inspecting and protecting homes in Baltimore, and the surrounding counties from termites and other wood-destroying insects for over 30 years. We attend annual professional workshops and special training, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Pest Control Association to receive standard of the industry training in termite inspection,  detection, and termite treatment.

Termite Questions & Answers

Termite Questions & Answers

Q & A

· Why do I need a home termite inspection?

o For Your Peace of Mind…. Our home termite inspection report will help you to make an informed decision about the house before you buy, so you can avoid extensive & costly repairs and termite treatments afterwards. Furthermore, many lenders require a pre-purchase termite inspection before committing to a loan.

Q & A

· What areas are inspected?

o The inspection covers the visible and readily accessible areas of the property which permit entry, including basements, crawl spaces, main levels, attics, exteriors, attached & detached garages.

Q & A

· How long does the inspection take? What’s involved?

o Usually it takes 1-2 hours. Our certified and experienced inspectors will check the entire house thoroughly from foundation to roof. He knows exactly where to look for telltale signs of termites or other wood-destroying insects and damage.

Q & A

· What if no evidence of termites or wood-destroying insects is found?

o You will receive written notification stating that no visible evidences of infestation have been found in the accessible areas that were checked. However, every home should be inspected periodically, especially if neighboring homes show signs of termites.

Q & A

· Is an annual re-inspection contract advisable?

o Yes, we recommend annual termite inspections for “your peace of mind” and home protection. The cost is reasonable compared to the damages termites can do if they get ahead of you. And, it automatically keeps you from forgetting to have it done.

Q & A

· Are there wood-destroying insects other than termites?

o Yes, besides the most common subterranean termite, there are wood-destroying insects – carpenter ants, carpenter bees, powder post beetles and old house borers. Our pest control specialists know how to identify and treat for them.

Q & A

· What if the inspection shows termites or other wood-destroying insects are present?

o Then it will be necessary to treat the property to prevent any further damage.

Q & A

· What if there is already extensive termite damage?

o If the damage threatens the soundness or appearance of the structure, it must be repaired. This is a specialized type of work that your pest control specialist is familiar with and can help you arrange for repairs.

Q & A

· Termites will not attack new homes, will they?

o Unfortunately, termites have been known to …sometimes within days of completion. No home, new or old is safe from termites.

Q & A

· How do subterranean termites get into a house?

o Very easily! All they need is an opening 1/64” wide. Termites may enter directly from the soil, or they may build airtight tubes leading from their colony in the soil to the wood of your house. They usually commute daily between their colonies in the soil to the wood in your house.

Q & A

· How important is thoroughness in termite inspections?

o Very important, because an undetected termite infestation could result in damage later.

Q & A

· How can you tell if termites are present in or near your home?

o Have BUG-OFF certified termite inspector check your home annually.

o Look for termites “swarming” during the day and often after a rainfall.

o Termite evidence in or around window & door frames.

o “Mud tunnels” appearing on or around the foundation.

o Baseboards & floors which may show damage or sound hollow.

o Dead termites or termite wings on window sills or along walls.

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites are social insects that live in nests or colonies in the soil, hence their name “subterranean.” These colonies contain three forms or castes: reproductives, workers and soldiers.   Reproductive males and females can be winged or wingless. The bodies of primary reproductives, also called swarmers, vary by species from coal black to pale yellow-brown. Wings may be pale or smoky gray to brown and have few distinct veins. Swarmer termites are about 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. Termite workers make up the largest number of individuals within a colony. Workers are wingless, white to creamy white, and 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. They do all of the work of the colony — feeding the other castes, grooming the queen, excavating the nest and making tunnels. In working, they chew and eat wood, causing the destruction that makes termites economically important. Soldiers resemble workers in color and general appearance, except that soldiers have large, well-developed brownish heads with strong mandibles or jaws. Soldiers defend the colony against invaders, primarily ants.

Subterranean termites invade homes from the soil around and beneath the structure. Infestations occur when subterranean termite workers locate structural wood in contact with soil or when termites build shelter tubes from the soil across foundation walls and into structural wood. Subterranean termites may also gain access through cracks in the slab or seams where plumbing and electrical lines penetrate the concrete. Foundations made of hollow blocks, or of masonry and rock provide several avenues for termites to gain undetected access to wooden parts of the structure. Once inside, subterranean termite colonies maintain access to the soil around or under a home. The soil provides them with the necessary moisture to remain healthy.Subterranean termites do not cause significant damage over a period of days or weeks. It typically takes several months or years of feeding for termite damage to be significant. Termites prefer to feed on the soft grain of the wood. In severely infested wood, only the hard grain and a thin outer shell remain. Termites intentionally remain hidden within infested wood, preferring not to be exposed to the outside environment. This makes it difficult to locate infested wood in a structure. An infested timber can look perfectly normal on the outside, even when riddled with termite galleries on the inside.

 

 

Old House Borers

Old House Borers

 

The old house borer is one of the most injurious wood-destroying insects. The name is somewhat misleading since a large number of infestations are noticed in homes just four to seven years after construction. The larva bores through wood and also feeds on it. Tunnels made by the larva weaken structural timbers. The borers feed only in pine, spruce, and other coniferous woods.

Infestations are hard to detect in the early stages since larvae are small, develop slowly the first year and there are no external signs of damage. Only in advanced stages will surface bulges become evident due to larval activity. Homeowners may hear their gnawing “clicking-like” sounds. By breaking the surface with a sharp object where tunneling is suspected, one can find tiny rod-like fecal pellets (which crumble easily) and fine, powdery material. The oval exit hole created by the emerging adult old house borer can be 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch in diameter.

 

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees are large – three-fourths to one-inch long – and robust. They are colored black with a metallic sheen. The thorax is covered with bright yellow, orange, or white hairs, and the upper side of the abdomen is black, glossy, and bare. The female has a black head, and the male has white markings on the head. Carpenter bees have a dense brush of hairs on the hind legs and somewhat resemble bumble bees, except bumble bees have dense yellow hairs on the abdomen and large pollen baskets on the hind legs.

Carpenter bees are so named because they excavate galleries in wood to create nest sites. They do not consume wood. Rather, they feed on pollen and nectar. Carpenter bees are important pollinators of flowers and trees. Carpenter bees typically are just nuisance pests that cause cosmetic rather than structural damage to wood. Nonetheless, considerable wood damage can result from many generations of carpenter bees enlarging existing galleries in wood.

Exterior Inspection

EXTERIOR INSPECTIONS

We check the outside to inspect for signs of termites, termite damage, carpenter ants and carpenter bee activity & damage and conditions conducive to infestations. Negative grading Leaking water faucets Leaking or clogged gutters and/or downspouts No extensions on sump pump discharge pipes Sprinkler heads too close to foundation Settlement cracks in foundations Earth and wood contacts Sunken window wells Firewood, mulch, tree stumps, fence posts, planters next to foundations Lattice work touching the ground Deck timbers and wooden steps

 

Get a FREE termite inspection estimate and save $5 on BUG-OFF termite inspections.

www.baltimore-termite-inspection.com

Bug Off  410-913-1754

 

Interior Inspection

INTERIOR INSPECTIONS

BUG-OFF termite specialists conduct a careful visual termite inspection of the readily accessible areas of the structure(s) inspected, including basements, crawl spaces, main levels and attics which permit entry during inspection.  The termite inspection includes probing and/or sounding of the unobstructured and accessible areas to determine the presence or absence of visual evidence of termites and wood-destroying insects. The wood-destroying insect inspection firm is not responsible to repair any damage or treat any infestation at the structure(s) inspected, except as provided by separate contract.

Wood-destroying insect infestation and/or damage disclosed by this inspection report represent the wood-destroying insect infestation and/or damage which may exist as of the date of the inspection.  For purposes of this inspection, wood-destroying insects include:  termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and reinfesting wood boring beetles.  This inspection does not include mold, mildew or non-insect wood-destroying organisms.  Subterranean termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, powder post beetles and old house borers do extensive and costly structural damage to your home if left undetected and untreated.  If termites and other wood-destroying insects are discovered early, they are usually easier to control and there should not be much damage.  We recommend an annual termite inspection for “your peace of mind” and on-going home protection.  www-baltimore-termite-inspection.com Cell: 410-913-1754 Office: 410-578-0580 Email: jbillupsbugoff@msn.com

 

Bug Off Baltimore Termite and Pest Control

Baltimore best Termite Inspection and Pest Control Service provided by Bug-Off. We help homeowners in Baltimore and surrounding counties to protect and maintain the market value in their homes, by conducting annual termite inspections. Wood-destroying insect detection may prevent extensive and costly structural damage to your home. Don’t let termites eat away the equity you have built up in your home and property! For the ongoing protection of your home’s equity, value and your “peace of mind”. It is very important to have an annual home inspection for termites and other wood-destroying insects. To get a free termite inspection estimate and save five dollars Click here or Call Bug-Off today. Add www.md-bug-off.com to your favorites now, we are a Real Estate resource to the community.

http://www.baltimore-termite-inspection.com/ Cell: 410-913-1754 Office: 410-578-0580
Email: jbillupsbugoff@msn.com