Termite
Control
Few words strike fear into the hearts of homeowners like the word “termites,” and for good reason. Termites cause billions of dollars in damage to homes across the United States every year. Left untreated, termites can slowly but steadily cause extensive damage that can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Termites are members of the order Isoptera and are the only insects who derive nutritional value from cellulose, the part of wood that makes it rigid. In nature, they have an important job: They eat dead trees and return the nutrients they contain to the soil. In our homes, however, termites are a menace.
The termites in this picture are adult reproductives, also called “swarmers,” and they’re the termites most homeowners see. But they’re actually not the caste that does all the damage. By the time you see swarmers, you’ve had a termite problem for quite some time; and the colony has matured to the point that it’s producing reproductive termites to go start their own colonies.
The termites we get in the Peoria area and in throughout Illinois are called subterranean termites, because they live underground. In fact, the subterranean termites that actually do the damage — the workers — rarely expose themselves to our view. But true to their name, they labor tirelessly underground and in hidden parts of our houses, literally eating us out of house and home.
A two-pronged
approach to termite control
Central Illinois Pest Management has developed an effective program to rid your home of termites and keep them from coming back, but has taken the financial pain out.
Our approach to termite control saves you money because we use the more invasive liquid treatment only to treat those portions of your home where our extensive inspection reveals termite activity. Of course, we do drill where we must to assure effective termite control; but typically we do a lot less drilling than if we only used liquid treatment.
Termidor™ Termiticide
The first blow in our one-two punch against termites is a non-repellent termiticide called Termidor. Termidor is widely considered to be the best termiticide on the market in the United States, with 100 percent effectiveness against termites in USDA tests for more than two decades. That’s the good news.
The not-so-good news is that Termidor is very expensive, as is the labor required to apply it properly. That’s one of the reasons why we only use Termidor where we’ve actually found termite activity. That saves us a lot of labor, it saves you a lot of money, and it reduces the amount of termiticide we’re putting into the environment.
We’re able to take this greener approach to termite control because of Termidor’s “transfer effect,” which is illustrated on the right; and because we also install the Advance Termite Baiting System™ (ATBS) around your home for continuous protection. Combining Termidor and the Advance Termite Baiting System enables us to eliminate termites from your home for as little as $899.00.
Just as a point of reference, traditional termite treatments can cost twice that much or more, not to mention the upheaval and stress caused by extensive drilling and treating of the entire home.
The Advance Termite Baiting System™
The Advance Termite Baiting System (ATBS) is the second prong of our two-pronged approach to termite extermination.
The ATBS stations (shown on the right) are inserted into the ground with their tops nearly flush with the top of the soil, and are regularly inspected for termite activity. If termites are found to have entered one or more of the bait stations, a termite-eradicating active ingredient is inserted in the station where activity is detected.
This active ingredient is intentionally slow-acting, and will be carried back to the termites’ nest and shared with the rest of the colony. When the entire colony has been eliminated, the station will be returned to monitoring mode to assure continued protection.
The Advance Termite Baiting System is frequently used as a stand-alone treatment for termite problems where liquid termiticides can’t be used, or when customers prefer that no liquid termiticides be used. In other words, just the ATBS by itself is an effective termite control method. But we prefer to use it in conjunction with localized Termidor treatment, thus combining the quick, direct control of Termidor with the convenience, lower cost, and environmental friendliness of Advance.
By using this two-pronged approach, Central Illinois Pest Management has achieved remarkable success in protecting homes against termites, while saving homeowners money, dramatically reducing the need for drilling and liquid termiticides, and reducing the amount of termiticide injected into the ground. In fact, we’re so confident in our approach that if you decide to sell your home, we will gladly transfer the ATBS service agreement to the new owner.
For more information about our termite protection options or to request a free inspection, please contact us to set up a convenient appointment.