Termites in Arizona by Liz Suto
Aaron Eubank, owner of Titan Pest Control, a company that treats many North Phoenix homes, has seen termite infestations even in this new community. "I would say 2 homes out of every 10 in my area either have infestations or have had infestations that have been found and treated," says Eubank. Termites eat away at homes to the annual cost of $2.5 billion in treatments and damages just in the U.S. alone.
A little bit about Arizona Termites
Termites are just about everywhere in Arizona, and since they love wood, a home is a pretty good habitat. Having a home without a termite treatment in the soil is a like having a flashing OPEN sign in front of your home for termites. In order to gain access to wood sources above the ground, termites construct long tubes from the soil surface to the wood source. Worker termites are blind and sensitive to heat, cold and dry air, which is why they build mud tubes. The termites can then move back and forth through these tubes. Termite inspectors look for these connecting tubes as evidence of subterranean termite infestation. And it is a good idea for you to inspect your own home occasionally for these tubes. But termite damage isn’t always confined to the base of the home. A good termite inspection will include examining the rest of the house for exit holes from "reproductives" that swarm during spring and fall, especially after rain when the air is humid.
There are different products on the market to prevent termites. Some inexpensive chemicals are repellants, and serve to keep termites away from the area where it is applied. They do not kill termites, but simply repel them from the area. A termiticide like Termidor or Premise is a nonrepellant chemical. When the termite moves through the chemical, the chemical adheres to the termite, who then passes the chemical around to the queen and other members in the colony, effectively eradicates the whole colony.
Termite Protection in New Homes
The foundation of many new homes in the Phoenix area are treated before the home is built, and these homes will have a 5 year termite warranty. After your new home termite warranty expires, it is a good idea to get a new termite warranty. If a termite infestation is found, the warranty will cover any treatment, free of charge to the homeowner. If you find termites in your home without a warranty, treating the termites may cost you more than $700.
What if the home you are buying has termites?
If your home or pest inspector finds termites in the home, don’t simply run to your agent demanding to get out of the contract (though you can cancel your purchase contract during the inspection period for any reason), but it is important to find out the extent of the infestation. Just because there is a tube doesn’t mean that the infestation in serious. You’ll probably hear more than one inspector or real estate agent quip: "there are two kinds of homes: ones that have termites and ones that will have termites." It’s important to make sure that if termites are found that a termite warranty is in place before you close on the home, which will limit any future costs to you.
Copyright © 2006 by Liz Suto. Liz Suto is a professional writer, Arizona real estate agent and Anthem Az resident. Look for her articles at the Phoenix Arizona Insider website and in Phoenix area magazines and newspapers.
