Yesterday I went to see one of our commercial client’s who was panicked because he found live Formosan termites in the baseboard and walls of an apartment unit. The building had a tree stump next to the slab, which I had asked the management company to remove years ago since termites will infest any source of cellulose. In this case, even though the building was properly treated with Termidor, the stump allowed Formosan termites to bridge over the chemically treated soil, infest the building, and cause damage. The property manager was now willing to dig up and remove the stump, which he did while I was there. I treated the new soil that had been added to the stump hole, and foamed (Premise insecticide foam) inside the interior walls where the infestation was located.

Along with keeping the annual termite contract current, homeowners should make sure there is no source of cellulose for termites to be attracted to, or feed on, next to their house and follow instructions of their pest control company.

Imagine termite mounds in your backyard!

These are above ground termite mounds found in Australia–not tombstones. In South Louisiana there are ten colonies of SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES per acre of soil; the colonies are deep under ground. You cannot see them! If you could, your backyard would look like the picture. It is important to keep in mind that subterranean termites are cryptic, and there are only a few ways to tell if you have termites infesting your home.

1. You see the damage they have already caused to your home, which means they have already been there a long time without your knowing it.
2. During the Spring you see, and are able to identify, flying termites (male and female reproductives that leave the nest to form new colonies).
3. You, or a pest control inspector, find mud shelter tubes (termite tunnels) on your foundation. This will only be visible if your slab is not covered with soil or mulch.

Since we can’t rely on termites to make themselves readily visible to us like they are in other countries (mounding termites) your best defense is to have your home professionally treated and maintain the annual inspection/treatment contract. It’s important also to ask if your home qualifies for a Termite Damage Repair Warranty/Guarantee.

Call us now for a free inspection and avoid costly termite damage to your home.

Joe

Termite swarming season is right around the corner in South Louisiana. With ten colonies per acre of soil on average, and each colony containing 2,000-3,000 termites, they are constantly devouring wood. Subterranean termites are the buzzards of the forest. They are very beneficial in eliminating dead wood, limbs, and other forms of cellulose in the forest. However, you do not want them munching on your home which probably contains 70%-80% wood. Subterranean termites are cryptic in nature and usually the only indication that they are attacking your home is a mud shelter tube (tunnel) on your foundation slab or pillars.

In the springtime in the south (usually from mid February to late May) two species (Eastern subterranean termites and Formosan) swarm by the millions on warm, high-humidity days. Often these winged male and female reproductives are mistaken for flying ants. But to the trained eye of a professional of a professional pest control technician, swarming termites are easy to identify. Many times termites swarm inside a home and it is the only indication that the home is infested. Once the termites are identified, a termite treatment plan is prescribed and the infestation is treated–stopping them from eating the wood out of your home.

I go to homes almost every week that are infested with termites and this could have been prevented by having the home under a contract with good annual inspections being performed. Don’t wait, call us now to have your home inspected free of charge to determine if you have these home-wreckers infesting your home.

Joe

Carolyn

Recently all of our pest techs went to a seminar to learn more about bedbug treatments. Even though most of us have heard the saying, “Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” all the participants were asked to consider volunteering to “feed” some hungry bedbugs with their own blood. There were only two people brave enough to let the bedbugs bite them. One of those volunteers was our very own technician, Carolyn. I knew Carolyn was a dedicated pest tech, but I had no idea she was that dedicated!

Carolyn's Bedbug Bites

Carolyn let the little blood-suckers drink her blood for about 10 minutes. When I asked her what she was thinking, she just chuckled and said she thought it was fun. “It didn’t hurt. It felt like a mosquito bite.”  We were surprised that her skin didn’t seem to have the slightest reaction, but ten days after the blood meal her arm broke out in a painful, itchy rash.  Don’t worry about Carolyn though; bedbugs aren’t known to carry any diseases. 

Have you ever been told that termites don’t eat in the winter? It was 25 degrees outside today, but that didn’t stop termites from attacking homes! Joe found lots of termites coming up the expansion joint of an addition today when he inspected a local home. The homeowner has about $2,000 worth of damage because he let his contract lapse a few years ago. He didn’t want to spend $150 to renew the contract, so now he has to spend about $1,000 to have his home treated–in addition to the cost of repairing the damage the termites have done.

It’s a myth that termites are dormant during the winter!

Joe recently had the opportunity to give back to the community he has lived in his whole life. The Livingston Parish Chamber Education Committee recently created the community recognition program known as the “Best of the Best in Livingston Parish Public Schools!”  and Joe was eager to participate. As a member of the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce, he volunteered to sponsor awards of distinction given to three outstanding teachers in our area.  Each teacher was selected to receive the award by the Livingston Parish Public Schools administration based on their commitment to, and influence on, the community. Joe was eager to sponsor each $200 award given at the Chamber meeting on June 9, 2010. The educators receiving the awards were:  Kathleen Dunaway, Erin Jeansonne, and Amy Flake.

Another way Joe gave back to the community was by sponsoring a $500 scholarship to a high school senior in Live Oak, Meghan Bilski. There were 31 students in Livingston Parish who qualified for the scholarship for being outstanding students! (See picture below.)

Joe believes that education is a must for successful businesses and their employees. By investing in parish teachers and students, he knows there will be a better-educated pool of future employees to choose from…and that will benefit us all!

Here is a picture of Joe with Meghan Bilski and the First Lady of Louisiana, Supriya Jindal. (Thanks to Melissa Cannon Photography for permission to use the picture.)

Spring is in the air!

That means it’s the time of year many people begin to work in the flowerbeds around their homes.

If your home was treated for termites, and you are planning to do any landscaping near your home, please follow these important reminders so your termite barrier remains intact!

·         If your home is on a slab, make sure to keep at least 3 inches of your foundation visible. This way when we do our annual inspection we can still detect if there are any small termite mud tubes on your slab.

•          Do not place any wood mulch (pine bark, cypress, etc.) within 12 inches of your home. Termites eat wood, and even so called “treated mulch” will attract termites to your foundation. Pine straw or rocks are best next to your home.

•          Eliminate any wood-to-soil contact around your home (lattice, arbors, lawn timbers, firewood).

•          Do not disturb or add to the soil within 12 inches of your home. Do not plant anything (herb gardens included) within 12 inches of your foundation. You will disturb the product barrier which is about 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep next to your foundation. If you disturb the termite product in the soil you void any warranties on your home.

Please call our office (225-791-9911), or email me if you have any questions,

Joe Arceneaux

Click diagram to enlarge.

For most people, it’s difficult to know the difference between a swarm of ants and a swarm of termites. Due to the threat they pose to your property, it is important for you to know the difference between the two.

For a detailed description of their differences, read our article in the Learning Center.

Whether you discover you have flying ants, or flying termites, we can help you.

We offer pest control services as well as termite control.

Call us today for a free inspection and estimate!

Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction.

Another furry saboteur caught in the act.

Has your home been infiltrated?

Is your estate safe?

They could be lurking in your house, even as you sleep…

Give us a call!

225-791-9911