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Learn About Subterranean Termite Season in LA

The subterranean termite is both the most destructive and the most common type in the Burbank area. Without our intervention, subterranean termites can literally bring down a whole building. The subterranean termite causes billions of dollars of damage every year.

What does termite pest control involve?
The first step in termite pest control is assessment: We will send one of our exterminators to examine your home or commercial property for signs of termite infestation. The exterminator will start by examining places favoured by the subterranean termite-like the foundation, basement, or crawlspace.

Afterwards, our exterminator will describe the pest control methods they believe will be the most effective. We can use liquid treatments both indoors and outdoors, and we can also use them on a building’s foundations. A liquid treatment’s effects last a long time and can thus prevent future infestations. We can use foam treatments within walls, and the foam is dry enough to not produce wet spots and damage the drywall.

In severe and/or resistant cases of termite infestation, we will fumigate the property. That means we will put a large tent over the building and pump it full of gas that will work its way down to the colony and eliminate it.

We also offer a pest control method called the Sentricon System that is designed to eradicate the entire colony – including the queen. Our exterminator will place stations loaded with very appetizing bait around the property. That bait, however, contains a chemical called noviflumuron that keeps termites from moulting, so they consequently die. Sentricon also has the distinction of being the only termite product to have earned the Presidential Green Chemistry Award from the EPA for its environmental friendliness.

In most cases, our exterminator will monitor the property to ensure the treatment is working and the termites are being eradicated. They will advise you on the best ways to prevent another infestation. Our professionals will also repair any damage caused by the termites.

When is termite season?
Technically, termites are active all year round. Termite season refers to that time of year when they form swarms, and the subterranean termite usually swarms in the spring. The swarms always consist of winged and reproductively active adults called swarmers or alates. They pair up, shed their wings, and mate. Swarmers and their discarded wings are often the first and most visible signs of a termite infestation.

Are there other ways to tell if you might have termites?
Yes. The subterranean termite is a particularly insidious pest because the wood it damages often looks fine from the outside. The tunnels it creates inside, however, greatly weaken the wood, so it can be easily pierced with a screwdriver. The wood will also sound hollow if you tap it. Give us a call if you find this type of damage.

Termites also build thin tubes out of wood particles and mud that let them move between their nests and feeding sites without getting dehydrated. You can tell if you’ve got an active termite colony by destroying a tube and waiting to see if the termites repair it.

More information about the subterranean termite
There are several different genera of subterranean termite in California, with Reticulitermes being the most common genus in the Burbank area.

Subterranean termites need a moist environment and thus usually don’t live in the wood they feed on. Their nest will be somewhere nearby, however. In Burbank, they can forage all year round, but they are most active when the weather is warm and humid.

If you have termites or suspect you have termites, call (818) 841-4411. We serve both homes and commercial properties in Burbank and other cities in the Los Angeles area.

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