A pest control company cannot give you an estimate of treatment over the phone!
When an estimate or proposal for termite treatment is submitted to a consumer, the pest control company must provide the following written disclosure information:
- a detailed diagram showing the areas to be treated, approximate perimeter measurement of the structure, and areas of active or previous termite activity;
- terms of the warranty or guarantee;
- chemical label; and
- the concentration of any liquid termiticide application to be used or the minimum number of baiting systems installed.
Residential Pre-Construction Wood Borate Treatment
We recommend a wood-borate treatment for new-builds. We currently provide this service for approximately 10 to 15 new homes a month for a local builder.
The active ingredient is a borate salt. Borate salts work by taking advantage of a unique feature in the biology of termites, ants and other insects. If ingested by ants, beetles or termites, the insect becomes unable to extract nutrition from its food and starves to death. And because of this unique mode of action, insects cannot develop a resistance, ever. Borates work differently than most other insecticides or termiticides. For starters, they aren’t applied to the soil but to the structure itself. Secondly, it isn’t just a repellent or a bait but a little bit of each. A borate’s blend of glycols in combination with a borate salt provides results that are hard to beat. As soon as beetles and ants attempt to consume treated wood, they die. Subterranean termites won’t even try to eat treated wood and if they attempt to build a tube on treated wood, the termites start to die. This alerts the termite colony, and they abandon the wood.
Borates are applied directly onto wood surfaces, concrete, plumbing penetrations, expansion joints and foundation penetrations. The borates then penetrate the wood, protecting it throughout. Because a borate’s active ingredient is a natural mineral salt, it doesn’t break down over time. Borates remains in the wood for the life of the wood. By keeping the wood sealed or protected from moisture as in the wall voids of a structure, you eliminate the need for retreatment. Soil treatments are not only more difficult to apply, but they also lose their effectiveness over time—then a costly retreatment becomes necessary every 5 to 10 years. Unlike soil treatments, borate is not a threat to the environment or water supply. The active ingredient is boron, a natural element that is already present in the environment – not only in the ecosystems outside of your home—but also in many of the products you use inside.
Residential active bait service
The estimate depends on the residence’s linear footage.
Bait stations are placed in the ground 10-15 feet apart around the home and about 2-3 feet out from the foundation of the house. The termite bait stations contain a food source that eliminates subterranean termites. A scheduled inspection is performed for the first year and every year thereafter with a contract renewal. The customer will own the termite bait stations after the initial 12-month agreement. Therefore, bait stations are a recommended service for all residences.