What Is A Termite Swarm & What Does It Mean For My West Palm Beach Home?

When you think of pests you never want to hear about, it’s no secret that termites rank near the top of the list for homeowners in West Palm Beach. More than a simple nuisance, a termite colony can wreak havoc on your home by consuming the wood that makes up your home’s structure. The more treatment is delayed, the greater the potential property damage.

An easy way to tell if you have a termite infestation is when a termite swarm occurs. Termite swarms are when the termites fly around in circles as part of their mating cycle.

Fortunately, this only occurs when a termite colony has reached a specific size, and the weather conditions are favorable. The bad news is that in Florida, the conditions are nearly always favorable, which is why they’re active all year.

Termite colonies can take 3-5 years to produce winged termites, which means wood damage may be occurring for years in your home before you even realize they are present.

Termites Result In Costly Damage

We previously mentioned the potential for property damage, but we haven’t explained just how costly that damage is for homeowners. When termites consume the wood within your house, they cause two types of damage: structural and cosmetic.

While termites prefer wood, they also eat sheetrock, flooring, and even paint. Aside from destroying the aesthetics of your home, as they slowly eat away at wood, they will damage the overall integrity of a structure. This results in costly repairs, and termite activity may even collapse parts of your home if left unchecked for too long.

Did you know that termite damage is estimated to cost homeowners billions of dollars annually? While that number seems high, it’s still true. The average cost of structural repairs for a single home is $3,000. This doesn’t include the cost of treatment or possible complications during the repair process. Cosmetic damage isn’t much cheaper at an average cost of $2,000 per home.

In the West Palm Beach area alone, it’s believed that the termite extermination industry earns between $50-$100 million annually. Unfortunately, this doesn’t include home repairs. When you consider the high costs of a termite infestation, it’s clear that prevention is the best route to take.

Why Termite Prevention Is Necessary

In fairness, a professional pest control company trained in termite control can eliminate an existing termite infestation. However, this won’t negate the damage that has already occurred.

For this reason, termite prevention is paramount in protecting your West Palm Beach home. That’s why we’ve put together a list of tips to make use of in your fight against termite infestations:

• Moisture elimination: Like any pest, termites need moisture to thrive. Be sure to eliminate or reduce sources of standing water, leaks, and other signs of moisture surrounding or in your home.
• Make repairs: When the home is in disrepair thanks to rotten roof shingles, a leaking pipe, or something else all it does is open the doors for termites to invade. By scheduling timely repairs and regular inspections, you can block these points of access.
• Thorough inspection: Termite infestations build up over time. As such, it’s critical to regularly inspect the property for signs of mud tubes, termite frass, termite wings, bubbling paint, and hollowed wood. These signs are all clear indicators of a termite infestation.
• Consider professional assistance: Termites are difficult to detect until the signs become glaringly obvious. For this reason, we recommend working with a termite control company to establish an effective preventative approach before infestations can take root.

Termite Control With Native Pest Management

With over 50 years of experience in pest control, our team at Native Pest Management is ready and willing to provide integrated pest management strategies for West Palm Beach residents, and the surrounding area.

We use innovative solutions that are guaranteed to deliver the results you need, so termite infestations never have to be a concern for you and your loved ones.

Do you need termite prevention services? Then give us a call to speak with one of our agents about our professional termite control options or fill out our online form to schedule your free inspection.