The Termite Threat Is Very Real
There are many reasons to love living in Texas. The folks here are always nice. The weather is great. There is a wealth of natural beauty unlike anywhere else in the world. It's affordable. There are jobs aplenty. And there is no personal state income tax. It isn't surprising that the U.S. Census Bureau found that Texas has the most cities with the fastest growth. But not everything in Texas is worthy of love. The threat of termites is one that no Texan should ever ignore.
In Texas we don't just have termites, we have the worst termites. As always, we don't do anything small. The temperate climate in Texas allows Formosan subterranean termites to flourish here. And, if you're not aware, Formosan subterranean termites are a multi-billion dollar problem for U.S. property owners.
If it isn't bad enough that we have Formosan termites, entomologists at Texas A&M University believe we may have super-termites, which are a mix of Asian termites and Formosan termites, and likely to be more destructive than either parent species. This is because the number of individuals in these super-termite colonies have been found to be 20 to 200 % higher. Fortunately, modern pest control methods can protect homes and businesses from all types of termites.
How To Stop Subterranean Termites
As their name implies, subterranean termites often live in the ground, though it is possible for a colony to establish itself inside a home. Since they come up from the ground to attack your home, that is where your pest control needs to be. There are two primary ways to stop subterranean termites. One method is to create a barrier of liquid termiticide around the property being protected. This requires tons of chemical product, and that chemical product needs to be put deep enough in the ground to make sure no termites get through. This requires drilling and trenching, which can cause damage to a structure when it is not done properly. The other way is the installation of bait stations that use worker termites against the colony that sent them.
At Modern Pest Control, we prefer bait over liquid treatments because bait targets termites and only termites, it does not require drilling and trenching, there is no need for tons of chemicals, it has no odor, and it is easy to monitor and maintain. And we use the most trusted bait solution available, The Sentricon® System with Always Active™. It is the only termite product that has ever won the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, and it has over two decades of success.
How Does Sentricon® with Always Active™ Work
Discrete bait stations are placed around the foundation perimeter of your property. These bait stations have a product called Recruit® HD. It is called recruit because it takes advantage of the recruit behavior of worker termites. When they find the bait, which is scientifically proven to be 10 times more interesting to termites than wood, they invite other workers to come feed on it. When they do, the active ingredient noviflumuron is shared from termite to termite through a process called trophallaxis. Noviflumuron works to prevent termites from maturing through the molting process and when they aren't able to molt, they die. Since this transfer effect works slowly, it is able to work its way all the way to the queen. By the time it gets to the queen, it is too late for the colony to recover.
For most colonies, the amount of active ingredient in Recruit® HD is enough for colony elimination. That is why this product has Always Active™ in its name. It is always actively working to eliminate colonies. If an invading colony is too large, it may become necessary for your Certified Sentricon® Specialist to temporarily replace the Recruit® HD bait with a more powerful bait to arrest the problem.
When you have Sentricon® with Always Active™ installed and ongoing visits from a certified professional, you don't have to worry about termites—even super termites.
Find out if you're in our Texas service area; we service Katy, TX and the surrounding area with industry-leading pest control solutions like Sentricon®. Reach out to us today for immediate service!
