Accurate Home Inspection of Atlanta

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Every year, termites invade millions of homes, causing billions of dollars in damage. They primarily feed on wood, but will consume practically any wood product, from furniture to books, even the insulation in your walls. The startling fact is, termites do more damage to homes than fires and storms combined.Termites are cryptic social insects that play a very speical role in the ecosystems.Currently,there are more than 2,600 identified termite species in 281 genra worldwide.
However, only 183 species are known to damage buildings. The subterranean termite found commomly in the southeast range from 1.5 billion to more than 2.5 billon dollars in damages.Structures infested with subterranean termites can be identified by "drop Tubes" or "mud Shelter tubes" going up foundation walls.
Termite Detection can be tough.

Termite colonies are made up of numerous individuals, termites are quite cryptic spending most of time underground or inside wood. When termites a structure,it is nessary to make an accurate assessment of the extent of infestion before involking treatment options.The primary method of inspection is visual searching or wood probing.The real efficiency of visual searches is not known do to areas that are not readily accessible.None visual alternatives have been developed to assesss drywood and subterranean termite infestations.

As a homeowner how can I tell if I really have termites.Inspecting for signs of termites activity which would be signs such as mub tubes on foundation stell walls,storage areas,holes in wood,pellets,sawdust that keeps coming back,piles of wings near light sources,and swaming insects.Non Visual alternatives inspection methods are accoustic emission,methane gas and water vapor detection devices.

Laser technologies,infraded, may provide noninvasive searching of covered walls.However, these devices have draw backs and present higher cost and are really not 100% accurate.Subterranean are small and require moist condition,and nest in wood that is in contact with soil or constrcuted shelter tubes from soil to the above ground wood.So always makesure you have proper water drainage, and storm water runoff control and that your home siding meets the required 6" above the soil level.

While the damage caused by subterranean termites is not as outwardly dramatic as a fire or storm, it can be significantly more disastrous from a financial standpoint. That's because the damage often goes undetected for long periods of time. And, when it is finally discovered, the damage can be substantial yet
is rarely covered by insurance. The homeowner is confronted with not one, but two devastating blows.

Although termites pose a more serious problem in the south, they are present in every state except Alaska.Just one subterranean colony can contain thousands sometimes millions of termites. The workers forage continuously for food, carrying it back to the colony where it is shared and these ever-expanding
colonies don't stand still. Reproductive termites can be observed in early spring and summer swarming from an existing colony to establish a new one in another location.

As we build communities, we increasingly encroach on the termites' habitat, removing their native food source and leaving them with little alternative but to search for another - our homes. Because they work silently behind the scenes, it can be years before evidence of their destruction becomes visible, long
after serious damage to your home has already been done.

To enter your house, all termites need is the tiniest gap in concrete, mortar or metal to slip through. Once inside that gap, their voracious hunger for wood takes over. These cunning little engineers construct air and moisture tight shelter tubes leading from the colony in the soil to the wood in your home.Termite tubes can go up wires, along pipes, around so-called "termite shields" and even extend free of any support. Busy workers use these tubes as their"freeways," constantly commuting between the food source (your house) and their colony in the soil.

The housing market has been the subject of intense scrutiny over the past few months. According to the National Association of Realtors, there are currently 3.8 million homes "on the market." Certainly homeowners recognize that a house is a major investment and if they ever have to sell - even in a difficult economy - it must be in great shape without any major issues.But often there is one crucial matter that both home owners and buyers often overlook: underlying pest issues. Every year, damage caused by pest infestations costs homeowners billions of dollars in repairs. Termites alone cause more than $5 billion in property damage each year, and can threaten the structure of a home. Another little known fact is that property damage caused by wood-boring insects such as termites, carpenter ants and powder post beetles is not covered by homeowner's insurance policies and that expensive repairs come out of the homeowner's wallet.

Just last month, The University of Georgia conducted a survey of Georgia residents to assess perceptions and knowledge of issues facing residents in the state, and termites and wood-destroying pests affecting home sales was one of the top categories. Ninety-seven percent of respondents said if they were to
purchase a new home, they would like it to have been inspected for termites and other wood-destroying pests, yet more than half of all respondents disagreed with the statement that all homes are currently inspected for termites at the time of the sale.

Last year Realtors in the state of Georgia reversed the need for home sellers to have a "Termite" letter in order to sell their home. But for anyone hoping to sell and looking for ways to make it stand out, they should consider having a pest inspection to obtain the termite letter - it could be key differentiator and help move the home from "on the market" to "sold."