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There are situations where a conventional termite treatment is particularly difficult, undesirable, or even impossible. Some situations call require special handling, others might require alternative strategies. For instance:

The treatment requires extensive drilling of flooring slabs through wooden, tiled or carpeted floors, or via other masonry which could be damaged.

Liquid treatment could be illegal, e.g., there is a well or cistern under or too near the foundation wall.

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Liquid treatment is considered unacceptable for whatever reason. The treatment requires drilling of flooring slabs through wooden, tiled or carpeted floors, or through other masonry or you do not want liquid dyes employed under/around your residence. In such situations, there are few alternatives like termite baits or mechanical control (currently available only for houses under construction). .

Wood TreatmentsAlthough local or"place" wood treatments prevent termite activity in the treated area, they're not complete termite treatments and they will not stop termites from attacking wood in different regions. One treatment option uses the compound disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT). This borax-derived compound is applied to critical wooden structural components in the crawlspace and regions of the framing in a house under construction.

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However, depending on the type of construction involved, it may be possible for termites to skip this treatment and attack nearby untreated wood like baseboard molding, trimming, etc.. Compounds that are suitable for wood treatments are listed in the current edition of the North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual. .

FumigationIn North Carolina, structural fumigation (sometimes called"tenting") is seldom used because of our common subterranean termites. Most residential fumigations are done for drywood termites, that are rather uncommon in North Carolina, or for wood-boring beetles particularly in log houses.

In the majority of scenarios, the termite treatment on your home includes a one-year termite protection warranty from the pest control company. After one year, you must decide if you want to continue your contract. The cost of a renewal for a house that has been treated with a liquid termiticide is normally between $85-$200, depending on the size and construction type of the house and possibly the type of guarantee (explained below).

Recall: termites are always around us and constantly looking to get"food" (wood). That fact alone does not mean they're constantly attacking your house. It only means there is always some chance that termites might find their way unseen into your house. .

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The US Environmental Protection Agency requires that termiticide manufacturers prove their chemicals can remain effective in the soil for at least five decades. In most situations, these substances usually last longer when implemented properly. However, this 5-year requirement is not a guarantee that termites cannot (or will not) invade your house within a five year period.

These kinds of situations can provide termites with opportunities to invade the house. .

Annual termite contracts are somewhat like medical insurance policies. You are paying to protect your house against the chance of termite attack. An annual contract can be an effective method of preventing termites from causing significant damage over the years. Likewise, this 5-year requirement by the EPA does not mean that the compound is totally ineffective after 5 decades.

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It's important to understand that an annual contract does not mean that the pest control company re-treats your home every year. Unless there is any evidence of termite activity in the house, annual treatments are in fact prohibited under most termiticide labels (and therefore illegal see under both state and federal law).

If they find evidence of termite activity or if you find evidence of termite activity, then the company takes some appropriate measures, normally a local or'area' treatment of the infested area. You should not need to pay for any additional treatment to correct a problem; that cost is covered by your annual charge.

By way of instance, routine home maintenance helps prevents moisture problems or other conditions that are conducive to termite activity in the region, i.e., if termites find such place, they are more likely to remain active or expand their activity in that area. Make certain that the termite inspector explains any problem areas that he/she finds during the inspections so that you can correct these problems as soon as possible.

If you are not home when the home is inspected, the inspector must leave some type of notice or report about his/her findings. If you're not clear on the outcomes, phone the company's office and ask them to explain whether anything important was found. .

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Does my contract policy termite damageAn important point about your contract concerns damage. Many people assume that their contract automatically covers damage repairs, but that is not always the situation. Many termite protection contracts offer"retreatment only", i.e., the pest control company will escape areas as necessary in order to fix the issue, however the retreatment is all they are bound to perform under the conditions of the type of contract.