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The Costs of Termite Infestations

Termites are an unfortunate fact of life for homes and businesses in the Carolinas. All too often these damaging pests go undiagnosed and unnoticed until their damage is extensive - and expensive! Want to know what the potential costs are of avoiding termite inspections? Read on and get your wallet ready...

termite damage in your walls and underneath your home can be nearly impossible to spot without proper training in what to look for


WHAT DAMAGE CAN TERMITES DO?

Termites have an advantage in nature. While they do have natural predators that would love to make a feast out of a large termite colony, they are largely sheltered from such pests due to their evolved diet - wood. But how do termites survive on wood? Wood is a delicacy to termites. Whether it’s dry, damp or rotted, these pests won’t hesitate to chew through a wooden structure to satisfy their appetite. Unlike humans and most insects, termites have a gut that’s filled with protozoa. Protozoa are the organisms that give termites their wood-eating ability. They produce the right enzymes to facilitate the digestion process. As soon as the termites extract the cellulose that’s inside the wood, these enzymes activate and convert the cellulose into sugars. While it is true that termites eat wood to survive, they also eat it to create their galleries. They use their strong mandible to chew through each layer of wood. As more eggs hatch, the worker termites burrow deeper into the wooden structure to expand their galleries. This process takes place in a covert manner, so the resulting damage can be more substantial than you may think. On the surface, it may appear that damage is relegated to what you can see - replace a board here or there and the damage is fixed. In reality, the damage you can't see is what can be the most costly. Termites can destroy wood from the inside-out, meaning the extent of their damage is often impossible to determine until the wood has been nearly destroyed.


WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF REPAIRS?

Termite damage can sometimes appears similar to water damage. Outward signs of termite damage include buckling wood, swollen floors and ceilings, areas that appear to be suffering from slight water damage and visible mazes within walls or furniture. Termite infestations also can exude a scent similar to mildew or mold. The physical damages termites create on your home adds up fast. Termites accumulate over $5 billion in property damage every single year.

foundation repairs can be one of the costliest consequences of letting infestations get out of control


When dealing with termites, homeowners face two costs. One is for the pest control team who uses professional technology to eliminate the intruders. The second cost is repairing the physical structures damaged by the colony. Structural repairs include repairing wall studs and support beams, replacing sheetrock, replacing the flooring and sub-flooring, fixing water damages in walls, replacing door and window frames, and repainting. Repairing foundation damage is the most expensive repair. A homeowner can expect to spend over $6,000 mending foundational issues caused by pests.


DON'T JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO REPAIRS

Although termite damage may be remedied through professional repair, Carolina homeowners should first call Nelon-Cole, your local termite specialists. Repairs should not be made until a licensed pest professional has confirmed that there are no longer termite infestations present and the risk of further infestation has been eliminated.


HOW CAN NELON-COLE HELP?

Learning you have termites is never fun, and that’s often before you are made aware all of the expensive costs headed your way. Knowing what to expect when you have a termite infestation is important, as is being proactive about looking for signs of termites in the home and having regular inspections (made easy with a Nelon-Cole quarterly inspection plan. By staying on top of termite control through regular inspections and prevention methods, you can hopefully avoid the unwanted expenses of repairing termite damage.

our repairs division can leave damaged areas looking like new!


If you do have termite damage in your home or business, know that you are not alone. Termite damage affects countless homes in the Charlotte region and across the Carolinas. Nelon-Cole has a distinct advantage in our area. In addition to being the most trusted and award-winning name for pest and moisture control services in the Carolinas, we also have our own repair division that specializes in the quick and affordable repair of pest damage.


Nelon-Cole takes care of your home or business as if it were our own. It is the reason for our well-earned reputation for quality pest control at honest and affordable rates. Don't be surprised by costly repair bills - call Nelon-Cole today for a FREE consultation on how our services can protect you. Call 1-888-7-TheWeb.



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