errantember (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
errantember) wrote2009-08-18 01:11 pm
errantember) wrote2009-08-18 01:11 pm
Entry tags:
The Roaches Were Just the Beginning
I was already pretty pissed off that I had to tear down at least half a wall of my shower due to an existing leak and generally shitty original installation. They mounted normal (not even greenboard, which itself isn't good enough for shower stalls) drywall and simply grouted the tile directly on top of it. Motherfuckers.
Sitting in the stall prying off hard-to-fix chunks of tile was bad enough when I was just dealing with ants, roaches, and the occasional spider skittering across my body while I'm handling sharp objects near my face, but now I've discovered I've got a fairly monster termite infestation as well.
The house had been treated once for termites when I moved in, but the inspector at the time said that there was no further evidence of activity. I'd seen some in the yard, but my foundation is in good shape and has a nice air gap all the way around, which usually prevents the entry of termites. So they either came in through a tree or a fence, or there may be a foundation crack somewhere I'm not aware of. I'll have to do a check around the foundation to narrow it down.
So one interesting thing about termites is when they are under attack, the soldiers sound the alarm by beating their large, bemandibled heads against the side of the tunnel. This clicking is *clearly* audible, and is actually quite helpful, as it says "Hey! I'm a soldier termite protecting something important! Come kill me!" In otherwise very bad situation, I'm very grateful that, unlike mosquitoes, termites have a strong enough sense of civic duty/guilt to help me slaughter them. Eventually they stopped tapping, perhaps realizing they were in Big Trouble and had better Shut the Fuck Up, but I bet next time I go digging into the wall, I'll hear them again.
I'm looking into my options for treatment. I will probably call some professionals to get some estimates, and I might have a professional come treat this particular infestation, and see if it's affecting other areas of the house. I will follow them around to see how they work, so I can learn more about the process. I will also investigate my insurance coverage for termite damage. I think in the long term, though, letting someone else handle it all isn't the right decision. I need to understand why this happened in the first place, and what I can do to prevent it from happening again. Using detection and baiting kits seems like the way to go for the longer term to prevent re-infestation, and making it easier to inspect the woodwork around water fixtures would really help future indoor detection.
Sitting in the stall prying off hard-to-fix chunks of tile was bad enough when I was just dealing with ants, roaches, and the occasional spider skittering across my body while I'm handling sharp objects near my face, but now I've discovered I've got a fairly monster termite infestation as well.
The house had been treated once for termites when I moved in, but the inspector at the time said that there was no further evidence of activity. I'd seen some in the yard, but my foundation is in good shape and has a nice air gap all the way around, which usually prevents the entry of termites. So they either came in through a tree or a fence, or there may be a foundation crack somewhere I'm not aware of. I'll have to do a check around the foundation to narrow it down.
So one interesting thing about termites is when they are under attack, the soldiers sound the alarm by beating their large, bemandibled heads against the side of the tunnel. This clicking is *clearly* audible, and is actually quite helpful, as it says "Hey! I'm a soldier termite protecting something important! Come kill me!" In otherwise very bad situation, I'm very grateful that, unlike mosquitoes, termites have a strong enough sense of civic duty/guilt to help me slaughter them. Eventually they stopped tapping, perhaps realizing they were in Big Trouble and had better Shut the Fuck Up, but I bet next time I go digging into the wall, I'll hear them again.
I'm looking into my options for treatment. I will probably call some professionals to get some estimates, and I might have a professional come treat this particular infestation, and see if it's affecting other areas of the house. I will follow them around to see how they work, so I can learn more about the process. I will also investigate my insurance coverage for termite damage. I think in the long term, though, letting someone else handle it all isn't the right decision. I need to understand why this happened in the first place, and what I can do to prevent it from happening again. Using detection and baiting kits seems like the way to go for the longer term to prevent re-infestation, and making it easier to inspect the woodwork around water fixtures would really help future indoor detection.
no subject
I liked Aztec for my recent pest control needs. aztecorganicpest @ yahoo. com
no subject
Termites SUCK, some of the worst home-destroying pests one can get. If you go with a professional, look for one that guarantees there work. My guys will retreat at no charge if they come back within a certain period of time, and the first time I was a homeowner, I found a guy (no longer in the area) who guaranteed for 10 years (it was transferable to new owners when I sold).
Termites are one of those I don't screw with; call in the big guys at the first sign...cuz I've seen what they can do left unchecked...ugh!
Good luck.