It's the coolest thing! I've been doing this for 13 years, and this is the first time this has ever happened. Someone interested in our services, we'll call her Debbie, contacted us because she saw termites castling out (building their little mud tubes) near a window.
It was a rainy day when I went to Debbie's house to do the inspection. During the conversation before the inspection, she was very interested in understanding how termites do what termites do. She has a pier and beam home, which means going under the house in the crawl space to search for termites. As I headed toward the crawl space entry, Debbie asked if she could go too. How awesome is that?! I've never had a customer interested in crawling under their house with me. Usually, I take photos in the hard to reach areas, and show the customer the findings that way. Not Debbie. She wanted to see what the termites were up to first-hand.
Remember I said it was raining. A little rain and dirt didn't bother Debbie. She's a nurse, so she's tough. She was right there with me, crawling on hands and knees under the house, getting muddy and dirty.
Debbie had lots of good questions. Where are the termites coming up into the house? Why are the termites here? I was happy to answer all her questions. There are wooden piers under her home, and in her case, there is a lot of wood-to-ground contact. Termites are subterranean, and the wood pier contact with the ground gives them a direct route to enter the home.
Debbie hired us, Golden Rule Pest, Termite and Weed Control, to treat and exterminate her home termites. We did our 'full perimeter plus treatment for pier and beam homes' to kill the termites. We also use a wood preservative on all exposed wood which keeps the termites out and is effective for 15 to 20 years. The treatment includes a 1-year follow-up when we do a thorough inspection to ensure the termites are gone.
If you are interested in a termite inspection, contact us to schedule an appointment. We promise not to make you crawl around or under your home, but you're more than welcome to join us if you'd like.
