Purchasing a new home is one of the more exciting achievements that people will experience. It doesn’t matter if it is a new home, a first home, starter home, fixer upper, or a retirement home; the feeling of walking through that new home is a feeling like none other! You can hardly wait for the closing so you can begin moving your furniture in and arrange your new house. Nevertheless, there is one word that can cause your experience and excitement to come crashing down—termites!
Securing an experienced home inspector and pest control specialist prior to final purchase is perhaps the most important phase of your pre-purchase steps. Of all the cost saving corners you may want to cut, this is not one of them! Do not let wintertime purchases fool you into thinking that termites are inactive during the cold months; and therefore, termite inspection would be a waste of time and money.
Termites are almost invisible. They are nasty, silent destroyers and can cause extensive damage before an infestation ever becomes visible. Once it is visibly obvious that you have termites, extensive and expensive damage will have already occurred. It is true that cold temperatures during the winter months will drive termites deeper underground, preventing or at least postponing any new infestation of these wood-eating destroyers. However, your inspector and pest control specialists aren’t just looking for the possibility of a current parade of termites trying to access your home. More importantly, they are looking for any signs of termites that have already invaded the structural components of the new home you are in the process of purchasing.
It is important to understand that termites eat wood from the inside out…not from the outside in. This means that you will see very little sign of an infestation until it is well advanced. They may have bored in to the structure from underneath, making their entrance unnoticed by everyone but the experienced termite inspector. However, even if there are signs of termite activity, it is not the end of the world. It does not necessarily mean the home is going to come crashing down. It could be a relatively recent infestation that simply needs to be treated by professionals. There are some areas where termites are so prevalent that having a presence of termites is not uncommon. The danger is moving in without finding out until years later that a large colony of termites have been eating away at your house to the tune of up to a pound of cellulose per day.
Nassau County and New York metropolitan area residents, before taking ownership of that new home, should contact Parkway Pest Services. We are one of the leading pest control companies specializing in effective termite control. Our highly trained and certified technicians represent more than 100 years of experience and will happily schedule this much needed service prior to your purchase. You will then be able to depend on us for year round maintenance and control of all household pests.