One of the most popular questions we get asked on a routine basis is, how often should I spray for termites?
While it’s a great question, because it shows those who ask are concerned about caring for their properties and protecting their homes from termites. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to the question, but I will try and bring you the most relevant information to help you determine how to answer that question.
First off, let me clarify we are in Arizona, so some of the following answers will be specific to the rules and regulations that our state requires, every state has different requirements, but Arizona is considered a hot zone for termites, specifically subterranean termites, so the first time a home is “Sprayed” for termites is prior to pouring the concrete slab, that’s the Pretreat for Subterranean termites, a requirement in Arizona. This is where we differ from some states, we require a liquid treatment as a pretreat.
In Arizona the warranty on a Termite Pre-Treatment is currently 3 years,
used to be 5 years, but now three years is the minimum required time where a termite control company must warranty their Spray treatment for subterranean termites. After this initial period is where everything changes.
There are so many options available and a lot of it is dependent on the treatment performed, the product used and if a warranty is in place or not, the age of the home or structure being protected.
Once a home is past the original warranty period, a homeowner should implement some bare minimum maintenance procedures to ensure that their home is protected from termites. The first choice is not to simply order a company to come out and do another application of termiticides. First order of business should be a quality termite inspection on an annual basis, find out if your property has conditions that would attract a termite infestation to your home. The top 2 things to look for and to try and avoid are Excessive Moisture, especially in the summer, termites need water too and any type of cellulose debris, such as dead trees, old root systems too near the base of the structure, wood piles, stored lumber next to the house, paper debris are all good examples of termite food and a potential reason termites will be attracted to your home.
Many people live in older homes way past the time when the original pretreatment to spray for termites was performed. A homeowner should try and find out any details of termite treatment, termite warranty information, and when the last time an application of termiticide was performed. If you are at 5 years, you will definitely want to make annual inspections, at 10 year, most of the termiticides utilized over the past 10 to 20 years have a shelf life, and you might want to consider a refresher treatment, while you could spray for termites again, I would recommend utilizing a termite baiting and monitor system, that doesn’t require drilling, trenching and more chemical, but would be a great alternative to spraying for termites, and in many cases can be an extra step in a great pest control plan where you have your professional pest person visiting and inspecting your home on a regular basis.
Almost every termite company in Arizona says this in some form, it’s not if you get termites, it’s when. Termites are a serious infesting pest that causes Arizona is home to subterranean termites per year to homes and buildings, and in Arizona, a plan to maintain your property including the protection from and prevention of termites should be a priority for every homeowner.