The holiday season is quickly approaching and I can’t wait to purchase gifts and decorate my house for the holidays! Plus, with guests coming over, I was thinking it gives me time to tidy up and maybe even buy a few new things for my own home for decoration.

Then, the other day I heard an unbelievable story about a termite infestation inside a home that made me really think about what I am buying and bringing inside.  A woman bought some new baskets and decorative items to brighten up her home before her holiday guests began arriving. The items were made of wood and unbeknownst to the owner, they were infested with termites.  She started noticing small piles of dust around the wood floors of her home within a few months of the purchase but couldn’t figure out what it was.

After about one year of a growing problem, she finally contacted us and we discovered a complete termite infestation in her home – all caused from this one little purchase!

Now, I’m not saying I won’t decorate my home or buy anything new, but I’ll definitely be inspecting anything made of wood for traces of termite damage. And I’d recommend to anyone that they do the same. If you see start seeing tiny piles of powder around your house or small holes in your drywall, don’t wait to call!

Now who’s ready for some shopping?

What to do in a termite swarm

Homeowners may never actually see termites because they live in the ground or potentially in the walls of the home.

Most of the time, a termite swarm  is the only time homeowners actually see termites or find out they have termites before damage is discovered. Mature termite colonies will produce winged reproductive termites that will fly off from the colony in great numbers. This is nature’s way of termites spreading and establishing new colonies. Termite swarms can occur both  indoors and outside.

When termites swarm indoors, they will come out of walls or wooden construction (baseboards, door frames, posts, etc.) through small holes. These are called “exit holes” and were created by worker termites. A swarm will last about 30-40 minutes and the swarming termites will fly toward a light source, typically collecting around windows and sliding glass doors. If these termites can not find soil, they will die in a few hours from dehydration. Often homeowners come home from work to find many dead swarmers (or sometimes just their wings) on window sills, counter tops, around furniture, etc. This is the aftermath of a termite swarm.

Some Do’s and Don’ts if you see a swarm:

• DON’T panic.
• DON’T spray the swarmers with a can of insect spray. They will die naturally in the air and emptying a can of insect spray is unnecessary.
• DON’T try to seal the exit holes. Swarmers must escape and sealing the holes with tape or other materials will only cause them to make new holes to escape from.

• DO try to contain them. This can be done by shutting the door to the room that they are swarming in. Sometimes, a clear plastic baggie can be attached over the exit hole so the swarmers fly into the bag.
• DO vacuum them up and throw the full bag into the garbage. The swarmers in the bag will die and they can not spread.
• DO save a bag full of insets to show a trained inspector.
• DO call a reputable termite company. A trained inspector will be able to make a positive identification of the type of termite and recommend the best control method to solve the problem.

Think you’ve had a swarm in your home? Want to learn more about our Termite Treatment Options? Schedule a Free Inspection or call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Termites cause more damage to homes and businesses each year than all the fires, floods, and natural disasters combined.  Termites are found throughout the U.S. but are more densely populated in the Southeast. In fact, up to six colonies can thrive in a single acre plot, with each colony containing thousands or even millions of termites.

You should also realize that termites can get into any home or business structure, including brick, block and stucco. They enter through tiny cracks and crevices in the foundation, eaves and walls in, under and around your home. These cracks don’t have to be huge holes or gaps – termites can get through hairline cracks no wider than 1/64 of an inch!

With so much potential for damage, it’s important to have a termite inspection every year. If you haven’t already, contact Massey Servicesfor your free, detailed termite inspection today.

Termites don’t distinguish between residential homes and commercial businesses. They forage, eat and multiply – 24/7. Because they live underground, there’s a good chance they can find a way into your business without you even knowing it. That’s because they get in through tiny cracks,in, under and around your building’s structure. So it doesn’t matter what your building is made from – concrete, brick or stucco. Remember, termites get in through the cracks – and every building has cracks. That’s why it makes sense to get your business inspected for termites at least once a year. Think of it as your security system against termites. Contact Massey Services for your free, thorough termite inspection today.

For most people, termite swarms are the obvious signs of infestation. However, because of drought conditions, termites haven’t swarmed as much in recent years. This doesn’t mean they’re not getting into your home – it just means you have to look a little harder for signs that they’represent.

Here is a quick list of small, but important signs of termites:

Termite wings.These are often found after a swarm and are typically found in small piles near windows or other light sources

Shelter tubes.Made of particles of soil, wood and debris, these allow subterranean termites to move out of the ground to outside entryways.

Bathroom signs. Many infestations found in a home are found in bathrooms. Signs include loose tiles,soil particles, exit holes [small pinholes] and cracked grout.

Small holes in wood or drywall or blistered paint. When termites damage wood within your home,they often create holes in the drywall. Because termites eat wood from the inside out, they usually hollow the wood along the grain. This can cause ripples in the exterior of the wood itself, or cause the paint to blister.

Damaged wood.This can include wood that sounds “hollow” when it is tapped with the handle of a screwdriver, wood that is soft when probed with a sharp object or a thin gritty gray-brown film on the surface of damaged wood.

Of course, the key is to not wait for any signs. You should have a termite inspection by a termite professional at least once a year. ContactMassey Services for your free, thorough termite inspection today.

Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites don’t live in the ground. Instead, they develop their colonies right inside the wood that they eat. They most often get into your home by flying and entering through small cracks in unprotected wood or even nail holes. Once they embed themselves inside wood, they eat the wood from the inside out, grow their colonies, and spread to other areas of the structure.

Massey’s termite experts utilize two effective methods to fight drywoods. One is to provide localized treatment right in the areas of termite activity. This involves using a penetrating dry foam Termidor ^® treatment either directly into the wood or into the wall voids around the suspected areas. If drywoods are identified throughout your structure, we provide whole-structure tent fumigation. This assures that 100% of the structure is treated and eliminates all infestations.

The best protection against any type of termite is a yearly inspection by a termite professional. Contact Massey Services for your free,thorough termite inspection today.

The most common types of wood destroying insect in Florida are the subterranean termites.  There are several different species of subterranean termites but they all require basically the same methods for their control.  The problem is so widespread and the likelihood of your home becoming infested by subterranean termites is so great, that the State of Florida requires that all new construction must be pretreated by a licensed Pest Control Operator during the construction phase and prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy.

Unfortunately, there are other wood destroying insects that can and do infest structures in Florida.  While these “other” insects are not as common as subterranean termites, they do infest homes fairly regularly throughout the State.  These “other” insects include the Old House Borer, Powder Post Beetles, and Drywood termites.  For years, the only acceptable process for eliminating an infestation by one of these organisms has been tent fumigation.  The process of tent fumigation is invasive and expensive and provides no residual protection against future infestations.  Basically, your home is at risk of re-infestation the very day the tent is removed from the home.  Due to the methods and materials available to us in the past, we were unable to provide retreatment and repair coverage for these organisms without fumigating an active infestation.  Over the years, many customers have asked us to provide them with a way in which they can have coverage for all wood destroying insects so as to gain peace of mind that they are covered for everything.

Several years ago, our company began developing new methods and procedures for curatively and preventatively treating structures for these organisms using newer materials that have recently come onto the market.  As a result, we are now able to provide less invasive and less expensive services for management of these other types of wood destroying insects.  These new methods also enable us to add or upgrade existing Subterranean Termite Service Agreements to Total Coverage Agreements. Not all homes qualify because some homes are not able to be treated preventatively due to their construction type.

For customers that qualify but do not currently have Total Coverage Termite Protection, Massey Services offers an upgrade to their protection at the time of the annual inspection.  “Our goal is to ensure that our customers’ homes are protected from all types of wood destroying insects,” says Adam Jones, Massey Services VP Director of Quality Assurance. “It is what our customers want, need and expect from us and that is why we created Total Coverage,” says Mr. Jones.

If you have any questions about Total Coverage Termite Protection, please contact Massey Services at 1-888-2MASSEY.

Adam W. Jones
Vice President,
Director of Quality Assurance

All of the extra moisture that summer rains bring also makes conditions favorable for termites. While it can be hard to detect termites yourself,there are precautions you can take to keep termites out:

• Repair any water leaks and moisture problems. Water leaks in roofs, attics, bathrooms and sink areas create favorable conditions for termites to cause damage.
• Clean gutters and downspouts. Keep gutters free flowing and clean to avoid clogs, which could cause a back-up and lead to water damage.
• Drain all water away from exterior walls and foundation.Make sure drain spouts and air conditioner drainage are flowing away from the home. Use splash blocks to prevent soil erosion around the foundation.

Check our Termite Home Maintenance Tips area for more information.