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Understanding Termites in Cincinnati: How to Protect Your Home

Termites are one of the most destructive pests in the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage to homes each year. If you live in Cincinnati, it’s important to understand the risks associated with termites and how to protect your property. In this blog post, we’ll explore why Cincinnati homes are vulnerable to termites, the signs of infestation, and how you can prevent and deal with these silent destroyers.

Why Are Termites a Problem in Cincinnati?

Cincinnati’s humid climate and abundant rainfall create an ideal environment for termites, particularly the Eastern subterranean termite species. These pests thrive in moist conditions and feed on cellulose, which is found in wood, making homes, businesses, and other wooden structures prime targets for infestation.

The warm temperatures during spring and summer months, combined with the area’s ample vegetation, provide termites with both food and shelter. As a result, homeowners in Cincinnati are at risk of significant structural damage if termites go undetected and untreated.

Types of Termites Found in Cincinnati

There are two main types of termites that homeowners in Cincinnati should be aware of:

  1. Eastern Subterranean Termites
    These are the most common termite species found in Cincinnati. They live in underground colonies and build mud tubes to travel from their nest to food sources like wooden structures. They are notorious for their ability to silently and rapidly cause damage to the wooden framework of homes.
  2. Drywood Termites
    While less common in Cincinnati, drywood termites can still pose a risk to homes, particularly in areas with warmer climates. Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites do not require contact with the ground. They infest dry, sound wood and are often found in attics, rafters, and wooden furniture.

Signs of a Termite Infestation

Termites are often referred to as “silent destroyers” because they can cause extensive damage without any obvious signs. However, there are a few clues that can indicate an infestation:

  • Mud Tubes: Subterranean termites build mud tubes along foundation walls or wooden surfaces to travel between their nest and food source. If you notice small, dirt-like tubes, this is a strong sign of a termite presence.
  • Swarmers (Alates): During certain times of the year (usually spring), termite colonies will send out swarmers, or winged termites, to reproduce and start new colonies. Seeing winged termites around your home or on windowsills is a major red flag.
  • Hollowed or Damaged Wood: If you tap on wooden surfaces and hear a hollow sound or notice crumbling wood, termites could be the cause. Termite feeding can hollow out wood, leaving it weak and fragile.
  • Discarded Wings: After swarmers mate, they shed their wings. Finding piles of discarded wings near windowsills or doors is often a sign of an active infestation.
  • Bubbling or Peeling Paint: Termite activity can cause moisture buildup behind the paint, resulting in bubbling or peeling. This could indicate an infestation behind the walls.

The Dangers of Termite Damage

Termites are notorious for causing significant structural damage, often before homeowners realize they have an issue. Left untreated, termites can undermine the integrity of your home, leading to costly repairs. In extreme cases, severe termite infestations can weaken support beams and even cause buildings to collapse.

The financial cost of termite damage is staggering. According to the National Pest Management Association, the average cost to repair termite damage is $3,000, but this figure can vary widely depending on the extent of the damage and the type of treatment required.

Preventing Termite Infestations in Cincinnati

The good news is that you can take several steps to reduce the risk of termite infestations in your Cincinnati home:

  1. Regular Inspections: Having your home inspected by a professional pest control company at least once a year can help identify any termite activity early. Early detection is key to minimizing damage and avoiding expensive repairs.
  2. Maintain a Dry Environment: Termites are attracted to moisture. Fix any leaking pipes, gutters, or faucets around your home. Make sure that your crawl spaces and basement are well-ventilated and dry.
  3. Seal Entry Points: Termites can enter your home through small cracks in the foundation or gaps around windows and doors. Seal these areas to prevent termites from getting inside.
  4. Eliminate Wood-to-Ground Contact: Termites need a direct pathway to wood to feed on it. Make sure that wood piles, firewood, and mulch are kept away from the foundation of your home. Avoid storing wooden materials directly on the ground.
  5. Consider a Termite Barrier: In areas with high termite activity, homeowners may want to consider installing a termite barrier around their property. These barriers, such as liquid treatments or bait stations, can help prevent termites from entering your home.

Treatment Options for Termite Infestations

If you suspect you have a termite infestation, it’s crucial to act quickly. There are several treatment options available:

  1. Chemical Treatments: Liquid termiticides are applied around the foundation of your home to create a barrier that repels or kills termites. This can be an effective long-term solution for preventing infestations.
  2. Baiting Systems: Bait stations are placed around your property and contain slow-acting poison that termites carry back to their colony, ultimately killing the entire colony over time.

Conclusion

Termites are a persistent and costly problem for homeowners in Cincinnati. However, with the right preventive measures from Sure Thing Pest Control and early detection, you can protect your property from their damaging effects. Regular inspections, moisture control, and proper maintenance can significantly reduce the risk of infestation. If you suspect termites, it’s essential to consult with a professional pest control service to ensure that your home remains safe and structurally sound.

By staying informed and proactive, you can help protect your Cincinnati home from these destructive pests.

These Little Red Ants

Those little red ants you’re seeing on the concrete may not be ants… They’re actually clover mites…..

Clover mites are accidental invaders that can be nuisances during the early spring and occasionally in the fall. They are very small, reddish-brown creatures that appear only as moving dark spots to the naked eye. Sheer numbers, plus the resulting red-brown stain left behind if they are crushed, make them unwelcome visitors. The red stains are not blood, they are the mite’s body pigments. Clover mites are not blood feeders and will not harm people or pets, nor will they infest household products. Once inside a home or building, they will soon die. 

As the name implies, clover mites feed on clover and grasses. They can be especially abundant in the heavy, succulent growth of well-fertilized lawns. Clover mites usually enter a home around windows or doors so they are usually seen crawling along sills or thresholds. Clover mites can crawl up outside walls and may enter the buildings at upper levels. 

Clover mites are a temporary nuisance; they appear suddenly and then are gone. A soapy rag or wet sponge can be used to clean mites off of surfaces. Wipe carefully to avoid crushing the mites and causing stains. The crevice tool of a vacuum cleaner may also be used to pick up mites. Rely on non-chemical control indoors. Do not apply insecticides to kitchen counters or other interior surfaces. 

There is an increased potential for invading structures when grass extends up to the foundation. A plant bed or open area will provide a barrier that will stop many mites and provide a long-term solution to persistent problems. Avoid overfertilizing lawns. This creates situations that are ideal for mites to increase to tremendous numbers. 

Mites seen on the outside of buildings can be killed with a direct spray of insecticidal soap or regular liquid dish-washing soap at the rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. This treatment will not provide any residual control. 

by Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture 

Customer Portal to Better Serve You

We’re excited to announce that our online customer portal is fully functional to better serve you.

View payments and service history

Request estimates and service calls

Make secure online payments

Set up autopay for scheduled payments

Get pest prevention tips

To enroll your account online you’ll need to:

  1. Visit our website “SureThingPC.com
  2. Click on the “my account” tab
  3. Under the “Sign In” section on the right side of the screen click the “Create New Account” button
  4. At this point, you’ll need to enter your customer #, Street # (do not enter your street, just your street #), Zip code and then the email you wish to use to access your account
  5. You’ll need to access your email that you registered with. You should receive a confirmation email from customerportal@surething. Click the link in this email and you’ll be redirected to finish your registration.
  6. Create a password for your account. You should be redirected to your newly created customer portal page. (If you’re not redirected you’ll need to go back to the “my account” tab on our webpage and sign in from there using your email and newly created password.)

If you have any questions about registering your account or run into any issues please reach out to Corbin at 513.247.0030.

A New Site For Sure Thing Pest Control

At Sure Thing Pest Control, we’re excited to welcome you to our new website. Since our inception, we have been a committed company to quality service with guaranteed results—this website will act as a reflection of that.

Developed to teach our customers more about the common pests found in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area, this website helps with the first steps of pest control—knowing the pest. In our new Navigation bar, you will find a section titled Pest Library. In this section, you will find encyclopedic information for the pests that seem to bug home and business owners the most often. Some of the information we include is tips on how to prevent each creepy-crawler. This is so you can do some do-it-yourself pest control if you’d like.

We do understand, however, that some infestations require professional attention. When it comes to the harder-to-get-rid-of pests like Termites or Bed Bugs, we’ve dedicated entire sections to them. In each section, we talk about the professional pest control service we offer titled The Sure Cure.

The Sure Cure is customized based on your pest control needs, but we do list the basic steps of what actions we will take for each pest on our website. This is so you are aware of what we will be doing before we ever arrive at your home or business.

Do you think your home or business requires The Sure Cure? If so, you can email us at customerservice@surethingpc.com or call us at 513.247.0030.

Tell us what’s bugging you.

Otherwise, enjoy our new and improved website.