Termite Control

Did you know every year, over 600,000 U.S. homeowners find termite damage in their home and Georgia is ranked 2nd in the nation for termite activity? The annual cost to U.S. homeowners to repair this damage is $1.5 billion. Homeowner's insurance covers losses due to fires, floods and earthquakes but does not cover termite damage.

Alternative Pest Control believes that in most cases liquid treatments are the best solution for termite control. We use only top products in the industry: Termidor and Premise. In a few situations, a traditional liquid treatment may not be practical, in which case we will install a baiting system as the primary treatment but add a liquid treatment to the outside perimeter for extra insurance. We also offer repairs for termite damage, and for structures with a crawl space, we can add ventilation or a moisture barrier.

Because of our long-term success in termite control, we are able to get a low rate on our termite damage insurance. We guarantee that our termite bond renewal rates will remain below industry average. (Current average annual renewal fee is $125.00.) We would like to have the opportunity to come to your home and give you a quote for termite protection. Just give us a call - there is no obligation! Contact Us.

Termidor

Termidor is the most effective chemical for termite control ever developed. It is a non-repellent chemical, which means the termites don't realize that they have come in contact with it. It is also easily transferred from one termite to another. Termidor is an enzyme that causes termites to stop eating, not a poison that kills on contact. Individual termites contact the Termidor and carry it back to the colony. Termidor is then spread through the population, causing the colony to starve. In laboratory tests, the longest it took for an entire colony to die was three months.

European tests have proven Termidor to be 100% effective for 12 years and counting. The EPA has been testing it for 10 years with the same results. Our damage bonds say APC will cover a Termidor treatment for at least 10 years but we expect that time period to be extended. If you would like to get more information, please visit www.termidorhome.com/partners.

New Construction Pre-Treatments

Alternative Pest Control offers residential and commercial termite pre-construction treatments. The best time to protect your investment from termites is before the foundation is poured. A pre-treat is done when the ground is prepped and ready for the foundation to be poured. We treat the soil under the foundation before the house is built. After the soil is treated, it is covered with plastic, then the slab is poured. Towards the end of construction, we return to treat the outside perimeter. This will take place before the driveway or any patio slabs are poured but after the landscaping is completed. If you have any further question or need a quote, please call us!

Termite Bonds

There are two different types of termite treatment guarantees in the pest control industry. One is a re-treat only agreement, which obligates the termite company to retreat the area of infestation when it is found but the property owner has to repair any damage done by the termites. The other is a re-treatment and repair guarantee, which requires the termite company to retreat the infestation and their insurance company to repair the damage caused by the termites.

All damage bonds are not created equally. Most damage bonds are complex with many exclusions and conditions and some even have deductibles that you have to pay. Our damage bond is the simplest and most straightforward repair guarantee that we have ever seen. We are backed by a third party insurance company for at least $100,000 for ten years as long as the annual renewals are paid.

In February of 2008 APC became the only company in our area (to our knowledge) to offer a double your money back guarantee. We want our customers to know that we wholeheartedly believe in our ability to stop termites. Most damage warrantees require you to pay the first several hundred dollars of termite repair cost. We think we have the best termite treatment around and we back it up with the best guarantee available.

Termite Letters

The Official Georgia Wood Infestation Report is a document that is sometimes required for the sale of property in the state of Georgia. It is a standardized report that states whether or not there is evidence of any active or previous infestations of subterranean termites, powder post beetles, wood boring beetles, dry wood termites and wood decaying fungus (not molds and mildews). The report also lists if there are any favorable conditions for wood-destroying organisms.

This letter will let you know if the home has been treated for any of the above wood-destroying organisms and when the contract expires. The home has to have a full visual inspection before a report can be issued. The report will state the seller's name, buyer's name and date of issuance. The inspection has to be done within 30 days of closing. If you have any further questions, please call us!

Is Swarming Your Problem? Are you seeing any of the following?

• Winged ant-like insects crawling or flying around your home?
• Are they dropping their wings?
• Some may have wings and others may not.
• Usually ½-inch in length.
• Are they located near a wall void, a doorway or in a window sill?

You could be seeing swarming TERMITES or maybe just some swarming ANTS. Use the picture to help you determine which. The winged ant has a waist between the thorax and the abdomen. The termite has a straight, long abdomen with no waist. The wings on a termite swarmer are twice as long as the body. Ant wings are just slightly longer than the body.