Termites...How fast can they infest?

[jbd222]

I bought a house 10 months ago and now there are termites. Prior to buying the home, a pest inspection was done and there were some drywood termites discovered on the deck and the deck was replaced. There were also some area conditions deemed likely to lead to infestation or infection (water stains and fungus), but where no visible evidence of termites found.

The inspector informed me that the house was in buying condition in regards to termites, however now I have a major termite problem on my hands.

Can termites infest this quickly after inspection?? Am I protected by any California Real Estate laws?

Thanks,

jbd222

[twelvepole]

Termites are always foraging in the soil and looking for cellulose to fill their bellies. The work 24/7. You can have none one day and then they are there the next if your structure has not been properly treated. If you purchased your home and it was inspected, did you maintain the contract? It is extremely important to maintain termite inspection and treatment contracts. Termite treatments involve termiticide applications into soil along foundation inside and outside. If on slab, drilling will be required into slab.

Termites go back to the age of the dinosaurs. They do more damage to homes than fire or flood. Termites are brilliant when it comes to finding ways of getting into buildings without being seen while they do their destructive work. Single colonies of termites have been known to have as many as one million members.

A normal colony eats about 1 pound of wood a year. That's about 6 inches of a 2x4. The real concern, when termites do a lot of damage is if there is a moisture problem in the same area. Then they will go like fire, or if they are left alone for a longer period of time. It is extremely important that you address moisture issues around your home. Gutters and downspouts need to be clear and carry water away from structure. Soil needs to be sloped to carry away rain. Avoid splash guards. Downspouts should be drained underground out into yard at a minimum of 4 feet from foundation. Crawl space should be dry, well-ventilated with no dead air spaces and covered with plastic vapor retarder. Basements should be dry.

Bait stations should never be used as a stand-alone prevention. They can be used in addition to traditional treatments. The concern is that termites may not discover the bait station. And, they would most certainly never leave your tasty structure to visit a bait station.

It is always a good idea to know your own reliable termite person. If you do not, then you need to make sure that the guy who has the license is on the job, not just a company employee. When buying a home, it is recommended that you have your own termite person do the inspection. Your home will not be eaten up today, tomorrow, or next week, but find a company you can trust and maintain contract for inspections and treatments. This is important to protect your hard-earned investiment in your home.

[razz]

Drywood termites (as opposed to subterranean termites) can infest an area immediately after treatment. They need no path from the ground, nor an existing colony to start from, so barriers are ineffective. Unpainted, untreated wood with nail holes will do just fine, which exlpains why they were found in your deck. Your pest control service will help you deal with them.

[dummy7]

another newbie here, terribly good information in this ..terribly good, just awesome....

have been reading about termites getting into slabs...I am wondering...I live in a house, 2 years old..theyput in a slab for the floor...they dug it out, put in footings, and foundation like for a normal wood floor, but then filled the inside of that foundation, with rock, gravel, etc, and the top layer was 4" of cement...which is the floor of the house...am I reading that termites will come up thru all that????? or am I reading too much...thanks for anyone who has any idea on this....

pjay....