Termite inspection complete - does this sound right?
Terminex completed its inspection of our house-in-contract. The inspector did not find any evidence of active termites but did find very old signs of termite presence at one time (this is consistent with what our inspector said, though the Terminex guy found the signs in different areas of the cellar). He is recommending that we…
Terminex completed its inspection of our house-in-contract. The inspector did not find any evidence of active termites but did find very old signs of termite presence at one time (this is consistent with what our inspector said, though the Terminex guy found the signs in different areas of the cellar). He is recommending that we bore six holes into the cement-covered area which abuts the house at the front, and dig six to eight cylinder-sized holes along the rear of the house where the back wall meets the ground. He wants to put pesticide granules down these holes as ‘treatment’.
Does this sound right to you? I’m suspicious about anyone putting pesticides into the ground without there being evidence of a single active termite. We’re more than willing to get another non-Terminex inspector in but want to know if this is a standard precaution or if Terminex is pulling our chains.
Thanks in advance.
The bank may need you to provide proof of treatment because signs were found during inspection. We had that happen when we had nothing but old evidence but no new activity.
I’ve heard mixed things about Terminex. In one example, my coworker had a massive flea infestation last week. Terminex treated by tenting and fumigating and then she was told it was safe to move back in. According to Terminex, the fleas were supposed to be gone but the infestation remains. She’s spending the day finding an place to stay for a week. So, i’d shop around if you aren’t getting a good feeling from them.
This is the treatment they use for termites. We’ve used them in the past and they bored a couple holes in the front yard, a couple in back, filled them with bait, and then they’re supposed to monitor them. I say “supposed to” because their follow-up service leaves much to be desired. That said, our house has no termites now (did before). Based on my experience, I would tell you to go with another exterminator. Terminix doesn’t follow up when they say they will and you end up having to chase them down to make an appointment for them to check the baits. Take a pass on these guys…
You should get another opinion. Last year I called Terminix because we had what we believed to be carpenter ants in the cellar. To make a very long story short, they did not deliver on their promises…i.e., they never showed up for the second, contracted-for visit, or any follow-up whatsoever. The technician who came for the first visit had to call the Terminix office (in Staten Island) for instructions on what to do and how to do it. We had paid in full on our credit card, and then disputed the charge via Citibank and sent Terminix a couple of letters. Net-net, we got a full refund from Terminix for failure to deliver. Needless to say, I will never call them again; I called a local exterminator in CG instead.
When we had termintes, we met with Terminix and their whole pitch seemed like a scam to me.
If you dont have termites, they are probably just trying to sell you a treatment b/c they know you’d rather be safe than sorry.