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Termite Control in Southern California & Treasure Valley, ID
Professional Termite Inspection, Treatment & Prevention in Ventura County
Termites are a very common type of pest that can infest a building. When termites infest a home or office it can drastically damage the structure of the building. This is why we proudly offer termite control services in Southern California & Treasure Valley, Idaho. Our experienced teams are ready to schedule an appointment for termite control in Ventura today, so don't hesitate to call.
Different termites act differently. The three most common termites the pest control experts at J&J Termite and Pest Control work to eliminate are Dampwood Termites, Western Drywood Termites, and Western Subterranean Termites.
In need of termite control in Southern California & Treasure Valley, ID? Call (805) 900-4008 or contact online today to learn more!
Dampwood Termites
Dampwood termites eat across the grain, consuming both spring and summer wood. By doing this, they make a series of chambers/galleries connected by tunnels whose walls are smooth as if finely sandpapered. There is no soil in the galleries, but if conditions are extremely damp, the fecal pellets will stick to the gallery walls and/or form clumps or paste. If conditions are dry, the fecal pellets accumulate at the bottom of the galleries or are expelled the same way as drywood termites do. They use their fecal pellets to seal off galleries or wood, similar to the way subterraneans use soil.
Swarming occurs at dusk or at night, and the swarmers are attracted to lights. The time of year varies with the termite family involved. Pacific Dampwood swarms mainly in August-October.
Dampwood Termite control consists of elimination of the moisture source and all wood-to-ground contact. Infested wood should be replaced or treated. Local treatment of the soil and/or wood may be desirable with appropriately-labeled pesticides/termiticides.
Give us a call today at (805) 900-4008 or contact us online today to schedule an appointment for termite control in Ventura!
Western Drywood Termites
Drywood termites eat across the wood grain and make chambers and/or galleries connected by tunnels. Their gallery and tunnel walls are velvety smooth, and no soil is present. Usually there are fecal pellets present which are hard, less than 1/32” long, elongate-oval with rounded ends, and have 6 concave sides. Signs of infestation include swarmers, shed wings, piles of pellets, termite plugs which seal all openings in infested wood, and surface blisters caused by older enlarged galleries very close to the wood surface. Damage to wood occurs slowly.
Under optimal conditions of 80-90 degrees and 50% relative humidity, it has been estimated that one drywood termite eats about 0.59mg of wood per day. Therefore, a colony of 1,000 mature nymphs would consume about ½ pound of wood in a year. Be aware that it would take a drywood colony about 7+ years to reach this size. Swarmers often reinfest the same structure. Annual damage and treatment costs in California and Arizona are estimated (2006) to be $250 million.
Swarming drywood termites fly into structures and infest wood directly. When swarming, they often reinfest the same structure. They typically first invest exposed wood such as window/door frames, trim, eaves, attics, etc.
Since infestation is direct and not via the ground, the most successful methods of for this kind of termite control are fumigation, or local treatment or replacement of the infested wood. Fumigation is recommended if infestations are widespread and/or difficult to access whereas, local treatment with pesticides or other means is prudent where infestations are isolated and accessible. Localized infestations may be treated via intergallery injection or surface treatment with pesticides which are labeled for these termites.
Hear from Our Pest-Free Customers
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“J&J was immediately in contact with me, was polite, professional, and highly communicative at all times, kept all his promises, offered a fair price for the inspection and repairs, and even helped me source a reliable local contractor.”
Joe R. -
“J&J Termite and Pest Control has taken care of my home for years. I have always found their service to be timely, professional, friendly and affordable. I trust them completely.”
Robin H. -
“If you are in the military, use this company! They offer a generous military discount.”
Jessica L. -
“Really glad we found them as they did some great work for a good price. Customer service was impeccable as well.”
Jonathan J. -
“They are the first guys I call when I have a critter issue (and out here we have them quite often) and we use their monthly service to make sure the rats don't come back. (They haven't.)”
Robin H. -
“After working with several different termite inspectors we were lucky to have found J&J as they had appointments available right away, they showed up on time, and had reports out the next day. Will no longer need to shop around. Thank you J&J!”
Jessica P. -
“J&J Termite was very professional, personal, and quick to respond to questions. Jim made it very easy and educated us on what to expect.”
Jeff N. -
“The crew at J&J are truly remarkable! We have been using their services for years. They are friendly and courteous!”
Essie S.
Western Subterranean Termite
Subterranean termites eat mostly the spring wood, which they prefer over the harder summer wood. Hence, damaged wood appears to be layered. Sometimes soil is present in the galleries.
Colonies are usually located in the ground. Location is usually below the frost line, but above the water table and rock formations. Mud tubes are built to cross areas of adverse conditions between the colony and food sources. They can enter structures through cracks less than 1/16” wide. However, if a constant source of moisture is available (i.e. leaky pipes), colonies (called secondary colonies) can exist above ground and without ground contact.
Control involves placing a chemical treatment zone and/or an in-ground monitoring-baiting system between the termite colony and the wood of the structure. In addition, all wood-to-soil contact should be eliminated, any wood debris must be removed, and the wood moisture content should be reduced to below 20%. Secondary colonies are controlled by correcting the moisture problem to dry out the moisture-source area. When it is desirable to rapidly reduce the secondary infestation, this can be done by intergallery injection or surface treatment with a pesticide labeled for these termites. Also available are above-ground baiting systems that are placed directly on the infested wood.
If you're having issues with any of these pests, give our Ventura County office a call at (805) 900-4008 or our Treasure Valley office a call at (208) 408-1992. You can also send us a message online to get started!
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