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The Trouble With Termites
The Insect With an Appetite for Your Home By Lisa Marie Metzler
Living in northern Michigan, the thought of termite infestation had never occurred to me until we wanted to purchase a home. The lender requested a termite inspection. Termites in Michigan? I always thought termites were found in warm and humid states only. However, I learned that termites can be found in every state except Alaska. The hardest hit states are Hawaii and the entire Southeast region of the United States.
Luckily, our new home is termite free, but not everyone in a northern climate is as fortunate. Hannah Hayes and her husband of Chicago, Ill., moved into his grandmother's home when his grandmother was admitted to a nursing home. But termites claimed their stake first and destroyed a cabinet and some books. So far it has cost the Hayes $1,500 in exterminator fees.
In comparison, the Formosan variety is much more aggressive. "An average colony of Formosans can consume up to 13 ounces of wood per day, and the queen can produce as many as 1,000 eggs per day, " says Karl Kisner, senior marketing manager for the Professional Pest Control Division of BASF. The Formosan is often referred to as the "super termite," as it works faster and lives in bigger colonies, which equals a voracious appetite for wood. This variety has been found in the Southeast and in Hawaii.
What You Don't See Can Damage Your Home
Termites will go to great lengths to avoid detection, as they avoid any kind of light. While the termite is busy chewing and reproducing, a home can incur severe structural damage before a homeowner detects termites. "I know of one homeowner whose house looked absolutely free of termites until the inspector pushed a pencil right through one of her front porch pillars," says Kisner. "The termites had devoured all of the wood, leaving only the paint veneer untouched for protection."
Elizabeth Allen, a Florida resident, says termites caused extensive damage to their home. "We have had damage in 13 out of 15 rooms," she says. "It is a nightmare. We have had complete walls torn out and lived with our house in a state of chaos and disrepair." Her experience led her to found the Homeowners Protection Association