If My Neighbor Has Termites, Should I Worry?

You're lucky to ever see termites

Subterranean termites live in the ground. When they feed on wood, they do so from the inside out. You're not likely to ever see worker termites because they live their entire lives in darkness, avoiding the light as much as possible. They don't even come out in the moonlight. They're typically seen by accident. For example, moving the soil around your home’s foundation can reveal worker termites.

There are more termites you're not seeing

When a handful of worker termites are found, you can be sure that thousands more are underground or are off-foraging. Termite colonies are large. A single colony can have thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even over a million individual termites. If you find termites in your yard, you should take advantage of the warning and contact a certified termite control professional.

Are my neighbor's termites my concern?

Subterranean termites travel as far as a hundred yards searching for food sources. Is the location where your neighbor found the termites more than a football field away from your home? If not, that colony can feed on your property from that distance, so there’s reason to be concerned.

Termites feed on more than one source

When termites find a food source, they recruit other termites to feed on it—in the same way ants do. But termites don't focus on just one food source. While devouring the first and recruiting other workers to collect the resource, some continue searching for food. When these workers find another food source, they do the same thing. One colony can feed on more than one house at the same time.

Termites spread out

Subterranean termites don't "pass-through" a property; they take root. A colony will grow, expand, and replicate—it is the cycle of life for termites. When a colony matures, it sends out swarmers (winged termites) to establish new colonies. It is, however, possible to have a new nest develop under the ground in your yard without ever seeing a single swarmer appear.

When a colony releases swarmers, they seek mates and establish new colonies nearby. Depending on the maturity of the nest, this could result in your neighbor’s termite issue becoming your own.

What can you do about termites?

Termites are always active. It would be best if you had equally active termite protection. The Sentricon® System with Always Active technology provides your home with ongoing termite protection. Here's how it works:

• Bait stations are placed in the ground to create an invisible barrier around your home.
• When termites explore your property, they find the bait stations.
• The bait in the Sentricon® System is scientifically proven more attractive to termites than wood.
• When the worker termites take the bait, they return the active ingredient to the colony's heart and feed it to the other nest members.
• Exposure to the active ingredient leads to colony elimination.
• The active ingredient in Sentricon® is undetectable to termites, and the food source offered is delicious and desirable to them.
• Unlike other termite control solutions, the Sentricon® System doesn't wear out over time.
• The Sentricon® System provides straightforward monitoring and detection. If termites try to feed on your home, your technician will let you know.
• When properly maintained by a Certified Sentricon® Installer, this award-winning termite control system will protect your property.

Okay. Let's get back to the question presented above. Do you have to worry about your neighbor's termites? Not when you contact Miller Pest & Termite. We provide the best termite control in Omaha, Kansas City, and Des Moines, as well as throughout our Midwest service area. Using the tried-and-true Sentricon System, you can depend on our locally owned and family-operated pest control company to stop termites from making a meal out of your home. If your neighbor has reported termite activity on their property or if you’ve noticed signs of termites in or around your home, call us today! You can also fill out the form below, and a friendly customer service representative will reach out.

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Miller Pest & Termite is a Certified Sentricon® Installer with over two decades of experience and 5 out of 5 stars on over 1,250 reviews with Trustindex. You are in expert hands. Connect with us today!