Termite Swarms – Protecting Your Property

With the start of summer, we have been busy with all the things that the warmer weather brings such as taking care of lawns, and all the creepy crawlies that come out when things warm up.

We would like to take this time to remind you as owners that this is the time when termites have started swarming and recolonizing. Subterranean termites, including Formosan termites, do tremendous damage in our region of Florida each year. We have started receiving calls from tenants concerned when they start seeing them in or around their homes. Because of this, it is also the time to make sure your property is protected. If you do not currently have an annual termite treatment plan on your property or a pest service company that services your property for wood-destroying organisms/insects such as these, we highly recommend it. It is recommended that if you do not have a wood repair bond on your property (or want to pay for one) that you at least treat your property at least every five years. Did you know that with residential rental properties, the tenants are responsible for maintaining a property in the condition they receive it in and that does include handling some types of insects and rodent control, however, does not include wood-destroying organisms as this is always an owners responsibility. You will find this checked off on the lease agreements you sign with each tenant under the section for maintenance. One company we spoke with, Tombstone Pest Control, offers free termite inspections but does not do wood repair bonds. They will treat your property once every five years if you wish to go this route, or they recommend Fla. Pest Control if you are more comfortable with a repair bond and services every year.

As there are several different plans and programs offered, we recommend quoting around for service companies in the area of your property to provide whatever level of service you feel is best for you and the type of property you own. Once you decide on what is best for you, we can assist by helping coordinate the contracting, ensuring property access, and maintaining records of the contract and the financial records for taxes.

If you run into difficulty or need help with this and would like our assistance with setting up services, please send us a message and we will be happy to assist you in this process the best we can.

One company we spoke with, Tombstone Pest Control, offers free termite inspections but does not do wood repair bonds. They will treat your property once every five years if you wish to go this route, or they recommend Fla. Pest Control if you are more comfortable with a repair bond and services every year.

*these are our opinions and are based on our research and experience only, however, we are not experts in pest control, so it is always suggested to always refer to a specialist in the industry with any specific questions or concerns you might have regarding your property.