UNINVITED GUESTS HAVE ARRIVED ... : AND THEY'RE HUNGRY, SO BE ON LOOKOUT, SAY TERMITE EXPERTS.Byline: Lori Moody Daily News Staff Writer Donna Pohle could handle the water leak that prompted recent repairs to the bathroom of her master bedroom. It was the unwanted guests that gave her the willies wil·lies pl.n. Slang Feelings of uneasiness. Often used with the: The dark, dank cave gave me the willies. [Origin unknown. . She discovered during the work that subterranean termites had chomped away at the wood framing of her shower. ``When we lifted up the tile, it looked like a beehive Beehive (star cluster): see Praesepe. beehive heraldic and verbal symbol. [Western Folklore: Jobes, 193] See : Industriousness ,'' the 38-year-old West Hills resident said. ``I was a little startled star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. , and a little angry. Here you take a shower every day and here there are all these little creatures.'' About $500 later, Pohle could breathe a sigh of relief. Not so for other homeowners. Because they're coming. Local pest control pest control n → control m de plagas pest control n → lutte f contre les nuisibles pest control pest n companies say they are gearing up for an onslaught of calls from horrified hor·ri·fy tr.v. hor·ri·fied, hor·ri·fy·ing, hor·ri·fies 1. To cause to feel horror. See Synonyms at dismay. 2. To cause unpleasant surprise to; shock. residents faced with swarming subterranean termites as the prime season approaches. Conditions - warmer temperatures following a period of humidity - are ideal for the tiny creatures, known as the reproductives in termite termite or white ant, common name for a soft-bodied social insect of the order Isoptera. Termites are easily distinguished from ants by comparison of the base of the abdomen, which is broadly joined to the thorax in termites; in ants, there is society, who fly from their underground colonies in search of a good time with the opposite sex before settling down to form a new home. Once they make themselves at home, of course, they eat, and eat, and eat. Wood beams, wood furniture, cardboard, books and anything else containing cellulose. ``When it hits, the phone just lights up,'' said John Cook, branch manager of the Chatsworth office of Terminix International, who is beefing up his staff from one to six for the next four months to handle the calls for help. Although conditions this spring seem ripe for termites to swarm, insect experts say it is difficult to predict the severity of the approaching season. Termites cause most of the estimated $350 million in damage done by wood-destroying insects each year statewide, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Pest Control Operators of California. Nationally, Orkin Pest Control places Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. second only to Miami in its top 10 list of cities that suffer the highest amount of termite damage. And no one is immune. When it comes to termites, there are three kinds of homes, said Luis De La Cruz de la Cruz is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning 'of The Cross.'
``The house that has termites, the house that had termites and the house that will have termites,'' he said. ``Every house somehow has had the experience or will have.'' Two types of termites Locally, residents need to be concerned with two types of termites. Subterranean termites, which need moisture, live underground and build mudlike tunnels, often found on walls or on concrete, to travel from their nest to a food source. Drywood termites make their nests in the wood and eat from the inside out. Subterranean termites swarm in spring and fall. Drywood termites generally swarm in smaller numbers during warmer summer months. ``If you have a subterranean termite infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. , you have to jump on it very quickly,'' said Jeff Humphreys, supervising inspector with the county agricultural commissioner's office. ``The amount of food they need to take in can cause a lot of damage very quickly. They need a lot of cellulose to maintain their colony. Drywood colonies are smaller. You don't need to jump on it as quickly.'' Still, a swarm sighting is no reason to panic, said Don Reierson, staff research associate in the Department of Entomology entomology, study of insects, an arthropod class that comprises about 900,000 known species, representing about three fourths of all the classified animal species. at the University of California, Riverside The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of ten campuses of the University of California system. . Reierson said homeowners should trace the source of swarmers, if possible, or seek professional assistance before taking further action. Tales of the damage wrought by termites sound like something out of a bad B movie. Humphreys recalled one demonstration by a pest control company at a house in Commerce. `House was leaning' ``There was so much damage, the house was actually leaning,'' he said. Terminix International's Cook said he was summoned to a home where subterranean termites came up through a crack in the slab, ate through the carpeting and munched their way into the bottom of a couch. ``We moved the couch and it collapsed,'' he said. At another home, Cook discovered mud tubes running between the wall and the back of a refrigerator after hearing the clicking sound of the insects. When the refrigerator was pulled away from the wall, the wall went with it. ``(The homeowner) was freaking freak·ing adv. & adj. Slang Used as an intensive: Traffic was a freaking nightmare. [Alteration of frigging, present participle of frig.] out,'' he said. ``She wanted us to take care of it right then and there.'' Tony Jimenez, termite manager for Antimite in Burbank, said homeowners often don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. they have termites until they see a swarm. ``The termites start swarming outside or come through a slab,'' he said. ``Usually, people notice through their windows. ... People think they're going to bite you or eat their house down.'' And then they get out their favorite bug spray. ``They will spray with Raid, with this or that, not knowing the colony continues to be active,'' De La Cruz said. ``The colony stays behind. They go into denial, `I don't have termites. I killed them.' '' So how can you tell if your home might be infested in·fest tr.v. in·fest·ed, in·fest·ing, in·fests 1. To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious: ? Dirt or mudlike tubes are a good clue. Wings or sawdustlike droppings near windows or doors, tiny holes on wood and flying termites in the house, particularly near light, are other ways. But because of the difficulty in detection, pest control companies recommend regular inspections from trained personnel. ``Generally, a person doesn't have an inspection until they're ready to sell a home,'' said Harvey Logan Harvey Logan, (1867 - June 17, 1904) also known as Kid Curry, was a notorious outlaw and gunman who ran with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang. , executive vice president of Pest Control Operators. ``We recommend an inspection every other year. If you nip a problem in the bud, the cost (is reduced).'' Ridding your home of termites could cost up to $5,000, depending on the method of application and the extent of the infestation, De La Cruz said. Other pest control companies refused to state their costs because of the competitive nature of the work. Exterminators inject a chemical barrier to stop subterranean termites. The barrier can last several years but heat, sunlight and even earthquakes can cause it to break down. Pest controllers place ``tents'' or tarps over buildings and fumigate fu·mi·gate v. To subject to smoke or fumes, usually in order to exterminate pests or disinfect. fu inside to get rid of drywood termites. But to the homeowner's frustration, a house can be infested with both types of termites. ``The treatment for one doesn't do anything for the other,'' De La Cruz said. ``It may kill the subterranean termites in the house at the time of fumigation fumigation: see disinfectant. . Because the colony is underground, it doesn't kill those termites.'' So, be on the lookout for in search of; looking for. See also: Lookout unwanted visitors. Don't let your furniture be their feast. Unchecked, details really can bug you If you think you have termites and you need to call a pest control company, said Maureen Sharp, deputy registrar with the state Structural Pest Control Board. Sharp offers these suggestions: Ask friends and relatives for names of companies they've used. Once you find a company, check to see if it's licensed - and for how long - with the Pest Control Board. The board also can provide information about complaints against the company. Ask the company for references. Make sure estimates and inspection reports are in writing. ``One of our main thrusts is to protect the consumer from unscrupulous companies they may have the unfortunate chance of dealing with,'' Sharp said.``We receive approximately 1,100 to 1,200 complaints a year.'' The two most common complaints are about workmanship and that something was missed during a termite inspection, such as not identifying an infestation, she said. Customers who fail to resolve a problem with a company can contact the board to mediate the complaint. If that fails, the board may send out a specialist to inspect the property. The state Structural Pest Control Board can be reached by calling (800) 737-8188. CAPTION(S): Drawing, 2 Photos Drawing: (Cover--Color) PEST Controlled L.A. ranks second in the nation for terrorization by termites Bradford Mar/Daily News Photo: (1) Luis De La Cruz, owner of a Van Nuys-based termite control company, shows some termite damage on wooden studs in a Malibu condominium condominium In modern property law, individual ownership of one dwelling unit within a multidwelling building. Unit owners have undivided ownership interest in the land and those portions of the building shared in common. building. The wall was cut open for inspection. (2) Homeowners should trace the source of swarmers, if possible, or seek professional assistance before taking further action, says one entomology research associate. Evan Yee/Daily News Box: Unchecked, details really can bug you (See Text) |
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