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I just received a quote (almost $2K) for installation of bait stations. Can someone explain why this is so expensive? I do NOT currently have termites, this is for prevention.
I actually have bait stations installed from a previous exterminator, but no active service on them for 3 years. Are the stations proprietary?
Just trying to gather information before I call the exterminator and ask them.
Did you get bids from multiple companies? When I sought bids from pest companies for my house in Southern Arizona the bids were all over the map. We have tons of insects here and I opted for a quarterly treatment of general insects with a complete termite inspection added to the package annually. (At the time I started I had crickets in my duct work — very annoying!) The termite guy (not the same person as my quarterly spray guy) comes and inspects our house inside and outside (the crawl space, inside the closets, etc.), which adds $100 to what I pay for the quarterly treatments.
Since we never have hard freezes where I live, the termites are never killed off in winter. They live in the ground all year around and homes are very susceptible to termite damage. As long as we keep up our yearly inspection, it comes with a guarantee that the company will treat infestations at no extra cost.
I hired a local company that a lot of people in my neighborhood use. Its inspectors were all originally employed and trained by one of the nationally known pest companies. They left and started their own outfit and charge less than the place they used to work for.
Yeah, three bids is generally considered the minimum to set a contract. Ask around to find if there is a local company people like. The franchised ones can cost more unless you a major customer.
Bear in mind that bait stations only address one of the two most prevalent types of termite- subterranean and they cannot guarantee that the termites will be stopped. You can get a bid for annual treatment and inspection for both subterranean and dry-wood termites to compare and contrast with the information you are currently getting.
You need to know those bait stations do not prevent termites at all. There is no poison, no chemical that runs them off, it's a piece of wood product in the ground and the hope is that the termites will stop there before going to your house. It's an indicator, at best. And it doesn't always work either. Most termite companies will put these things out and if there is no termites in the bait station, they won't treat the house even if it's being eaten alive and about to fall down. Kinda stupid. Your best bet to avoid termites is to get out of the easy chair and learn how to use a hose end sprayer. You can buy a termiticide at any of the big box stores. Follow the easy instructions on the bottle and you've done FAR more for yourself for 30 bucks than an expensive termite company will ever do for you. A termite company cannot spray unless they find active termites in the house. The chemicals used is considered a ground pollutant. The over the counter termiticides are pretty much the same as the professional ones. All of them are no longer a Chloro based chemical and most are a permethrin. That makes it pretty much magnum Raid. It's safe to use and won't kill you but it's hard on termites and whatever else you have in the way of insects. Unless you're a complete moron and can't follow simple instructions, here's the fix for termites. The termite companies are a major scam. Don't be a target. The chemical they use runs about $125.00 per gallon. That makes 100 gallons of spray or injectable solution. A new spray rig will all of the tools can be had for about 4 grand. A rig can last decades. So you have an idea how much profit there is in termites. It's huge.The termite inspections and renewals are nothing but a guy walking a round with a flashlight looking for swarm castles. You can do the same thing. All you have to do is look up on the internet what a swarm castle is, what it looks like, get a flashlight and look yourself. This isn't rocket science here. Most of the guys doing these inspections never graduated high school. Another side effect of doing your own termite spraying as a preventative- you won't have bugs at all once you've killed all that are in the house. So pay 30 bucks and get out of the house or spend hundreds for a dog and pony show or possibly thousands for next to nothing. Seems pretty simple to me but then I'm not lazy. https://www.google.com/search?q=term...HXzUBVQQsAQIIw
Yes, I know this doesn't cover Formosan termites. But keeping a barrier around your house like annual spraying will keep them away. They would prefer to go some place where they don't have to fight the chemical to stay alive. Subterranean are the most common termites and this works great for them.
We live in the south, and a termite bond is needed to sell. We pay $310/yr for the bond. We have bait stations all around our yard, but it's kind of a joke. If they look nibbled on, then we have termites. If not, all is well.
Just got my Terminate Bond for $193.00 per year. Near impossible to sell a home in the south without one.
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