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I just purchased a home in Northport in Oct and we had it inspected of course no sign of termites and this weekend we had a termite swarm. I had 2 companies come and give me an estimate Terminix and Suburban. Both came up with the same price for the service. I have been doing some research online and Terminix has tons of complaints and the system that Suburban uses which is the Sentricon system has been listed as a scam. It's a lot of money and I just wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions or experiences with either company. Thank you.
This is definitely termite swarm season (the first reallly warm days each spring -- this weekend will see tons of people having the same unnerving experience!).
I'm not sure if banks nowadays still require a termite certificate or simply just an inspection saying there is no evidence of an active infestation (with the usual list of caveats of why 30-50% of the house could not be inspected because those areas were "inaccessible").
Hopefully you did get something from the seller's termite company if they had one.
My nephew just bought a house and the termite contract from Terminix is supposedly being transferred over to him. Whenever it runs out he's planning to see if another company can take it over because Terminix does have a not so good rep when it comes to termite control (ironically enough). You may be better off with a small local company.
Stay away from the Sentricon system; those bait stations are leased, you do not own them, so if you decide to switch companies the installing company comes over and rips them all out. The Bayer Advance bait system is much better and you own them outright and can then use whatever company you want for monitoring in the future.
thanks this was our first home purchase so we def have learned a lot. We have the
inspection saying there is no evidence of an active infestation (with the usual list of caveats of why 30-50% of the house could not be inspected because those areas were "inaccessible"). So we have no recourse. I just need to make sure we get the right company it's so much money I want to choose the right system that actually does the job.
Typically, when you close you will also receive a one year warranty against termites from the company that did the inspection. It doesn't matter if some areas were inaccessible. If so, you should go back to them.
That being said, don't let the termites freak you out. Go with a big reputable company.
Also, try to ascertain where the termites are entering your house from. One area that is particularly vulnernable is is you have a brick or cement stoop. These are usually filled with sand, which give the termites easy access to the house.
Have been warned by home inspectors that the bait systems are really just "inviting" termites from neighbors' homes to your home. The bait traps actually supply food to the termites. So when the company comes to check on the bait and finds activity, they replace the food with poison which the termites are then supposed to return to their colony.
I prefer one-time treatments/spraying with monitoring by the company.
Sentricon is not a scam as a termite system. I can't speak for any company however. Where you are though your bait system will be useless in the cold winter months. You may want to check out a liquid termite treatment around the foundation of your home. I'd insist on Termidor or Premise and you should be fine. If you need more info on baiting, check out this article and see if helps you make up your mind. Termites: To bait or not to bait | Pest Cemetery
have them use the chemical injected into the ground. stay away from baiting systems, they suck. the chemical will kill them, and last for years. baiting systems are hit or miss, most times miss.
I just purchased a home in Northport in Oct and we had it inspected of course no sign of termites and this weekend we had a termite swarm. I had 2 companies come and give me an estimate Terminix and Suburban. Both came up with the same price for the service. I have been doing some research online and Terminix has tons of complaints and the system that Suburban uses which is the Sentricon system has been listed as a scam. It's a lot of money and I just wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions or experiences with either company. Thank you.
Read the info on the contract to be sure they don't have to stand behind their findings. Some states make them guarantee their inspection especially when you buy a home.
The Bait system is not what you want if you already have termites. The traps are put around the yard and if the termites already have a food source (your house) they aren't going to go searching for one.
IIRC once you have your house treated the chemical will last 7 years. If you read most termite service contracts they are only good for 7 years, after that you have to pay.
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