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Hello everybody. Welcome to the Volunteer Rid A Pest Podcast. I’m here with owner of Volunteer Rid A Pest, my good friend Erik Gardner.
How are you doing Erik?
I’m doing great.
Well, you know the number one question we here in Chattanooga have, how do I know if I have termites?
You know, that’s a good question. A lot of people don’t understand just how tiny termites are and they think if they have them, they’re going to know it. They’re going to hear them bumping around in the attic or they’re going to hear them gnawing inside the wall or they’re going to see their furniture fall over. And it doesn’t work that way. They’re really tiny insects. Their bodies are very moist and delicate, and they have to stay hidden or they’re going to drop and die.
So if they’re infesting your house, they’re going to be hidden inside the walls, and they’re difficult to find. The only way you can do it is to go in your crawlspace if you have one or in your basement, you have to have a very bright light, and you have to look for him in all the little cracks and crevices. And you may not see the bug. You’ll probably only see some dirt where they’ve built a little tube that they travel through. The bodies are so delicate that, like I say, if they crawl out on the wall or out on the floor for just a minute or two, they’re going to dry up and die.
So termites are very good at staying hidden. So if you’re going to find them, you have to be able to look closely and know what you’re looking for.
Well, as a homeowner, what should you recommend that I do if I think I have termites or I suspect there’s a problem?
Well I suggest you call a pest control professional to come out to your house as soon as possible and perform an inspection. If you don’t have someone, we’d be glad to do it. But the main thing is you got to get somebody that knows what they’re doing, that has a lot of experience and they know what to look for. And then they can determine if you have a problem and if so how severe it may be and give you a solution to get rid of it.
Well I can tell you right now I don’t want to be crawling under my house because I don’t even know what to look for, and I’d probably get stuck under there. So it’s good to know that there’s professionals out there that can take care of this problem. And I know you guys are the guys to do it.
So is there any final thoughts that a homeowner should know when he’s looking around the house? Maybe looking under the crawlspace or something that is a telltale sign that he needs to get a professional help him with termites?
Well, if you’re walking through your home and you notice that dishes are rattling in the China cabinet or there’s a rattling sound, the floor seems to be a little soft or spongy in certain areas. If you were walking around your house and notice that the siding is starting to get puckered or dimply looking or is soft somewhere, maybe around the window, it would be a good idea to investigate it a little further because you just never know. Things could be fine today, but six months from now the termites might find a way in and begin infesting your home. And don’t leave it to chance. A lot of people assume that the former owner or the builder took care of it for you. It’s your home. It’s your responsibility to protect it.
And my last question about this, if I have a service such as Volunteer Rid A Pest and I do have a problem, you have in your contracts to make sure that that gets corrected and fixed and repaired, is that correct?
That’s right. Our termite control guarantee. First of all, it’s a five-year money back guarantee. So when we treat your house, we don’t just guarantee it for one year, we guarantee it for five full years. And if termites show up anywhere in your home, we will come back, retreat your home for free, repair the damage that’s done, refund all your money, and pay you an additional $200 for your time and trouble. So we’ve got the strongest guarantee in the industry.
Well, thanks Erik. I look forward to our next podcast when we’ll answer other questions that people frequently have in the Chattanooga area so that they know and they’re well-informed on how to take care of their homes when it comes to pest control. Have a great day.
