Naturally, we’d like you to keep your children out of the rooms and areas where our Service Technician is working. And, if we apply any liquid sprays, you should keep them away from treated areas until dry.

The same precautions that apply to children should be taken for your pets. However, if you have birds, tropical fish, or other exotic pets, let your Service Technician know in case other special precautions are necessary.

Our inspections and treatments will not harm plants. Plants, however, can be the source of pest problems. This is especially the case when they are brought inside for the winter.

Not during regular service visits. We ask that you keep food covered and put away. However, special preparation may be needed if infestation from food-infesting insects occurs. Our trained staff will let you know in advance if this is necessary.

Normally no. Most of the materials we use are odorless and have no noxious fumes. However, some do have a slight odor, similar to common household cleaners, and it dissipates quickly. If you are sensitive to odors, let us know and we can alter treatment.

Normally no, that is what Take Care Termite is about. Our philosophy is one of prudence. Sometimes it makes sense to treat only the outside or to treat limited areas inside the home. It really depends on a variety of factors: what kind of pest, the type of structure and so on. Our licensed Service Technician will only treat when all safety requirements have been met.

No problem. Just call our office and we’ll be right out. NO CHARGE, of course, for covered pests.

Termite infestations can go completely undetected for months, sometimes years. It’s not always obvious when termites infest a structure. It takes a trained professional to spot the subtle signs that a termite infestation is currently active. Sometimes there are indications such as pellets along baseboards or on shelves. Fecal pellets look like brown colored grainy sand.

Another indicator is wood that become spongy to the touch or crumbles when pressed on. A more obvious indicator is when the termites “swarm”. Termites are attracted by bright light and winged termites will fly towards the light, usually ending up swarming around a brightly lit window or glass door that leads to the outside. In many cases there are no obvious external indicators that your home may, in fact, have an active termite colony.

Subterranean termites are social insects that live in nests or colonies in the soil, hence their name “subterranean.” Signs of subterranean termites are dirt or mud-like tubes or trails found on the structure. The most common method to control subterranean termites is treating the soil with a registered termiticide.

Drywood termites are also social insects that live in colonies in dry wood and do not need any contact with soil. Drywood termites leave sawdust-like droppings or pellets. Fumigation or “tenting” of a structure is the most effective method for eradicating drywood termites. In some cases, other forms of local treatments can be applied.

Both subterranean and drywood termites “fly” or swarm, especially in the spring or fall.

Inspecting for signs of termites isn’t a simple task.  Often the signals are impossible for the untrained eye to detect.  And almost always they are in places that are very difficult to reach.

If your home is up for sale a complete inspection will provide the information you need prior to placing your home on the market.  This inspection will also reveal situations that you might need to remedy.  This also gives you information regarding the cost of the termite clearance which you may or may not need to sell your property.

Ordering a  thorough inspection from Take Care Termite is the most intelligent strategy you can use against termite infestation.

Order your inspection today! Call (209) 832-7300 or use our online service request.

Besides termites, there are several other organisms which can damage the wood in your home, including: wood boring beetles, carpenter ants, and carpenter bees.

Powder-post beetles are second only to termites in the severity of their destruction. Like termites, they can also do extensive damage before their presence is known.

Excessive moisture conditions, like plumbing leaks, or damaged toilet seals, will lead to fungus growth and wood rot. When the humidity level is high in wood members you will find fungus. If detected early a fungicide can be applied to halt fungus growth. If the infection is severe it will be necessary to remove and replace the damaged/infected wood members. In all cases of fungus infection there is an excessive moisture condition that must be eliminated to prevent future fungus growth.

Fumigation is the process used to eliminate pests and infestations in a structure by tenting the entire structure with tarps and filling the entire structure with a gas fumigant.  The process takes three to four days, depending on the type of infestation.

We may utilize the fumigation method for eradicating drywood termites, bed bugs, wood boring beetles and in some extreme conditions, for removing roaches. If you want to know more about the process, how it works, and why it is most often the best method to use, follow this link here http://fumigationfacts.com/ for detailed videos and further information.

Bed bugs leave physical signs and hence can be identified by the following signs:

1. Reddish or rusty stains on mattresses or bed sheets which are caused by bed bugs being crushed.
2. Clusters of small dark spots which smear like markers do when you wipe them with a wet cloth. These are the feces of bed bugs and will generally be dark brown or black instead of red because they are basically digested blood.
3. Eggshells or tiny eggs in your bedding and skins which are shed by nymphs of bed bugs while they are growing. The cast skins from nymphs are generally a pale yellow or tan color and the eggs are around 1mm in size.Read More

In order to treat a bed bug infestation effectively, follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Conduct a visual inspection to identify the areas and extent of infestation. Pay special attention to mattresses, beds, upholstered furniture, cracks or joints in cupboards and other such furniture.
2. Install box spring encasements or mattresses. These can not only help you detect the presence of bed bugs but also act as a protective shield for your beds and mattresses.
3. Seek professional help. It’s easy to control minor infestations and prevent them from snowballing into larger ones. Hence, call for professional pest control services once you identify the signs of a bed bug infestation.

Centipedes are carnivores that feed on other pests like flies, cockroaches, and spiders -- these pests can attract centipedes to your home. They prefer cool, dark places which have humidity; so, don't be surprised when you have a centipede infestation in your basement, cement block wall, or floor drains. You might find these pests in a pile of your clutter or the cardboard boxes you have lying around -- the warmth, darkness, and safety of these spaces attract centipedes to set up a nest there.

Centipedes prefer dark, warm, humid places where they can lay eggs -- so you can find them in your basements, cluttered and dark corners of your house, unused cardboard boxes or stacks of newspapers.

It is impossible to kill each and every centipede in the house because they come out at night, and if you have a pest infestation, there are simply too many centipedes -- these pests lay around 60 to 150 eggs at a time.

You can tackle this problem by:

• Using boric acid where you have a centipede infestation. This is a tried and tested household remedy to kill pests since generations.
• Use a dehumidifier in the place where you think you have a centipede infestation.
• Hire a pest control service to take care of the centipede infestation. This is a sure-shot way to get rid of an infestation.

Though centipedes don’t carry any disease-causing parasites, they do have venomous bites. But the good news is that the smaller species of centipedes that are found inside homes aren't very deadly. Their stings produce bites that cause nothing more than a painful, localized reaction.