(Originally published 10/12/21; updated 11/8/22)
Everett Milberger Pest Control service in Kansas City has a long history of successfully treating and removing destructive termites – insects that cost American consumers nearly $5 billion annually in treatments and repairs – from homes.
Termites do not sleep. They eat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until they die. An eastern subterranean termite colony (the species we have in the Kansas City area) can range from 20,000 to 5 million workers, with an average of 300,000.
Consider that for a moment: 300,000 termites working around the clock to consume the structure of your home or business. Yikes! Often, more than one colony may be found in a single building.
Eastern Subterranean Termites
The Eastern Subterranean termite is the most common and most widely distributed termite in North America. It is a problem for homeowners from southern Ontario in Canada, south throughout the Eastern United States, and as far west as Montana.
This native American pest feeds on such cellulose materials as structural wood, wood fixtures, paper, books, and cotton. Occasionally, it will even attack the roots of shrubs and trees.
A few more quick facts about Eastern Sub termites:
- On average, an Eastern Sub termite colony can consume 5 grams of wood per day, the equivalent of 2-1/3 linear feet of a 2’x 4’ pine board annually.
- Colony growth is slow, and it may take years before swarmers are produced.
- Eastern Sub termites can enter buildings through cracks less than 1/64” wide.
- The termite colony is made up of different types (castes) of termites – each with separate work responsibilities.
- Although Eastern Sub termite colonies are largely located in the ground below the frost line, secondary colonies can exist above ground, and examples of true above-ground colonies existing without any ground contact have been seen. However, such above-ground colonies have access to moisture and often the source is a roof or plumbing leak.
- Eastern Sub termites will often build mud tubes to travel between their colonies and their food source.
- The king and queen in a colony can live for 10 to 30 years, while workers live for about two years.
- The colony’s queen will lay 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per year.
How does a pest control service identify termites?
Termites are small white, tan, or black insects that can cause major structural damage to wooden buildings. They may also attack stored food, books, and household furniture, as well as extensive destruction of wooden structures outside the home.
The first indication of a termite problem may be small flying insects – known as termite swarmers – flying near your windows and the translucent wings shed by the kings and queens. Swarming usually occurs in the spring, but other smaller swarms can occur throughout the summer and fall.
Termites are active all year round though, and as termite swarmers look very similar to flying ants, it is crucial to have them correctly identified by a professional.
Apart from spotting termite swarmers in the spring, another obvious sign of their presence is the damage they inflict on properties. To actually tell if you have termites in your home, it is often easier to look for the early damage signs they can typically cause.
What does termite damage look like?
Indications of termite damage can include:
- Wood that is buckled or swollen.
- Bubbling paint.
- Wood and it is honeycombed or carved out. You can probe suspected wood with a knife or flat-blade screwdriver to see if it’s been hollowed. Severely damaged wood may sound hollow when tapped.
- Unexplained piles of what appear to be coarse grains of sand. These may actually be termite fecal pellets pushed out of wood members.
- Dirt-colored tubes on walls, along baseboards, or in cracks and crevices that serve as protected paths connecting underground nests to the wood the termites are feeding on.
- A moldy scent.
Even if you don’t see any evidence of termite damage, unfortunately, that does not always mean they aren’t there. Pest control service from Milberger can prevent expensive damage, starting with a free inspection. Thorough inspections in and around the structure are necessary regardless of the construction materials used.
Rather than sending a salesperson to your home or business, Milberger will send a trained, certified technician to conduct a thorough inspection of your property and determine if you have termites, where they are located, and how best to manage them.
How does Everett Milberger control termites?
Milberger Pest Control service in Kansas City uses two different types of termite control systems, Termidor® and Sentricon®.
Termidor
Termidor termiticide/insecticide utilizes an advanced non-repellent, or “undetectable,” liquid technology that termites cannot see, smell, taste, or avoid. Instead, they contact, ingest, and share Termidor, completely unaware that doing so will inevitably kill them.
We apply the treatment precisely along the foundation walls or exterior perimeter of the structure, and binds tightly to the soil to create the “Termidor Zone.”
In addition to killing by ingestion, one termite can carry it into the colony and transfer it to every other termite it has contact with. This “transfer effect” makes Termidor more effective than other liquid products.
Sentricon
The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System not only does away with termites much more efficiently than many other methods but also eliminates the mess. The only part of the Monitor/Treatment unit that can be seen above ground is the cap, and it closely resembles the heads of an underground sprinkler system.
The same unit is used to detect the presence of termites and treat them once discovered. The Sentricon® System can detect termites before they enter the structure, and only uses active ingredients when they are present. No drilling to the structure is required, and it eliminates the entire colony.
The Sentricon System is the best option because it eliminates termite colonies and provides long-term protection by detecting and eliminating new colonies that might invade the area. Old technology, such as liquid termiticide barrier treatments, degrades over time while the Sentricon System is serviced routinely to ensure it remains effective. In addition, it is nearly impossible to complete a uniform barrier around a structure with a liquid termiticide.
The Sentricon System is also environmentally responsible because a small amount of termite bait is used only when and where it is needed by trained and authorized technicians. The active ingredient in the Sentricon System – Noviflumuron – is delivered to termites through Recruit (TM) IV and Recruit AG termite bait. It is used in very small quantities, less than an ounce, only when and where it is needed.
Recruit was the first product approved under the EPA’s Reduced Risk Pesticide Initiative. In 2000, it became the first termite treatment product to receive the highly respected Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the EPA.
As a new construction termite treatment, the Sentricon System is installed at the final grade, which won’t be affected by construction scheduling or weather delays. Construction disturbance to the soil will not disrupt the effectiveness of the Sentricon System as it would disturb a liquid termiticide treatment.
Everett Milberger Pest Control Service In Kansas City
Hiring an exterminator to protect your home or business from unwanted pests is crucial to protect what may be the biggest investment you ever make.
Everett Milberger Pest Control is a family-owned business, solving termite and pest control problems in the Kansas City metropolitan area since 1936. What that means for you is we are extremely experienced in eliminating both the pests you see and the ones you don’t see.
We have been around for so long because:
- We don’t send salesmen. We send a trained technician who is capable of evaluating your situation, discussing your options, and addressing your pest problem. Your service is handled by one person and usually in one appointment.
- We value your time. Our appointments last an hour and we never schedule a “window” of time for our arrival. The bugs are annoying enough and we want happy customers so we tell you exactly when we will be there.
- We use top-quality products. You want the pests gone and using low-quality products would not produce satisfied customers. You can be confident that you are receiving the highest quality service at the most affordable price to get rid of your pest problems.
- We stand behind our work. You have hundreds of choices when it comes to pest control (whether you hire the cheapest company or buy gallons of pesticide from the store). Milberger Pest Control gets results. We train, certify and bond our exterminators so you receive professional results and excellent customer service every time, no matter who assists you. You can choose us with confidence.
Milberger Pest Control is a Better Business Bureau A+ Accredited business recommended by Angie’s list. Check out our testimonials page to see what real customers are saying about our services.
Milberger Pest Control offers commercial and industrial exterminator services as well as residential. Services for commercial and industrial pest control include:
- A thorough inspection by a trained professional in this type of environment, effective treatment, and advice on controlling pest infestation by the same professional.
- Regularly scheduled appointments for the upkeep and re-evaluation of the implemented program.
- Identification of the sources of pest infestations, with treatment focused on these sources.
- Effective products and treatment methods proven to be effective in this type of environment.
Contact Kansas City exterminator Everett Milberger Pest Control to rid your home or business of pests and prevent future damage. Our knowledge, training, and years of experience, coupled with appropriate chemical control measures, help create a longer-lasting, more significant impact in maximizing pest control.
All pest control services are offered on a 1-time, Quarterly, or Monthly basis depending on the severity of the problem and the needs of your location.
For more information about termite control, call Milberger Pest Control service in Kansas City at (816) 761-1313 in Missouri or (913) 384-6760 in Kansas. To request a free quote, click here.
