# What type of pest control recommended for my area? (Houston)



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I'd have the house inspected for wood eating insects, (termites, old wood bores, carpenter bees, powder post beetles, ECT.)
The rest I'd deal with as I start seeing them.


----------



## orev (Jan 31, 2011)

Thanks for the advice. The house is a new construction, so I don't think there is any of that to worry about as far as existing wood issues. Is there anything that should be done for those kinds of pests as a preventative measure?


----------



## sublime2 (Mar 21, 2012)

orev said:


> Thanks for the advice. The house is a new construction, so I don't think there is any of that to worry about as far as existing wood issues. Is there anything that should be done for those kinds of pests as a preventative measure?


Never underestimate the termite!


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Not sure how it works there but around here as your building a new house the foundation gets what's called a pretreatment.
If it's a slab the soil where the slab is going to be pored gets treated before the pore with a fan spray of termicide.
If it's a block foundation the area inside and outside the footing and inside the block voids get treated before the home is built on top of it.
In your area you may have more then one type of termite to deal with. Only the subterranean termites will be effected by treating the soil. 
The other type can live inside the home without having to go back to the soil for the moisture they need to live. 
http://www.termitepedia.com/types-of-termites.html
A lot of has to do with what was there before the house was built if your going to have to worry about termites or not, and how the waste wood was handled when the house was built.
Termites only eat dead wood, so if your home was built on a wooded lot that was cleared there's sure to old dead decaying roots and stumps around and possibly under the house that's going to attract insects.
On the other hand if the home was built on land that had just been fields for many years there's just nothing the termites to have been attracted to.
It's very important when a home is being built to store the scrap materials away from the foundation and never leave any wood where the foundation is going to be back filled, or under the home.
I've often see them take the scraps and just use them to help back fill there a slab porch is going to be. And plumbers just love to cut the holes for the drains and just leave the plugs laying under the house in the crawl space. All sure ways to attract termites.
Often times I can just walk up to a house and can tell you where and why the termites are getting in.
Warning signs are siding installed to close to grade, there's a reason code calls for at least 6" from finished grade to the siding.
A dripping outside faucet, condensation dripping from water lines or condensate drain to close to the foundation will give them the needed moisture to make the mud tunnels they need to travel above ground.
Unpressure treated bottom plates, mulch or flower beds up against the foundation, no gutters can also cause issues.
http://www.termitepedia.com/types-of-termites.html
Do not let anyone talk you into using bait stations. There a rip off in my option!


----------



## Graysonhawke (Aug 5, 2013)

I live in Houston myself, there are all kinds of ants and insects around here. I myself just treat insects as I see them. If you want to play it safe, I would get the house inspected regardless if it's new construction or not. Good luck!


----------



## Sacramento Pest (Nov 4, 2011)

As in any area of life, having an expert give you advice is always worthwhile. A good pest control company looking to retain you as a client should be willing to come out and walk you through the potential issues you may encounter on your property. Pest control for many issues and types of pests is something you can do on your own (if you have the time and energy), but since this is not your area of expertise you should be aware of potential problems for your specific property. If you don't hire someone to provide an ongoing service (and decide to do it on your own), it may be worth it to have an inspection on occasion to make sure you aren't missing anything.

If you were in Sacramento I'd suggest having us come out and take a look (HomeShield Pest Control), but I'm sure there are some great companies in the Houston area that won't use scare tactics to try to convince you to purchase their service. I wish I knew one I could refer you to.


----------

