Champion Pest Management
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Services
    • General Pest Control
    • Mosquito Control
    • Bed Bug Treatment
    • Moisture Control
    • Fire Ant Control
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Testimonials
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
    • Between Pest Control Services
    • Bed Bug Prep Check List
    • Find Out More
  • Contact Us

Are you protected?

5/7/2019

52 Comments

 

​Did you know that termite damage isn't covered under most homeowner's insurance policies?

Most insurance companies don't cover the cost of termite repair due the fact that termite damage is something that the homeowner can prevent through regular home maintenance. 
Aerial view of home: Photo by David McBee from Pexels
Photo by David McBee from Pexels

​Each year OVER HALF A MILLION homes are damaged by termites.

Many homeowners may not realize just how vulnerable their home is to outside pests. Termites alone cost American homeowners upwards of $5 billion dollars a year in damage.

How vulnerable is my home?

Picture
​South Carolina is located in TIP (Termite Infestation Probability) Zone #1 which means the potential for termite damage is considered to be very heavy. The warm, wet climate creates desirable living conditions for termites and other wood destroying organisms. 

In fact, the likelihood of your home being eaten by termites is 10 times greater than the possibility of your home being destroyed by a fire.

What's a Formosan Termite, and why should I be worried?


​Formosan termites were first discovered in the continental U.S. here in Charleston in the 1950s, and this species of termite prefers the climate of southern states. Charleston in particular is an area in extreme high risk due to the warm and moist climate in our area. 

Formosan termites will use mud tubes to bring moisture to their colonies which are located in nests below ground. These tubes mean that the termites don't have to return to the soil as often leading to more damage to your home. 
Formosan Termites
Formosan Termites
​These termites are aggressive and not afraid to put up a fight,  and they will definitely defend what they determine to be their territories. Formosan termites act quickly, and they can cause a lot of damage in not a lot of time. These termites reproduce fast! The queen can lay around 1,000 eggs in a single day contributing to how quickly one colony can destroy a home. ​

How can I tell if I have a Formosan Termite problem?

Formosan Termite SwarmersFormosan Swarmers
​There are some warning signs that you should pay attention to in order to tell if you might have a termite infestation. One warning is the presence of termite swarmers. Termite swarmers are adult termites with wings who leave their colonies to mate and create new colonies. These particular winged termites sole purpose is to reproduce.

​You can see evidence of termite s
warmers when you see them flying around your porch lights. Another warning to pay attention to is if you see their wings dropped near your doors, windows, vents, and other parts of your home. This is a sign that termites are nearby, have potentially found a mate, and could very well be creating a colony right under your nose. 

What can be done?

There are preventative measures you can take to make your home less appealing to termites.
What can you do to help prevent termites
  • Pay attention to what happens to rain runoff in relation to the exterior of your home. When it rains, does the water head straight to your foundation? If so, you should use gutters to divert the water away from your home. 
  • Avoid stacking firewood against the foundation of your home
  • Do everything that you can to keep the humidity levels low in your crawlspace, garage,  and attic spaces. A quality vapor barrier can really help control moisture levels under your home. 
  • Check anywhere you may have wood to ground contact. Your porch and deck areas, for example, are quite susceptible to termite infestation. Watch out for the wood to ground contact on the support beams of your beach style home as well.  Ideally, you should have a 1 inch gap between any soil and any wood. 
  • Schedule regular annual termite inspections from a professional. 


Is your home safe from termites?
​Check your homeowners insurance to see if you should invest in additional protection from a pest control professional. 
​
Protect your investment and don't fall victim to the statistics.
Call us at Champion Pest Management today to schedule an inspection and to get a quote on termite protection and prevention for your home.
Picture
843.860.4791
52 Comments

New Year: New Control

1/2/2018

3 Comments

 
Picture
Happy New Year!
It's time for new resolutions, new promises, new changes, and new commitments. 
In the pest control industry, these new commitments come in the form of a commitment to your home,  to your health, and to your peace of mind. 

​So, what exactly does that look like? 

​It looks like making the decision to be proactive in the protection of your home from pests. Here at Champion Pest Management, we believe it's time to make some New Year's Resolutions that are easy to stick to because we're here to do the heavy lifting. 
Picture

Benefits to Regularly Scheduled Professional Pest Control

Your Health
Believe it or not, but the number one reason you should schedule regular professional pest control is to keep up with your overall general health. Cockroaches, rodents, mosquitoes--all of these pests (and more) carry diseases which can spread to you and your family causing illness. A regularly scheduled pest control appointment with a trained and licensed pest control company like Champion Pest Management is crucial in keeping these unwelcome visitors out of your home and your yard, and therefore keeping your immune system just how you like it: strong and healthy.  
The Value of Your Home
Your home is your castle, and protecting it should be a priority for you. Second to your health and your family's health is your home's health. Many homeowners may not realize just how vulnerable the health and well-being of their home is to outside pests. Termites alone cost American homeowners upwards of $5 billion dollars a year in damage. Bed bugs, while not disease carriers, can really bring down the aesthetic value of your home as well as completely ruin bedding, furniture, wall paper, and other interior pieces of your home. 
Photo by Binyamin Mellish from Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/home-real-estate-106399/Picture
The Risks of DIY Pest Control
There are quite a few homeowners looking to save a dollar or two and take the chance with DIY pest control solutions. While you may feel as though you're saving a few bucks, this could be costly and ineffective in the long run. Without proper training and knowledge, a homeowner runs the risk of misusing over-the-counter pesticides. A trained technician knows where and how to best apply professional grade pest control solutions and can take the guess work out of DIY pest control. A trained professional can save you time, and save you from exposure to unnecessary and misused pesticides.  
Being Proactive Rather than Reactive
Picture
Regularly scheduled pest control allows you to stay on top of your pest battle. Pesticides and insecticides don't last forever. They are made to break down over time, and with that, the effectiveness wears off too. At Champion Pest Management, we prefer and recommend a quarterly pest control service to our residential customers. Treating your home every 3 months allows us to stay ahead of the pests--even throughout the winter when insects are less active (notice I said less active and not completely gone).  
I promise, keeping pests out of your home is way more effective than trying to kick them out once they've invited themselves inside. Many people feel as though a professional service is no longer needed once they no longer see bugs with their own eyes. This isn't entirely true. It's the regular treatment that is giving the homeowner that peace of mind. Get rid of your pest control service, and in about 3 months, you may be wishing you still had us around. ​
Champion is Always Here on Your Side
No matter what you decide, or when you decide it. Champion Pest Management will always be here to help fight that good fight. Our trained technicians will help guide you through the best course of action for your home, and we will give you that peace of mind that we're all looking for when it comes to New Year's Resolutions and changes. 
Call A Champion Today
Picture
843.860.4791
3 Comments

Fast Facts: Formosan Termites

6/26/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

The Swarmers are Coming! The Swarmers are Coming!

4/7/2017

8 Comments

 
Swarms
​by Stephen E. Yocum
They swarm in 
Their thousands,
Moving as one, 
Erratic it seems,
Rolling and undulating,
Rippling like a 
wave on the sea
Picture
Spring is upon us, and with spring comes warmth and rain. With warmth and rain, come the termite swarmers. 
So, what exactly are termite swarmers? 
Termite swarmers are adult termites with wings who leave their colonies to mate and create new colonies. These winged termites swarm to find a mate. Once they've mated, the termites lose their wings and find a source to lay their eggs and build their colonies.
These particular winged termites sole purpose is to reproduce. They are not physically capable of eating wood, and they aren't even able to bite or chew, but they are a sign that termites are around us.

While those swarms you see hovering around the street lamps and porch lights may not be capable of eating your home, you can almost guarantee their offspring will gladly get to chomping.


Picture
Termite Life Cycle Courtesy of Texas A&M
If you happen to see signs of swarmers (ex. a mass of flying insects at night near lights sources, abandoned wings either in your home or on your porch/deck) it's important not to panic. This is NOT an indication that your home is infested; however, they are indeed a sign that termites are nearby, mating, and looking to build new colonies.  

​Chances are if you're seeing swarmers, there's an already mature colony not too far away from your home. ​While it is true that it is important not to panic, you really should take this season seriously. This is a great opportunity and visual cue and warning to have your home inspected and placed under either a termite protection bond or a termite service plan. 
Picture
Did you know that your home is 10 times more likely to be destroyed by termites than by fire? Each year, termites will do over $5 billion in damage by infesting 1 in every 30 homes. According to Termite Infestation Probability Zones (TIP Zones), South Carolina is located in TIP Zone #1 which means the potential for termite damage is considered significant.
(Continued Below)
Picture
Wood Damaged by Termites
Charleston, SC is an area of extreme high risk. Both subterranean and drywood termites are known to damage homes in South Carolina. In particular Formosan termites were first discovered in the continental U.S. in Charleston in the 1950s. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Americans spend more than $1 billion annually to repair property damage caused by Formosan termites.
Why take that risk with the most important financial investment you've made? 
Call Champion Pest Management to schedule your free termite inspection. 
Picture
843.860.4791
8 Comments

Let's Have a Chat About Termites

1/9/2017

32 Comments

 
Brrr...It's cold out there. There won't be any termites in the atmosphere. 
Wait a minute.... Not so fast... 


Simply because it's cold doesn't mean we don't have termite issues. Termites simply burrow deeper when it's cold, but as soon as that weather boomerangs, we could potentially see more activity. 
Check out this guy we found just last week --->

What we have here is the Reticulitermes flavipes, also known as the Eastern Subterranean Termite. These pests are the most common form of termites in the United States. This particular guy or gal is what is referred to as a termite swarmer. Swarmers typically appear at the end of March or early June because of the prime termite weather conditions: warmth and rain. However, that timeline is not always the case. Here in the South Caolina lowcountry, our winters are getting warmer and warmer. We regularly have highs in the low to mid 70s. Accompany those temperatures with a little rain, and the swarmers are ready to come out and play. 
Picture

Picture
Swarmer termites come about after the nymph stage in the termite life cycle. Essentially, nymphs become workers, solders, or reproducers. Swarmers are the reproducers. Their role in the life cycle is to come out in the open to find a mate, go back under ground, reproduce, and become the future king or queen of a new termite colony. Once these swarmers are back in the ground and reproducing, a queen can have hundreds to thousands of eggs per day!
​A large enough colony could have millions of termites working together and could potentially eat at least a pound of wood a day. That's enough termites to eat your home and your neighbor's home in no time. 
Unfortunately with termites, a lot of damage is done before we as homeowners really begin to see any signs. ​
​Bottom line is this: Termites are active year round.
​It's in the warmer months that we see them, and they are on our minds. The only reason we see them is because they are out and about trying to get some action. In the cooler months, they may be settled and getting fat for the winter. The only problem is they are getting fat off your home. 
For a free home inspection, call Champion today 
843-860-4791
Picture
32 Comments

    About Us

    Champion Pest Management is a locally owned, family run, pest control company operating in Charleston, SC and the surrounding areas. 

    Archives

    April 2025
    February 2023
    June 2021
    March 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All
    American Cockroach
    Ants
    Aphids
    Asian-cockroach
    Bed Bugs
    Best Of Charleston
    Brown-Banded Cockroach
    Charleston
    Christmas
    Cockroaches
    Customer Appreciation
    Disease
    DIY
    Fast Facts
    Fire Ant
    General Pest Control
    German Cockroach
    Health
    Large Event Mosquito
    Mites
    Mosquito
    Pest COntrol
    Pest Control Myths
    Pest Control Specials
    Pest Management Month
    Roaches
    SC
    Smoky Brown Cockroach
    Summer
    Termites
    Ticks
    Travel

    RSS Feed

Greater Charleston Pest Control Association
Termidor Certified Professional
Phone: 843- 860- 4791
Email: [email protected]
​Address: ​4329 Flynn Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405
Champion Pest Management Logo
Site Designed by Creative Consulting
​Site Powered by MadeSimply

| Home | Services | About Us | ​​Schedule An Appointment | Find Out More

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Services
    • General Pest Control
    • Mosquito Control
    • Bed Bug Treatment
    • Moisture Control
    • Fire Ant Control
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Testimonials
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
    • Between Pest Control Services
    • Bed Bug Prep Check List
    • Find Out More
  • Contact Us