How Much Does Termite Removal Cost?
Every homeowner tenses up at the word “termite” because of how destructive those little bugs can be. The biggest problem with termites is that you often do not know that you have an infestation until you walk through your living room one morning and fall through your wood subfloor. The best approach to handling termites is to get your property treated for termite removal once a year to prevent infestation. But if you do see termites, then you need to act fast to get rid of them.
The Facts About Termites
According to PestWorld.org, termites cause approximately $5 billion in property damage in the United States each year. The three most common types of termites are dampwood, drywood and subterranean, with the names indicating the activity of each type. For example, dampwood termites prefer damp wood and so on.
Once a termite colony is set up in or near your home, it will feed on the wood in your home 24-hours a day, seven days a week. While termites do prefer warmer weather, they can be just as active in the cold weather as well. It should be noted that while termites can survive in the cold weather, they are more prevalent in the warmer climates.
The Cost Of Removing Termites
CostHelper.com offers the clearest estimate of what it would cost to completely remove a colony of termites. There are five methods professionals use to remove termites; chemical, heat gun, fumigation, traps and electro-gun. The effectiveness of the removal method depends on the experience of the exterminator and the situation. For example, chemical extermination might not be as effective as heat extermination in cold and wet weather.
For a house of approximately 1,250 square feet, the average cost to remove termites is:
- Chemical – Between $1,350 and $2,500
- Baiting – Between $1,500 to $3,000
- Fumigation – Between $1,200 and $2,500
- Heat – Approximately $1,250
- Electro-Gun – Approximately $1,150
The ranges in prices are dictated by house conditions such as how much wood there is in the house and whether the house sits on a basement or slab.
Can’t I Just Do It Myself?
TermiteMD.com suggests that homeowners could significantly reduce their extermination costs if they were to try and get rid of the termites themselves. But is it worth the risk? The average professional charges approximately $5 per linear foot to treat a home for termites, while the DIY process could be as cheap as 84 cents per linear foot. The linear foot measurement is made by determining how many linear feet of walls and other areas must be treated. For example, a room with walls that are 10 feet wide has 40 linear feet of area to treat.
While it sounds great to save that much money on extermination costs, a professional offers a guarantee that says that your termites are gone or else the company keeps coming back for free until they are gone. When you do it yourself, you don’t get that kind of guarantee and, since you are not an expert in getting rid of termites, the chances are very high that you will miss a few spots.
Termites can literally bring the house down if they are not stopped. Preventive maintenance when it comes to termites is the best route to take to prevent infestations from starting. If you do get termites, then you need to call in the professionals as soon as possible.
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