I have never seen termites at my house. Should I do a termite treatment?

So you have never seen termites at your house, and you’re wondering if you need to do a termite treatment. The short answer is YES! There are several reasons for this.

1. Termite treatments are designed to be a preventative measure. Unfortunately, some people do wait until after their home develops major termite issues before they do a treatment. At that point, the home owner has to pay for costly repairs to their home, in addition to a relatively inexpensive termite treatment.
2. Termites can not always be seen. A trained termite inspector can perform a thorough inspection, but still possibly miss some termite activity. An example of a situation where termite activity may not be visible is one in which termites are constructing mud tubes out of the ground and through the inside voids of a hollow block foundation. This area can not be visibly inspected, but a liquid termite treatment would likely take care of the issue if the block voids are treated.
3. It’s not a matter of if a home will get termites, but rather a matter of when. I have inspected old homes that have never had the first trace of termite activity, and I have inspected old homes that have been absolutely destroyed (estimated 100k+ in damages) by termites. On the flip side of that, I have inspected many new homes that have no damage, but I have also inspected a home that was so new that it was still being built, when it was invaded and suffered extensive damage to the garage from termites.
4. As a home ages, other conditions might occur that will make the home more conducive to termites. An example might be if your gutters are not properly draining or damaged, causing water to spill out onto the home. Over time, water hitting the home in the same spot may damage it, causing the wood to become moist. Termites LOVE wood with a high moisture content.
5. Did you know that home owners insurance does not cover termite damage? Insurance companies are not going to insure the masses for something that they know they (the insurance company) will have to eventually pay out on in just about every case. Insurance companies know that, if left untreated, pretty much every house / structure out there will eventually fall victim to some level of termite damage. If your home is in relatively good shape, it will more than likely qualify for a retreat / repair warranty, which would cover the cost of any damages to your home in the event of a termite infestation. It is essentially an insurance policy on your home.