Termites in Kitchener Waterloo - what you need to know

Believe it or not, there are termites in the Waterloo Region and left untreated, they can be extremely damaging to your home.  I took this photo in a neighbourhood in Kitchener that has termites, this happened to be a townhome complex and these termites were very visible right at the front door.  There are 5 neighbourhoods within Kitchener Waterloo that have what would be considered a termite infestation,  this is an area that if affected for blocks, not just a few homes.  The cost to treat for termites in an average sized home is $3000-$5000 and is something that  

needs to be treated on a regular basis to make sure they do not return.  The treatment involved drilling through all the floors in where there have been wood pilings, this often is done all around the foundation in the basement and is extremely disruptive to a finished basement space.

Here are some signs to look for if you think you have termites, don’t wait to have it checked until you see signs like in this photo:

7 signs of termites

Head banging. Not yours, but the termite soldiers! 
Flying termites
White ants
Papery or hollow sounding timber
Tight fitting doors and hard-to-open windows
Tunnels in woo
Frass – termite droppings

Termites in the region spready easily by moving infested wood from an area that is not infested, something as simple as firewood, wooden planters, sheds, doghouses and even furniture is a good way for termites to easily move from one location to another.  Other areas that have termite areas in the region include Guelph, Elmira and Elora. 

Here are some tips from the region on what you can do to help fight termites

Lift any moveable wood in contact with soil such as firewood, lumber, or barrels and examine the wood/soil interface for termites or their tunnels
Examine stumps by prying off the bark or chopping into them.
Carefully examine crevices in the bark of large trees for shelter tubes.
Examine compost bins, garages, sheds, crawl spaces, under porches and decks, and exposed foundation walls.

Check the house starting in the basement using a flashlight and flat-edge screwdriver.  If shelter tubes are found they should be carefully examined along their length.  If the ends of shelter tubes are still wet this indicates they were recently built, and probably still active.  If the shelter tubes show no cracks or damage, this also indicates that they may still be active.
Elevate a shed or dog house on a concrete pad.
Stack firewood and lumber off the ground on a metal rack, concrete pad, or patio stones in the sun away from the house.
Remove pressure-treated edging boards, retaining walls, or railway ties and dispose.
Live trees are usually not infested, but dead trees or a heavily infested live tree should be cut down, the stump excavated or chipped, and the chippings disposed.
Treat fence posts with borate rods.
Wood chip mulches provide excellent food source for termites and should not be used.

Using a licensed local realtor when looking for a home is a great way to learn about which areas are affected and if the home you are looking for is located within an infested area.  If you own a home now with termites or choose to live in a home with termites, your realtor can also direct you to the proper companies to assist you with managing these pests.