The Termite Control Category in New York Pest Control

What the category means

It is one of the categories in which a technician can be certified to apply pesticides for pay. The termite category is numbered 7c on the state's public list.

New York's pesticide certification is organized by category, and each category covers a type of work. The Termite Control category is one of them, and it is listed on the state's public list of certified applicators. A technician who does termite work for pay should hold that category.

For the caller, the category is a simple check. Ask whether the technician holds the Termite Control category, and whether the company's plan follows the rules that apply to it.

Where termites reach a building

Through the soil, through cracks in the foundation and through wood that touches the ground. Moisture gives them a route and makes the wood more attractive.

Termites live in the soil and need moisture. They reach a building through cracks in the foundation, along pipes and utility lines and through mud tubes they build over the surface. Wood that touches the soil, such as a porch post, a stair stringer or a sill that sits on the foundation, gives them a direct route.

Moisture is the other factor. A leaking gutter, a damp crawl space or ground that slopes toward the house can make the wood attractive, and an inspection notes those conditions in the report.

What the inspection looks at

The foundation, the sill, the joists near the ground, the basement or crawl space and any wood in contact with the soil.

A termite inspection starts outside, checking the foundation for mud tubes and cracks and the ground for moisture. It then moves inside to the basement or crawl space, where the sill, the joists and the posts are checked. Soft or hollow wood is probed, and the moisture conditions are noted.

The inspection records what was found and where, even if no termites are present. A clear inspection is a useful record for the homeowner, and it sets the baseline for any future check.

• Mud tubes on the foundation, a pier or a post
• Discarded wings near a window or in the basement
• Hollow-sounding wood, or wood that breaks away
• Moisture at the sill, the crawl space or the ground beside the house

What a treatment plan includes

The method, the placement, the monitoring and the list of moisture and wood repairs that are the homeowner's responsibility.

A termite plan states the method. Soil treatment is placed along the foundation, and monitoring stations or bait systems are placed around the building. The plan states how often the monitoring is checked and what triggers further treatment.

The plan also lists the repairs that are outside the pest work. A leaking gutter, a damp corner or a rotten sill are repairs for a tradesperson. A termite treatment does not repair them, and a plan that says it does should be questioned.

What to ask for

The technician's certification for the Termite Control category, the written plan, the monitoring schedule and the list of repairs the building needs.

A caller should ask for the technician's certificate in the Termite Control category and for the company's written plan. The plan should state the treatment, the monitoring and the follow-up, and the caller should know when the next check is due.

The caller can also ask whether any wood damage has been noted, and whether a carpenter should look at it. The pest visit notes damage but does not assess whether a structure is safe. That assessment belongs to a qualified carpenter, engineer or building inspector.

• The technician's Termite Control certificate
• The written plan with the treatment and placement
• The monitoring schedule and the next check date
• The list of repairs the building needs

What to do if termite signs appear after treatment

Photograph the signs, note where they are and report them. Do not disturb mud tubes or monitoring stations, because the technician needs to see them.

A sign after treatment is information. A mud tube that has reappeared, or wings found in a new place, shows that the treatment may have missed a route or that a new route has opened. Report it with the date and location.

Breaking a mud tube can cause the termites to reroute, and it removes the evidence the technician needs. Leave the sign in place, photograph it and call.

Why the category number matters

The number places the termite work in the state's list, and it is the number the caller can check. Category 7c is the Termite Control category on the public list.

The state's public list of certified applicators is organized by category, and each category has a number. The Termite Control category is numbered 7c. A caller who asks for a technician in category 7c is asking for the category that covers termite work, and can check the name on the list.

The number is a practical tool. It lets the caller confirm the category without relying on the company's word alone, and it lets the caller ask the same question of any company that offers termite work.

Monitoring stations and bait systems explained

Stations are placed in the soil around the building and checked on a schedule. A termite found in a station shows the colony is near, and treatment is added where it is found.

A monitoring station is a small container placed in the soil around the building. It contains a material that termites feed on, and it is checked at intervals. A station with termite activity shows the colony is nearby, and the technician can add treatment at that point.

The schedule for checking the stations is part of the plan. A homeowner should not remove or move the stations without asking the technician, because their position is recorded in the plan and changing it can lose the information.

Working with a carpenter after the inspection

The inspection records the damage and recommends an assessment. A carpenter decides whether the wood is safe and how it should be repaired.

A pest inspection is not a structural assessment. When the inspection finds damaged wood, the technician notes where it is and recommends that a carpenter or building professional looks at it. The carpenter decides whether the wood can be dried and sealed or needs replacing.

The homeowner should keep the inspection note with the carpenter's report, since the two together show what was found, what was treated and what was repaired.

What to keep on file

The inspection note, the written plan, the monitoring schedule and the carpenter's report, along with the technician's certificate for the category.

A file with these documents is useful for a sale, an insurance question or a later inspection. It shows that the building was inspected, what was found and what was done about it. The homeowner should keep the file with other property records, and should note the next monitoring date on the calendar.

The technician's certificate for the Termite Control category should be kept with the file, so that the qualification for the work is on record.

Common questions about wood and moisture

Termites find the wood that stays damp, and the damp often comes from the building rather than the soil. Fixing the moisture is part of keeping termites away.

A termite treatment is less effective if the wood stays wet. A downspout that empties against the foundation, a gutter that overflows, a crawl space with standing water and soil piled against the sill all keep the wood damp. The technician notes those conditions in the report, because they are the homeowner's repairs to make.

Ventilation also matters in a crawl space. Wood that dries out is less attractive to termites, and a crawl space with a vapour barrier and good airflow is easier to keep dry. A tradesperson can advise on the work needed, and the pest technician can say which conditions to address.

What a sign after treatment usually means

A sign after treatment often means a route that was not treated, a new route opened by moisture or a monitoring station that has been found by the colony. The sign is information, not a failure of the whole plan.

A mud tube found on a pier after treatment can show that the treatment did not reach that part of the foundation. It can also show that a colony has found a new route through a crack that opened after the work. The technician checks the sign against the plan and decides whether the treatment needs to be extended.

The homeowner should photograph the sign and report it with the location. Leaving the sign in place lets the technician see how the tube is built and where it connects to the soil, which helps the next treatment.

Crawl spaces and basements in more detail

Termites reach the structure most easily where the wood is close to the soil and the air is still. A crawl space needs a close look at its posts, its sill and the soil under the vapour barrier.

The technician inspects a crawl space by walking its perimeter and checking each post, pier and sill for mud tubes, soft wood and moisture stains. The soil is checked for standing water and for debris such as old lumber or cardboard, since those give termites a food source close to the structure. Each finding is recorded with its location, so the carpenter and the homeowner know where to look.

A basement with a slab floor is inspected differently. The joints where the wall meets the floor, the cracks in the slab and any wood that touches the wall are checked. Old wood framing and stored boxes against the wall are noted, because they are the easiest route into the structure for a termite colony already in the soil.

What a good termite note contains

A good note states the findings, the places checked, the treatment placed, the monitoring schedule and the repairs recommended. It is written so a second professional can follow it without the technician present.

The note starts with the building and the date, then lists each area inspected and what was found in it. It states the treatment placed, the product type in general terms and the locations treated. The monitoring schedule is set out with the next check date, and the recommended repairs are listed separately, with the reason for each.

A note written this way is useful at a sale, at an insurance question or at a later inspection. It shows what was checked, what was done and what remains to be done.