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Bugs 101

Termites infest millions of homes in every state except Alaska and cause over $750 million in damage annually!

Termites need moisture and like air currents. They do not like light. They live underground and attack a structure from below. Termite colonies can include up to several million termites and live as deep as 20 feet below ground level. They feed on cellulose-based material and therefore homes offer the ideal combination of warmth, moisture and food.

Do I have to see termites to know have them? No! Termites eat wood from the inside out, making their activity detectable only by professionals. The longer you wait to have a professional inspection, the more damage termites can do to your structure. The more damage done, the more expensive the repairs will be. Don't wait...call A-Academy today!

How they get in.....

Any minute space around a drain pipe, loose mortar joint or settlement crack is all that is needed for termites to enter. Therefore, no building whether new or old is termite-proof. By building mud tubes, termites can cross concrete, cinder blocks, metal termite shields, treated lumber and even non-repellent chemical barriers. Only professionally applied repellent termite treatment will prevent entry. A-Academy Termite & Pest Control utilizes an advanced system of repellents and baiting to keep your home or business safe!

Carpenter Ants

(1/8" to 3/4" black with occasionally reddish-brown markings.)

Carpenter ants have, over the past decade, been overtaking termites as THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE BY WOOD-DESTROYING INSECTS IN NEW JERSEY. A carpenter ant infestation may do damage as much as five times faster that termites. Many times damage will continue for many years after the discovery of an infestation either because people do not understand their destructive capabilities and ignore them when they are not seeing them, or because they have them treated by companies specializing in cheap, quick fix methods that do not eliminate the infestations or the damage they do.

Many pest control companies have and will always offer these cheap, quick fixes which are nothing more than "Band Aid" treatments designed to give the customer a false sense of security by MASKING the problem.....for awhile.

A-Academy has always performed thorough, comprehensive treatments designed to eliminate the carpenter ant infestations and stop the damage they do.

A-Academy has made exciting progress over the past few years with the use of several non-chemical baits which, when used in conjunction with each other and a sound maintenance program, have been highly successful in eliminating carpenter ants- not only in the infested structures, but for a wide area around them. This is an important factor in preventing the re-infestations of previously treated structures by new carpenter ant colonies- a frequent problem with most conventional treatment methods.

It is important to understand that although the general perception is that carpenter ants are "big, black ants with wings", many carpenter ants are as small as 1/4" long and can vary in color from black to red to black with red body parts. Moreover, the workers that do the actual damage do not have wings!

Carpenter Ant Colonies:

The Carpenter ant is the largest and most destructive member of the ant family found in this area. Like the termite, the ant is also classed as a social insect; their colonies comprised of a King and Queen, and their Lesser and Greater workers. From an existing nest, members of the family, including a fertilized Queen, scout out a new nesting site, usually locating a wood member, which is somewhat softened from exposure to moisture.

Common entry points of a structure are cracks and crevices around doors and windows or openings in foundations adjacent to steps and porches. Rotting wood members along roofing structures are also prime targets. Once the ant has made contact with a suitable site, the workers proceed to excavate, hollowing out large galleries, which are used to house the new colony and to provide chambers for the growth and development of their off-spring.

Unlike the termite, the ant does not eat the wood, but use it for nesting only. The `frass' resembling rough-cut sawdust, is carried out of the actual nest leaving the galleries clean and uncluttered, and is deposited out of the way. Piles of this `sawdust' are a clear indication of carpenter ant activity.

The colony can reach maturity in 3 to 6 years producing upwards to 3,000 members; extending their damage over a wide area. Additional damage often occurs where their activity exposes wood members to the introduction of water, adding rotting conditions to the already damaged members.

If you are seeing ants in your house and think they may be carpenter ants, don't settle for quick fixes and "band aid" treatments.

Call A-Academy and let us solve the problem safely, effectively and professionally.

The Worker Termite
Mostly unseen, the worker termite makes up most of the colony- and causes most of the damage!

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