Accurate and up-to-date data on termite behavior, control products and property damages is vital to the industry that provides services and manufactures goods for termite control. The industry works hand in hand with entomologists that specialize on termites in order to produce the best services and products available. These data are often presented through statistics that embody the facts and figures gathered through a series of laboratory and field experiments. This article will talk about these statistics in order to help those who suffer from termite infestation problems understand their situation better.
Statistics on the Damages Caused by Termites
Damages to Residences and Business Establishments
Although termites are supposed to be harmless creatures to humans, the "accidental" crossing for its road to human civilization has resulted to the destruction of a lot of properties. Statistically speaking, termites damage about 600 thousand US homes each year. Multiply that to just ten year and you get a shocking 1 000 000 homes already! It is worth noting too that termites have already been causing property damage for so long that in some countries (like in Australia), termite infestation problems are considered to be as old as their civilization. Imagine that amount of damage.
Because of the vastness of the damage that termites cause, roughly $5B is spent for termite eradication and control on a yearly basis in the USA. This much money is enough to feed the marginalized sectors of Africa for almost a decade! However, because of the termite infestation problems, this money is spent on termite repellent products, termite control services and repair of properties being damaged by termites. Moreover, according to the statistics released by the USDA or the US Department of Agriculture, about $1B to $2B is spent on repairs alone.
Damage to Farms
Termite problems are more prevalent in farms and other agricultural lands. Even though termites feed on dead plants for cellulose, when this food source become scarce, termites will begin to feed on living plants and in the case of farm lands, these are the crops that they grow. Termite control in farms is more expensive because two factors: (1) the area to monitor is very vast and (2) chemical control in difficult to use because crops also respond negatively to some chemicals. According to the USDA, about $30B is spent on termite control and eradication in farmlands throughout the country.
Statistics on the Different Termite Treatments and Control Products
Termites indirectly damage nature and compromise human health too. Apart from the actual and immediate damage that they can cause to properties, because of their presence, humans are forced to use toxic chemicals throughout their properties just so they can be eradicated.
These chemicals can greatly compromised human health and at the same time destroy the ecology of nature. Approximately 2 million US residences are subjected to termite treatments that make use of chemicals yearly. Most of these usages happen before the construction of the house or the building.
Termite control companies or contractors treat the very soil that will become the foundation of the house (this method is known as repelling because by treating the soil, you make it unattractive to termites thus "repelling" them from coming any closer). The alarming fact about this process is that the house or building being constructed will be literally sitting on a "toxic waste land". Many problems have risen because of this practice (see my article on the banned termiticide called Chlordane), but people are forced to do it still in order to avoid future damages caused by termite attacks.
On Treatment Costs
It should be noted that termite treatments vary from each other depending on the type of treatment used, the area that is to be treated, the materials used in the construction of the property and of course, the reputation of the company rendering the service.
The "reputation" factor is a tricky thing. It can be compared to how certain consumer electronic gadgets are priced: Apple, Sony, LG, Samsung, etc. The price of the product is greatly affected by the reputation of the company because in the world of services and manufacturing of goods, companies often gain good reputation after years of establishing the quality of service or products that they can provide. The same is true with termite control.
Reputable companies would definitely advertise about their advanced equipments and well-trained personnel. These things affect the pricing of the treatment so much. However, it does not mean that the other not-so-popular companies cannot compete with the quality of service that the high-end companies can provide. But statistically speaking, it was found out that these popular companies offer get the greater bulk of the market.
The type of treatment and the kind of termiticide used are also key elements in the pricing system of the services. For example, common termiticide products that have already gained the approval of the public will most likely be more patronize. Termidor, a very popular US termiticide brand proves this assertion. According to statistics, this termiticide is applied to about 3.75 million residences in the United States since the day that it was released in the market.
On Termite Inspection Costs
The statistics related to the cash spent on termites are not only limited to the damage and the actual treatment used, termite inspection also share a good amount of income for the termite control industry. This is because not all homes might be really infested by termites, but all homeowner's are most likely anxious about having termites in their houses. So, these homeowners tend to hire inspectors (who they pay) just to see if their homes are termites free. This adds up to the entire income that the termite control business gets. In short, the fear of a possible termite infestation is also making money apart from actual presence of termites.
According to statistics, only 3 of 5 houses inspected for termites need professional treatment. This means that 2 homeowners pay for termite inspection although they do not necessarily have to. Overall, this is the main reason why termite control companies offer termite inspection services apart from their actual termite extermination service.
Wishing you a termite infestation free summer in 2011,
Your favorite exterminator,
Michael Rozatoru :)
