A lot of people don’t realize that termites are an issue in this city of ours. These wood starved insects first made their appearance in the 1930s as a result of US cargo ships being unloaded in and around Cherry Street harbour (or so the story goes) and since then they have spread their colonies. Now not only do they exist here, they thrive! They can be found in certain downtown neighborhoods and in other pockets of the GTA including (but unfortunately not limited to) East York, Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Markham, and Pickering.
So here are the basic details about these insects.
- Termites live in colonies complete with a queen, secondary & winged reproductives, soldiers, and workers.
- They seldom make themselves seen, preferring instead to remain hidden in a network of mud tunnels that often will allow them to focus their activity at several different locations at the same time.
- There are several ways that termites make their way into your home, with wood to soil contact being one of the easiest.
So how do you know if you have termites? The only answer is to rely on the professionals. I frequently recommend AETNA Pest Control as they are exceptionally knowledgeable about areas of infestation throughout the GTA and how to best deal with them. They even have a database of termite activity throughout Toronto and will usually tell you over the phone where the hot spots are by area and street numbers as well as where there has been treatment previously done.
If you’re thinking about purchasing a house I also highly recommend using their inspection services before putting in an offer, for a couple of hundred dollars (more or less depending on the size of the house) one of their inspectors will look at the house and the history of the neighborhood and tell you what to expect as far as termite activity and potential costs.
Check out their website for more information: http://www.aetnapest.ca/index.html
Termites are definitely an issue for many homes and areas in Toronto, a little research and preventative action can make a big difference in the long run.