Termites get a lot of negative press - and rightfully so - but believe it or not termites are actually beneficial to our environment. They break down certain types of underground waste and add nutrients to the soil in the process. Termites also provide an important food source for woodpeckers and other critters. They also feed a lot of termite exterminator's children, too.

Of course, termites are also the cause of a lot of structural damages and cost both business and home owners a lot of money - especially subterranean termites. Hence the negative press. Simply put, the termite industry is a huge one - both on the control/treatment side and the repairs side of the equation. So how much of a problem are termites? Here's some numbers:

• In the United States alone, termites damage about 600,000 homes each year.
• Home owners in the U.S. shell out an estimated $5 billion every year for termite control and damage repairs.
• When you combine the numbers for crops and structures the yearly damages are estimated at a whopping $30 billion!
• The average residential termite damage repair is around $3000.
• Formosan termites alone cost Americans between $1 billion - $2 billion.

Ok, so the only numbers that most of us are interested in is what are termites going to cost me? There are a lot of factors that go into the cost of termite control including the species of termite you're dealing with, the square footage of your home and the construction and/or slab type. There are sometimes additional factors but those three are the biggies. So what's a home owner to do? Here are some thoughts:

• If you don't have any current or past evidence of termite activity then you have a couple of options. You can just let it ride and hope you don't get a problem. That saves you time and money right now and may be a viable course of action. Unless it's costing sleep, that is.
• Or you could go ahead and have a termite inspection to make sure that you don't have a termite problem. They are often free but make sure it's a really good company who will perform a thorough inspection and tell you the truth about their findings.
• If you have a termite warranty that is set to expire you may want to consider renewing it. It seems like it's always right after the warranty expired......
• If you don't have a warranty or evidence of a termite problem you may consider having a preventative termite treatment done.
• If you have evidence of termites in your home you should have multiple - reputable - termite companies inspect your home and provide a quote for treatment. Termite control is not a good do-it-yourself project or a place to save money. How good the company and their treatment plan is should be the number one criteria when picking a local termite company to work with.

I hope this article helps shed some light on how to deal with a termite problem - whether it's the one you have OR the one you'll have later. And I hope you'll consider the GoldShot Exterminating network of AZDA Licensed & Pre-Screened Termite Pros as your termite control solution. As always: Happy Hunting!

John H. Goldshot
P.S. GoldShot Exterminating is a proud sponsor of StreetLight USA. Check them out at www.streetlightusa.org and see how YOU can help stop child rape. What if it were your daughter?