Termite bonds - worth it?

[Viper98912]

Hello GJ friends,

It's time to re-treat the house surroundings with termite chemicals. I live in GA, my home is ~10 years old, and we currently have zero termite issues.

In looking at the quotes, it's:
~$1,000 to treat (and the treatment lasts 10 years)

and
+ another ~$150 per year for inspections (and free re-treat if issues found), but damage/repair costs are not covered
or + another $250 per year for inspections, and damage/repair costs are covered

So basically, the extra $100/year is an insurance policy for damage/repair, because standard homeowners policies do not cover termites.

What I'm honestly not understanding though is the additional ~$150/year for the inspections and free re-treat. We didn't have any issues the first 10 years they came around, and I'm pretty sure I can walk through my house and look at the baseboards with a flashlight to see if we have any issues.

Am I missing something here? Should I just pay the ~$1,000 for the treatment, but forego the yearly inspection cost? If the treatment fails, I'd probably be SOL more than $1,000 to fix the house; getting a freebie "we'll treat again" doesn't really appear to be sound judgement on my part.

Thoughts?

 

[manwithtools]

I'm pretty sure I can walk through my house and look at the baseboards with a flashlight to see if we have any issues.

Please explain more on how that works...
Subterranean termites will eat up a wall plate and stud far before there is evidence of them in a baseboard. I would do the treatment and pay the $250 a year for the inspection and insurance. Our house is three years old and we are on a full treatment and inspection package. I've seen the damage they can cause and I have no desire to deal with that.

 

[Smilodon]

In Florida it is nearly required. Helps a ton if you ever plan on selling your house. Some of them are even assumable by the new owner. The price includes the treatment with stuff I can't get and the expertise to know what is in your area and how it attacks.

 

[Viper98912]

Pleasse explain more on how that works...

When I've been previously paying the ~$150 per year, a guy came to the house and would walk around looking at the baseboards to see if he could see any trace of tubes showing in the baseboards or drywall (meaning, the termites were already inside). I thought the $150 was to keep up the $1M repair coverage policy, to which I was shocked to learn wasn't what I actually had. (I bought this house with the termite bond transferred to me, so I didn't have a copy of what the coverage was). So what was I paying $150/year for?

 

[manwithtools]

a guy came to the house and would walk around looking at the baseboards to see if he could see any trace of tubes showing in the baseboards or drywall (meaning, the termites were already inside).

That is correct, they are already inside and damage is already done. I've read that by the time you can see them visibly inside your home that over 5 years of destruction has already been done. That's why it's best to havea treatment coverage in effect. It will deter them before the damage is done (hopefully).

 

[gregs]

Depends on how long you are staying in the house / when to resell. If your going to be there 30 years you can treat yourself and save some money. If you are moving in 5 years int may impact your resell. They would require an inspection and treatment prior to the sale probably. From what I have seen the bonds and pay for repairs are almost worthless and will only cover the pretreatment which is not much cost for the chemicals.

 

[Viper98912]

That is correct, they are already inside and damage is already done. I've read that by the time you can see them visibly inside your home that over 5 years of destruction has already been done. That's why it's best to havea treatment coverage in effect. It will deter them before the damage is done (hopefully).

Depends on how long you are staying in the house / when to resell. If your going to be there 30 years you can treat yourself and save some money. If you are moving in 5 years int may impact your resell. They would require an inspection and treatment prior to the sale probably. From what I have seen the bonds and pay for repairs are almost worthless and will only cover the pretreatment which is not much cost for the chemicals.

Our current plan (always subject to change ) is to stay here another 15-20 years. I don't mind paying the $1,000 for "the good stuff" chemicals that I don't know much about nor how to apply properly, but I question whether I'm getting hosed on the +$150/year, and/or potentially the $250/year if it's a battle when filing a repair claim.

 

[pcmeiners]

You are getting hosed. Had a plan forced by the bank when I sold my first house, they placed 6 traps in the soil and walked away $1200.00. Previously I used Termidor SC ( the good stuff)_around the perimeter which lasts up to 10 years, the termite can not smell or taste it, they walk over it, carry it back to the colony. the colony is dead in a couple weeks, cost about $80 for 20oz (Ebay), enough to treat 2-3 times.

I'm pretty sure I can walk through my house and look at the baseboards with a flashlight to see if we have any issues.

Unlikely you will see termites or there aftermath around baseboards, most of the time you see them in a basement or crawl space after they have done a good bit of damage, sometimes when they swarm once a year.

"In Georgia, pest control professionals primarily use advanced liquid barrier treatments (like Termidor) and bait systems (like Sentricon) to combat aggressive subterranean termites. For drywood termites, localized spot treatments or whole-home fumigations are commonly used"

 

[Higgy1300]

we have kept ours in renewal for 26 years, its about 192.00 each year. we have had to have them retreat areas 3 times and there has been no cost to us. i think we are the only house on the street that still has one. 1 homes on the street.

 

[JerseyBoatBuilder]

In Florida it is nearly required. Helps a ton if you ever plan on selling your house. Some of them are even assumable by the new owner. The price includes the treatment with stuff I can't get and the expertise to know what is in your area and how it attacks.

We have done the same since we built a house here in Florida.
We also have the tubes in our walls a long with about 20 bait stations in the ground around the house.
We pay $395 a year but that also include pesticide applied to our yard every other month.
We are happy with the service they will come any time you call about something. Swarm season they stop by once a week to check on things.

 

[john.k]

West Indian dry wood termites are the nasty ones .........these little devils dont have a ground connection ,or need water