If they build it, the termites may very well come.
The so-called tool belt recession means a bit less building going on, yet it appears Fairfield County pest control companies have been spared.
According to the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, unemployment in the construction industry approached 25 percent at the end of 2010. That has a ripple effect on other industries — from manufacturing to concrete pourers.
But one industry not exterminated by the tool belt recession was pest control. Indeed exterminators, “or termite and wood destroying organisms specialists” as the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection calls them, are still filing permit applications and getting approved.
“There have been no reduction in requests for certification,” said Diane Dorsey who handles enforcement for DEP. “I’m not aware of there being a trend downward.”
That’s because although area pest control companies handle commercial work, most earn their keep through home control, said Scott Kanable of Ridgefield’s JD Best Termite Pest Control.
Termites wreak billions of dollars in damage every year, according to the National Pest Management Association. The tiny insects chomp mostly wood, but won’t turn down paper, books or insulation.
In Fairfield, Ehrlich Pest Control in Fairfield uses a conventional approach to termite control. Its technicians apply “termiticide” – to wood or soil beneath and around the home to create “treatment zones.” Treatment zones kill termites as they travel.
Several factors dictate what kind of termite control a residence uses, including home construction and just how bad the termites are, according to Ehrlich’s website.
The Fairfield company offers free termite inspections for both commercial and residential properties.
Over at All State Exterminating Company in Stamford, the owner Howard Wallenstein was actually too busy to return calls, said his secretary.
“He’s got the messages, but he’s on site today,” was the constant message left on this reporter’s voicemail.
Calls for inspection appear to remain steady, in spite of seasonal slow downs.
“Connecticut is not a pre-treatment state like the South where you have to treat before new construction happens,” Dorsey said.
With snow and ice blanketing the region, termites might not be on the forefront of people’s minds. But when buds show on trees, builders often start to get active. That’s also the time when termites start their colonies.
Termite infestation can happen 12 months a year, but the colonies usually increase in the spring. That’s the busiest time of year for termite control, said Dorsey.
Still, treatments are sometimes done before home improvements if there has been water damage, which can soften target for carpenter ants and termites.
“But usually the repairs to the damage takes care of anything,” Dorsey said.
