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“Help! We are buying a home in Phoenix and our inspector said that the home had been treated in the past for termites! We thought the only critters to worry about in Arizona were scorpions and snakes. Should we be concerned that the home has been treated for termites in the past?”
The short answer is, “probably not”. Ask your inspector (and I’m assuming here you are talking about a home inspector) if there is any termite damage that he can see.
Our broker is fond of saying there are three kinds of houses in Arizona; those with termites, those that have had termites and those that will have termites. Termites are actually pretty common in the Phoenix area. There are several varieties of the little buggers, with the “Arid-land Subterranean Termite” being the most common.
Treatment for termites is very effective. Most companies that treat termites have 5 to 10 year warranties that are transferable to a home buyer. Be sure to get your agent to request the treatment history and warranty info from the current owners.
There is a lot of information on termites and treatment options and effectiveness at the State of Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission’s web site (most other states have similar government bodies — try Googling “Your state pest control” or “your state pest control board”).
Many astute homeowners get preventive termite treatments, even if they have no signs of termites. But even if a home has had termites in the past, it’s not normally a concern if they were treated quickly and effectively by a reputable pest control specialist.
Talk to your inspector and the pest control treatment company and your fears will probably be alleviated.
By the way, I’ve never seen a snake in suburban Arizona (I have seen a couple while hiking in relatively remote areas). They certainly exist, but they tend to shy away from people/civilization. We’ve had a couple of scorpions in our home. Those things are difficult to kill (a hard-soled shoe is effective though). My son caught one and put it in a baby food jar. Despite having no food, water or air holes in the lid, that thing lived for three weeks before he let it go (in a remote field — not in the backyard…)
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Sam Chapman 12.05.06 at 8:57 am
Jay - your post about termites was dead on. The same goes for homes here in Central Texas. BTW, I’ve lived here for 19 years and have seen exactly one live snake!