What Is a Termite Bond?

Termites. Never. Stop.

A lower ambient temperature can slow them down but they don’t take holidays or weekends. They don’t even sleep.

They just work tirelessly 24/7 chewing, chewing, chewing until they destroy every wooden structure in your home or business.

What’s worse, homeowners’ insurance companies often won’t cover termite damage because it is considered preventable.

How do you protect your wallet from the expensive damage these critters can cause? Maybe it’s time to consider getting a termite bond. What is a termite bond? Read on to find out!

What Is a Termite Bond?

A termite bond is like insurance. However, instead of being sold by an insurance company, the termite bond comes directly from your pest control company.

Terms vary, but there is a key policy to keep an eye out for. All termite bonds guarantee the company’s work. This means that if reinfestation occurs after treatment, the company will come out and retreat for free.

However, some companies take things a step further. Not only do they cover retreatment, but also damages caused to the building because of the reinfestation.

For homeowners, this demonstrates the company’s high level of confidence in its work. Plus, they can rest easy knowing they won’t be stuck with paying for several thousand dollars worth of structural damage after a professional supposedly rid their home of these pests.

Psst! Buckaroo is one of the few companies that take their termite bond to this level!

Termite Damage Statistics

How much damage can termites cause? This might seem like a whole lot of fuss for such a tiny bug.

Whelp. They might be small, but they sure add up. By one estimate, the combined weight of all the termites in the world would equal more than the combined weight of all the humans!

You might think that statement is crazy as a bullbat — until you stop to think about how many individual termites there can be. A single colony can harbor up to 5 million individuals!

Each year, approximately 600,000 US homes fall victim to the termites’ voracious appetite. In total, damages to manmade structures and crops add up to about $30 billion per year. A single homeowner on average is stuck with a $3,000 – $6,000 repair bill.

The rate of damage to a single structure varies depending on various factors. These include the weather, the type of termites, the size of the colony, etc. However, termites left to their own devices can completely destroy an average home in about 8 years.

Why Would You Need a Termite Bond?

The long and the short of it is that termites can cause some serious damage. Though they are constantly active they aren’t easy to spot. They crawl around through underground tunnels and burrow through wooden structures in the building.

This is why they are known as the silent destroyers.

Termites can be eating at your home or business for years before you ever suspect their presence. Depending on the type of termites, they will either live underground or make their nests within the walls of your building. External signs of termites don’t typically start to show up until the colony has grown quite large.

One of the easiest ways to notice a termite colony is when you see a termite swarm on your property. Once a colony has grown large enough, the queen sends out a swarm of winged termites to form a new colony. However, the swarm only lasts for a short time and you can easily miss it if you don’t happen to be present.

Plus, these swarms only happen once a colony is mature. By the time you could see one, the termites have already been there a while — silently destroying your property.

This is what makes termite inspections so important. They offer home and business owners peace of mind about what can be a very costly insect problem.

Plus, they can help you prove that your building is termite-free. This can be necessary in certain situations, such as selling your home.

If the home inspection turns up termite damage, the buyer will often request a termite bond as part of the sale requirements. If you live in a termite-prone area, having a termite bond helps sweeten the deal for potential buyers.

Some lenders will also require proof of the absence of termites in certain areas of the country. Without it, they may decline to fund a borrower’s mortgage.

Why Have a Termite Bond Even If You Don’t Need It

Of course, you won’t always have to have a termite bond. You may be able to freely sell your house or run your business without this assurance.

However, it can still be a good idea to get one.

Many people don’t realize this, but termite damage is not covered under most homeowners’ insurance policies. The damage is considered “avoidable” or termite prevention may be considered to fall under routine maintenance.

Regardless, it is an excellent idea to include a termite bond as part of your regular home or business maintenance. It is far easier and cheaper to deal with termites early.

This makes the cost of a termite bond well worth it. You could be saving yourself several thousand dollars in repairs. Those that are so tight they squeak when they walk would do well to keep this in mind.

The Right Termite Bond

However, you should always read the fine print when contracting a pest control company for a termite bond. Some companies will only retreat the premises if reinfestation occurs.

Here at Buckaroo Pest Protection, we don’t believe that goes far enough. You contracted our services to prevent this problem. If we failed, that’s on us. You shouldn’t be stuck paying for property damage you hired our services to prevent.

Thus, our termite bond covers property damage as well. Rest easy knowing that your home or business is safe from termites and your wallet is safe from their dastardly deeds.

Contact us here at Buckaroo Pest Protection today to safeguard your home or business against these busy little critters!