Are you looking for the cheapest termite control methods?
Termite problems often prove difficult to deal with due to their nature of infestation and damage. While seeking solutions, most people also focus on cost-effective methods of resolving the problem.
Affordable Termite Extermination
Now it’s common knowledge that termite treatments can be quite expensive, especially when dealing with full-blown infestations.
Apart from treatment, there’s the cost of repairs to damage caused. In severe situations, homes are completely lost when proper and immediate interventions are ignored.
Homeowners seeking low-cost termite treatment options will find this article highly informative.
How Extensive are the Spread and Damage?
Another thing you need to find out about termite treatment costs is the extent of the infestation as well as the damage.
Here, termite situations vary from one client to the next. Based on this, more extensive treatment may be required for one client than another.
In the case of severe termite damage, a lot of costs may be incurred to fix the problem. Repair costs may vary from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands.
Here, termite repair costs increase significantly compared to basic treatments.
Based on this knowledge, you’ll need to determine the extent of termite infestation you have. This is also followed by an assessment of the damage caused.
Is DIY Treatment Part of this Consideration?
When it comes to termite treatments, it’s common to find many opting for DIY methods which are mostly known to be the cheapest alternative.
This is so because the homeowner takes full responsibility for dealing with their termite issues. Here, treatment supplies take up a major part of the expenses.
In other words, no labor costs are applicable for DIY termite treatments. Professional treatments on the other hand tend to have a significant portion of treatment costs allocated to labor.
This is where a clear cost difference is seen between DIY treatments and professional treatments.
Now, this might sound exciting for DIY’ers or persons considering the DIY approach to treatment as there’s a significant reduction in cost. However, there are clear reasons why the DIY approach isn’t advisable.
One of them has to do with how ineffective the procedure is.
DIY termite treatment might be the cheapest form of intervention but doesn’t offer meaningful value in terms of far-reaching solutions.
Oftentimes, results are short-lived and termites return with a vengeance. It’s not a technique to consider due to its many flaws as termite issues might worsen.
Low-Cost Termite Treatment Options
Termite treatment techniques vary and so do treatment costs.
The most popular techniques include micro treatment, fumigation or tenting, barrier control, heat treatment, baiting, and liquid treatment.
In terms of efficacy and value, each of these treatments serves a purpose.
Termite treatment costs are usually calculated in a number of ways including hourly, per square foot, and per linear foot amongst others.
Both sq. ft. and linear ft. measurement techniques will be used for each of the treatment types mentioned.
i. Micro Treatment
When termite infestations are found to be limited to a small area, the micro treatment approach is usually deployed.
Here, the treatment fee is charged per square foot with typical costs going around $6 to $8 per sq. ft. Because a limited area is being treated, treatment costs are usually cheaper compared to major jobs.
The micro treatment includes a variety of treatment techniques that range from the use of liquid termiticides, to heat treatments, as well as the use of microwave guns.
ii. Fumigation or Tenting
Under the fumigation or tenting technique, costs go from around $1 to $3 per sq. ft.
Here, the cost per sq. ft. is multiplied by the treatment area to arrive at eventual costs. Smaller properties will logically attract cheaper costs compared to larger ones.
Finding out if fumigation or tenting is the cheapest type of treatment requires making side-by-side comparisons between this and other treatment approaches.
As the name suggests, your entire property is tented and chemical gases are slowly released to kill termites.
iii. Barrier Control
The barrier control technique is another treatment approach that may be adopted by pest control services. This typically goes for around $10 to $16 a linear foot.
This is adopted as a preventive measure and also for new constructions.
Like other techniques, the true cost of treatment includes labor costs as well as the cost per linear foot multiplied by the area being covered.
iv. Heat Treatment
Heat treatment costs for termites will cost between $1 and $3 per sq. ft. finding out the real costs of treatment will require multiplying the cost per sq. ft. by the total treatment area being covered.
This treatment process also requires the tenting of your home before heating the home.
As always, there needs to be a comparison in costs between different treatment methods. The results allow you to determine which is the cheapest.
Of course, the size of the treatment area among other factors will impact eventual costs.
v. Baiting
Depending on whom you hire or where you live among other cost influencing factors, termite baiting costs per linear foot go from around $8 to $12.
The number and type of bait come into play as well. This could be the cheapest termite treatment if the area is limited or when the supplies used are limited.
vi. Liquid Treatment
Liquid termite treatment costs go from around $3 to $10 per linear foot.
Again, the treatment area has a lot to do with the final cost of the treatment. When performed by a licensed technician, labor costs will be added to overall costs.
You Decide!
Identifying the cheapest termite treatment has a lot to do with comparing different treatment techniques such as those mentioned above.
You’ll need to consider other factors such as the size of the treatment area, the treatment supplies used, and time spent on the project.
Your location and company hired for the job also count in determining what’s spent for the process.
More than anything else, there should be a balance between seeking cheaper treatments and getting highly satisfactory results. Both of these aspects combined give the best possible deal.
As evidenced by the discussion above, it’s clear that cost is an important part of termite control. There are lots of factors to consider and compare to determine what will serve your needs best.