 | Michael Patton is President of Patton Termite & Pest Control, Inc., one of the most progressive pest management companies in the state. Patton has been actively involved in pest management industry since 1978.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Kansas Pest Control Association and recently became President-Elect of the KPCA. With a background in communications, Patton received a degree in marketing and public relations from Wichita State University’s Elliott School of Communication. He holds a Commercial Applicator’s license from the Kansas Department of Agriculture in four categories 7A – wood-destroying organisms, 7D health related pests, 7E structural pests, 1B animal pest control. Patton has been on the front edge of the green pest control movement by being a founding company in the QualityPro GreenPro organization. Additionally, PTPC was named as one of the top 87 top companies in the nation for being a founding member of the National Pest Management Association’s QualityPro organization.
Patton knows Wichita-metro and its surrounding counties. He has grown up on the plains of Kansas and knows the special challenges of our prairie ecology…brown recluse spiders, odorous house ants, bedbugs, the 5 different kinds of local cockroaches, just to mention a few of the numerous pests. With over 30 years of experience with local pest issues, he is uniquely qualified to understand and write about our local pest issues. |
Pest Control
2012-02-27 11:59:18
Termites…an age old problem
Q: What is the latest on termites and control of them?
A: Good question…termites have been around for millions of years. If you Google “termites,” you will see how they are a light-colored social insect that forms large colonies. Many species live in warm or tropical regions, feed on wood, and are highly destructive to trees and wooden structures.
While many think of them as pests and useless, they are actually doing what God intended them to do when He made them. In his infinite wisdom, God created these little, grubby-white insects with good reason. They were given the task of recycling decaying wood. They are the little sanitation workers of the soil. They were endowed with special bacteria in their gut that allows them to digest cellulose and turn rotting wood into nutritious soil.
However, when humans began to build wooden structures, the wars between termites and humans started. Although few of us mind termites doing what they are supposed to be doing in nature, we will go to great lengths to put a stop to these wood worms and their destructive work when it comes to our homes and buildings. They want to turn them into dirt. We of course can’t allow that to happen.
The only problem is…these little creatures are difficult to control. They’re also difficult to find. In search of their food (wood and cellulose) they can squeeze through cracks 1/32 of an inch. They’re an integral part of nature and they’ll go 24 hours a day in their dark caverns. The problem is that they often mistake the “good wood for the bad.” They have plenty of time on their hands to complete their work. The ages are on their side. Scientists have found fossilized remains of termites dating back more than 100 million years.
Termites are cryptic, hidden in the earth, or in walls or behind veneered surfaces. They find ways in and around our best efforts. What are humans to do? The best thought is to establish a perimeter and hold the line. Many solutions have been developed throughout the ages for termite control. Mankind has developed many potions, both fair and foul. We want protection from these home destroyers, knowing that termites cause more monetary damage to wooden structures than fires, earthquakes and storms combined.
Recent studies have found that over 90% want protection from termite invasion. According to Dr. Michael Potter of the University of Kentucky, 93% of home and building owners were also concerned about the use of termite control chemicals. Fortunately, there has been a breakthrough from a company that has developed a new bait that is green and most effective. This technology has won the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Although something else may come along in the future that is more effective, this product offers unsurpassed termite protection today.
Over the next few months, I will be writing about this new paradigm shift in termite protection that can offer all of us great termite protection without the risk of placing hundreds of gallons of termite chemicals around homes and buildings.
