 | 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
2012-04-19 10:53:21
Termites…an age old problem - series
A: The best approach to protect your home from termite infestation is to avoid conditions that aid termites in gaining access. There are several simple things you can do to help avoid termites. First, do not allow the wood from your home to come in contact with the soil. The minute wood sets on earth, it starts attracting moisture and the combination of wood, soil and moisture attracts fungi that begin to decay the wood. Second, fix water leaks and control moisture in and around your home. The termites that live in Kansas require moisture and will thrive in damp soil and wood.
Avoid all wood-to-soil contact. Don’t stack firewood directly on the ground, especially next to the foundation of your home. Keep it elevated on racks. Also, don’t allow the siding of your house or trim to become covered by dirt. This allows unseen access by termites to your home and creates a condition that is conducive to termite infestation. Walk around the outside perimeter of your home and look for places where the wood or siding comes into contact with the soil and make a break of about six inches or more, if possible.
If you have roof or plumbing leaks, have them repaired. Often termites show up around fireplaces because the juncture where the sloping roof meets the fireplace doesn’t drain rain water properly. Moisture is retained in the walls and termites are attracted to the damp wood. Also, make sure that crawl spaces are properly ventilated. Damp crawls spaces aid termite infestation.
If building a home, look at getting a pretreatment while the home is being built. It’s one of the most cost effective ways of preventing termites, if the treatment is done properly. Make certain the provider uses a good, modern termiticide and uses it at the required label rates. Many, if not most, pretreatments in Kansas are done very cheaply, which means that the pest control company is using “cheap” rather than “good” product. Often, the chemicals are applied at rates much lower than required by state and federal law. Although, such treatments are regulated by the State of Kansas, due to manpower shortages, regulators have little time to monitor and enforce pretreatment requirements. If you’re getting the “builder’s special” on a termite pretreatment, the chances are you’re will not be much, if any, protection.
If you discover that you have termites feeding on you home, your best response is to contact a professional pest control expert. Termites are extremely difficult to get rid of on a long term basis. They’re easy to run off for a short time, but once you’ve turned your back on them, they’ll find a way to get back into your home. Use a professional that has proper licensing, credentials and a good rating with consumer watchdog agencies like the Better Business Bureau. Check with neighbors and friends to see if they have used someone that has done a good job for them. You may want to get a couple of bids. Cheap often isn’t good. The easiest way to do a low-cost job is to use second rate materials at less than label rates. Ask lots questions when you get an estimate and use reputable companies.
