Source:  NCDA&CS, 4/26/11

Many North Carolina counties have experienced severe damage to buildings and homes because of the recent tornadoes. With so much damage to deal with, many homeowners and business owners may not be thinking about their termite coverage. But making building repairs could affect their current termite treatment agreements.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler advises owners to check with their pest control provider about continuing protection under their current warranties and agreements.

“Agreements vary from company to company, but some may require areas of a house or building or an entire house or building to be treated again to ensure protection,” Troxler said. “That is especially true if the soil next to your foundation wall has been disrupted.”

Since a pest management company is performing an additional service, a fee may be charged for this retreatment. Some warranties for termite control, especially older ones, may lack conditions under which retreatments are required. Although the pest management company cannot require payment for retreatments in these situations, homeowners should take into consideration the risk of a termite reinfestation and try to come to an agreement with their pest management company in order to correct the problem. Review your agreement prior to contacting your pest management company.

If additional treatment is needed, a homeowner's insurance may cover some or all of the cost of restoring the effectiveness of termite treatments. Homeowners should check with their insurance agent as soon as possible to see if their policy will cover any extra charges.

Unfortunately, any time a natural disaster occurs, there can be scams associated with cleanup and restoration efforts. While having your home or business repaired, please be cautious and check the credentials of all parties involved. If someone represents himself as a pest management professional, then he should be able to provide you with an official identification card issued by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division. Anyone who provides inspections, identifications and treatments of structural pests must either be licensed by NCDA&CS or employed by a licensed pest management company in North Carolina.

If you have any questions regarding termite retreatments or the legitimacy of a pest management company, contact the Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division at (919) 733-6100 or go to www.ncagr.gov/SPCAP/. An online search option allows you to research whether or not a company is licensed to perform pest management services in North Carolina.