Termites in The Villages - what are the facts?
 

When we moved here twelve years ago we continued the existing termite protection.

However, we have never heard of anyone (protected or otherwise) who has had any problems here with termites.

Have you had any personal experience of them here, or is it just another scaremongering money-making venture for those in the bug business?

Thank you

Is the fact that there has been no sharing of personal experiences indicative of the low chance of having a problem with termites here?

We're not usually reticent to come forward if we have something to share :)

Thank you for the link, Babubhat

There does appear to be a lack of them in our area.

Looks like termite protection in The Villages is for "peace of mind" rather than any actual need for it.

According to the expanded U of F map, only 7 cases documented for all species in The Villages area. Is that because of the foundation pre-treatment by the Developer, or a highly successful retreatment sales effort by the exterminators, or a natural occurrence?

Yes

Because of all the chemicals being used in The Villages for killing termites, the lack of termites in the area has caused The Villages to be declared a sanctuary area for termites until the termite population is viable.

If you go and look at a house being built, you will see green along the lower 1/3rd of the 2x4s. That is a borate treatment to fend off insect activity. They also treat the soil.

Termite damage does happen if you do things like having shrubs too close to the foundation or trees touching the house allowing termites to hide and maintain a moisture source. I routinely check the outside foundation to make sure there are not termite tunnels around the edge of the foundation and I also look for them under sinks to make sure they don't come up between the pipes in the foundation. I do this casually because I've only owned one house that had termites and that was because of the tunnels going up the foundation hidden behind the shrubs. Termite damage takes time - I think their damage tends to actually be minimal even when it happens.

There are also dry wood termites. Another story but you can still spot them with just minimal effort of observation.

All of the above. Sold like life insurance. Prays on fear

Think about it - every house is treated when built, and most are newer build. Almost everyone has retreatments and inspections. If you looked at that link, make sure you turn on ALL the species. Most of the infestations are in Lady Lake and historic section. So there is nowhere for them to go and breed and spread in the newer sections - I would say it is because of the attention to detail and treatment. Otherwise, what stops them spreading in this area and not in Orlando, Apopka, and Crystal River??

And there is a lot of fear here, warranted or not. Just read this board. There is a segment who sit at home waiting to spread fear on a message board. Sadly, that's all they have.

Block and stucco
 

I have a block and stucco house. Massey wanted to provide plenty of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt), to pay $100+/year for termite protection. Yeah, its pocket change, do the math for Massey. They say I have wood trim and cabinets that termites can eat. Sure anything is possible in life, but i can't imagine this is >1% chance of happening. If it does, I'll fix the damage myself, it's not like the house will fall down.

I think the risks are very much overstated by those that have easy money to gain.

Risk send low.

In addition to the initial treatments, The developer removes all the organic material on the soil prior to construction that could serve as food.

Exceptions could be homes bordering on natural areas.

The furring strips attached to the block houses are COMPLETELY green (borate treated). Drywall is paper faced and has starch as a binder in the gypsum and paper too - so you can understand why the furring strips are so well treated.

A lot of the wood is borate treated straight from the supplier when it arrives such as the furring strips and base plates for the interior walls.. And then they spray borates onto the other wood once installed.

I bet the termites don't like sand either and lack of any wood around from clearing the land so well before construction.

Tlm ….

i guess the fact that the statement on that site about the information not being accurate has zero bearing here.

With a little butter, garlic and salt, they are delicious.

No termites ever found or have never heard anyone say they had them. Massey treated our house for 3 years until I stopped that service , same with bug protection . No bugs ,no termites, although I spray the foundation myself twice a year with “Home Defence”

We had a lot of problems with termites in Oxford, FL, where I worked. It’s much cheaper to prevent them than to get rid of them.

Probably your only worry is flying termites getting to your truss's, if you read most termite policies they only cover subterranean termites so if you do get flying termites you are on your own. We dumped our policy soon after buying our home despite Massey telling us they had seen a lot of termite damage in the villages and we were crazy to not continue their great policy.

this way probably about 17/18 yrs ago that a home in Harmswood had a major infestation of termites..

Smart people don’t buy termite insurance. They don’t exist here. Buy alligator insurance instead.

Termites have morphed into contractors who start a job, demand full payment then never show up again….,

Termites
 

I purchased my home in June and there were some tracks of pre-existing termites. The seller had it treated. So they are here in the villages.

"Almost everyone has re-treatments and inspections, so there is nowhere for them to go and breed and spread."

Since my neighbors have provided me with a 'cordon sanitaire' to keep the pesky termites from getting anywhere close, I consider it safe to drop Massey.

Removed some old landscape timbers on our property and they were heavily infested with termites.

Our neighbors in a new build (4 years old) had a termite infestation .Block home. Destroyed their baseboards. Costly repairs! Yes you need termite protection. Flying termites can quickly destroy all the wood in your home. Protection is well worth the money.

So, you live in a community where strong measures are taken during the hone build process to prevent termites and the majority of home owners continue that protection ongoing. Then you note the positive results and question the need? Really? Termites are a real, documented threat in warm, humid climates including Florida. Have a friend in another state that did have a termite infestation hidden in their walls and it was a large, expensive effort to remediate.

Not that expensive to continue the annual service. Well worth the peace of mind.

That is so thoughtful of you. What if all your neighbors had the same thought?

Hahaha!

Termite Insurance
 

I had a friend who bought a life insurance policy. Kept it for 2.0 years. Never died. Dropped the policy due to the fear mongering aspect.

Then we'd all save money.

If nothing else, it's expected when you go to sell your house. Keeping up a current treatment plan is much less expensive than starting a new plan. Think of it as insurance. You'll never need it until you do.

This is my way of thinking also.
I have Dean's termite policy that comes with insurance if we get termites,
and not that much $$$$ per year.

Another thing about termites most people overlook regardless of what that map shows, TERMITES ARE EVERY WHERE. ​

Also, check your mulch around your foundation.
We have those yahoos spread mulch over the years and it builds up 8 to 14 inches
Reak that mulch away so termites can't seek the moister that mulch holds.

There have been several infested manufactured homes in The Hysterical Section. One homeowner was having new double pane windows installed and the majority of the window frames had been damaged by termites.

We don’t have coverage because I don’t think we are in an area in The Historic Section where it ever happened to anybody else. Our bug treatment company inspected the entire house for us and said there is no evidence of damage. I feel like such a Rebel. I’m not cheap at all just trying to be wise.

I did buy flood insurance after what I witnessed after Irma.

Good Luck with your decision.

Exactly where is the Hysterical section, understand people living there have 58% more fun than the rest of us.

Or spend it on repairs since there would be a great spot for termites to move in!

Termidor.
Twice a year.
Spray 18" up the wall and 18" out on the ground.

A customer's home off of Pinellas. Termites are very much real here.