Q: What does XT-2000 Orange Oil® smell like?
A: Oranges, plain and simple.
Q: How long do I smell it?
A: Typically 4 to 5 days.
Q: Where do you get XT-2000 Orange Oil®?
A: We distill orange rinds to extract the oil. D-limonene is the chemical name for orange oil. It is a renewable resource and is a by-product of orange juice manufacturing.
Q: How do termites enter my home?
A: Drywood termites infest dry, undecayed wood, , including redwood, dead limbs of native trees, shade and orchard trees, utility poles, posts, as well as structural lumber, and lumber in storage. To establish new colonies, winged reproductives will swarm to exposed wood on the exterior of nearby buildings and other structures.
Q: What is a drywood termite swarm?
A: Termites go through a simple metamorphosis with egg, nymph, and adult stages. Within four to five years of the establishment of a colony, up to 87% of the adults grow wings and become male and female reproductives. These winged termites will exit the colony in a swarm. This usually occurs seasonally on sunny days during late summer and fall months.
Q: Can termites be found in a newly completed building?
A: The majority of the requests for inspection are in homes ten years or older. A new home with swarmers would suggest that the wood used in construction was infested or became infested during construction. A colony will swarm within four to five years of being established; if a swarm occurs sooner than five years in a new building, we know that the colony was established in the structural timbers prior to completion of the structure.
Q: How do you know which wall termites come from?
A: Termites are blind, but they can sense light and head towards it. The location of swarmers would provide evidence of their point of origin. Termites glide toward the light, but they are wretched fliers.
Q: How do you find everything and how do you know you will kill all the termites?
A: Structural Integrated Pest Management (SIPM), like all treatments, requires a quality inspection. A quality inspection is the key to an efficient and effective treatment of XT-2000 Orange Oil®. Drywood termites cannot hide from a quality inspection. Termites may be living in inaccessible areas, such as wall voids. An inspector with a basic knowledge of the entomology of the species will be able to determine these possible areas of infestation, a “KIA.” “K”- Kalotermitidae (Latin for drywood termites) also known as Kalotermes (slang) “IA”- Inaccessible Areas. Further inspection of a “KIA” area, using methods such as a borascope during the treatment phase will allow access and identification of any additional infestations; with the right tools, no termite can stay hidden.
Q: How can you look inside walls without opening them up?
A: Using a borascope, we verify the presence of drywood termites by locating their waste. We determine which areas need to be scoped due to other infestations located during the inspection. Termites have to create kickouts, a small hole through which they kick out their waste. Kickouts will occur up to 30 inches apart in an area that is infested.
Q: Is XT-2000 Orange Oil® a primary treatment?
A: A Primary Treatment is when your whole structure is under warranty. There are only three Primary Treatments for drywood termites, Fumigation, Heat, and XT-2000 Orange Oil®. These are the only methods to have been proven in laboratory tests to get a 100% kill.
Q: Is there a difference in companies that offer “no tent” treatment?
A: Any other “no tent”treatment, such as a local treatment, would be considered a Secondary Recommendation and Substandard. A Secondary Treatment only guarantees the treated areas, not the whole structure.
Q: How does XT-2000 Orange Oil® work compared to fumigation?
A: We use a precise, comprehensive drill and treat method. The capillary action of XT-2000 Orange Oil® works in many ways like fumigation, but without the same risks! XT-2000 Orange Oil® moves through wood like a gas, along the path of least resistance, filling up the treated piece of wood until the termites have no place to hide. Unlike fumigation, XT-2000 Orange Oil® treatments are specifically targeted to the area of infestation, so you do not need to move out of your home during the treatment.
Q: Once the termites are located, how does XT-2000 Orange Oil® kill termites?
A: With the drill and treat method, a technician will apply enough XT-2000 Orange Oil® to saturate the infested wood member. Once saturated, the orange oil will wick through the wood, getting to all of those hard to reach areas. In addition, once XT-2000 Orange Oil® is exposed to termites, its lights out!
Q: How can drill and treat methods be effective if you do not apply XT-2000 Orange Oil® to every piece of wood in my house?
A: If there is no evidence of infestation, then the piece of wood is free and clear of termites. There is no need to treat every board, only the infested ones.
Q: Once located, won’t any other pesticide kill all the termites?
A: XT-2000 Orange Oil® kills termites on not only contact, but also the fumes act as a neurotoxin to the termites, creating a pleasant orange fragrance that humans smell without any effect.
Q: Do heat treatments work?
A: Yes, but the time and labor cost is reflected in your bill for the treatment. It takes six to eight hours to heat a piece of wood internally to 125° Fahrenheit. In addition, the pretreatment preparation required of the homeowner is extensive and, if not completed properly, heat can be extremely damaging to property, such as plastics, electronics, and many other items.
Q: How can spot treatments be effective if you do not apply evenly to every board?
A: If there is no evidence of infestation, then a board is free and clear of termites. We do not need to treat every board, merely the infested ones.
Q: Is XT-2000 Orange Oil® flammable?
A: The government rates XT-2000 Orange Oil® as combustible. A combustible product has a higher flash point than products labeled as flammable; the higher the flash point, less flammable; XT-2000 Orange Oil® is not as much of a fire hazard as a flammable product.
Q: What if the termites return?
A: At no additions expense under the guarantee, the customer can request a service call. Under the “Whole House Annual Control Agreement,” every year we will perform a quality inspection and treat any new infestation as needed.