Termite Awareness Week

Termite Awareness Week, held the first week of spring each year, provides pest control service providers an opportunity to educate consumers and attract customers. Developed to encourage homeowners to monitor for signs of termites actively, it’s the time of year to underscore the critical need for routine termite inspections.

Why Is Termite Awareness Week Important?

For most Americans, our homes mark the largest investment we make in a lifetime. We spend time and money ensuring the inside and outside look as nice as possible. That’s why it’s also critical to invest a little in preventive care.

Termite Awareness Week offers the opportunity for pest control businesses to remind homeowners that a little TLC now can pay off in a big way down the line. Regular annual termite inspections help prevent property damage and save thousands of dollars in repair bills.

Likewise, some advanced planning now by pest control companies will deliver clear messages and help bolster a customer base.

How to Prepare for Termite Awareness Week

Consider one or more of the following ideas for Termite Awareness Week.

Promotions and discounts

Termites are most active in the early spring, especially after a mild winter. It’s the time of year when we want people to think about checking their homes. It also is when people search the internet for professionals.

So whether you promote your discount in a local shopper, a church bulletin, or simply a sign out front, update your website because Google drives modern business traffic. 

Consider offers such as a lower price point, bundling services, and special offers to attract new customers. Clear and compelling marketing strategies will bring the topic top of mind and drive business opportunities. 

Educational content

Some people will search for termite solutions they can try themselves before calling a professional. For their own safety, it’s best to arm them with the right information.

Without going too deep into entomology, this can include information about:

• Signs

• Pesticides

• Termite treatment

• Region-specific tips

Most people aren’t aware that simply keeping wooden patio furniture in direct sunlight for three to four days will dry the wood enough to eliminate termites. 

Whether this information becomes a one-page handout or a talk one of your exterminators posts on YouTube, it adds to public trust and builds a future customer base.

Community Outreach

Businesses are important parts of the communities in which they operate. Giving back is an investment that pays for future rewards.

Spend one day of Termite Awareness Week by donating an inspection to schools, parks, non-profits, or other important community facilities. Show people what to look for and give them hands-on experience identifying harmful insects.

The goodwill, trust, and loyalty that time creates not only benefits the buildings and structures. It builds confidence in your business and puts a name and a face to your service. 

Termite-Related Questions Homeowners Might Have

People who don’t work daily in pest removal often underestimate termites and other insects' impact on their homes. Establish yourself as the expert and gain their trust. 

The easiest places to share this information are through social media and email marketing campaigns designed to raise awareness of the dangers of termite infestation and get homeowners thinking about termite control. Encourage people to ask questions and offer your employees as experts in the field.

Start by sharing basic information on termite types, how to identify them, and warning signs to catch them early before calling a pest control professional becomes an emergency event. Stay out of complex nuances and instead drive home that termite damage means more than just initial costs related to property damage. It can impact homeowners’ insurance as well.

Here are examples of questions you can answer in advance. Use these ideas and ones like them to fuel your weekly social media posts.

How do I identify termites?

Termites are part of the cockroach family and can come in many colors with brown, black, white, and orange the most common. They have straight antennae and four wings that are all the same size. Ants, by contrast, have curved antennae and different-sized wings. Termites that damage homes tend to live in moist areas, be it underground or in damp wood, though there are drywood termites as well.

What are some signs that termites are in or around my house?

. Driven by their appetite for cellulose, termites primarily target wood, a material abundant in this carbohydrate. Look for wood that sounds hollow when it shouldn’t, wood damage easily probed with a screwdriver, or wood with a thin gritty gray-brown film on the surface. These are telltale termite signs.

The most common termites are subterranean termites that live in large colonies underground, most often in soil but sometimes in mulch. They build distinctive mud tubes that connect termite colonies to food sources. 

Winged adult termites that fly in groups are a major indicator of termite activity. Another sign is a pile of wings found on floors, windowsills, or inside crawl spaces.

What can I do to prevent a termite infestation?

Unclog your gutters. Clogged or improperly sloped gutters can cause rainwater to flow directly onto the ground against a home. This creates extremely moist soil that is fertile ground for termites.

Can I just spray for termites myself?

A common removal technique is treating the soil around the home with a termite insecticide. Wood must be treated directory if termites are inside the home. DIY products are available for purchase, but it’s always best to leave chemical handling and removal to professionals.

Supplement these messages with your own experiences. For example, the climate in Florida and other states allows termites to thrive year-round.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) also provide social media posts, media relations tactics, and other strategies that are free to use.

Learn More About Growing a Pest Control Business

Termite threats are real, but many homeowners don’t react until it’s too late. Termite Awareness Week offers an opportunity to get people thinking about these wood-destroying pests and how termite prevention can save them money in the long run.

For support in creating marketing materials and campaigns, check out field service software FieldRoutes, which fully integrates with ServiceTitan Marketing Pro to create highly targeted and effective email and direct mail campaigns.

Schedule a free consultation with FieldRoutes today.