It's springtime, which means that in many American homes it is once again time for the annual termite inspection.
These ferocious little creatures are more difficult to deal with than many other forms of pest.
And for that reason the standard advice is usually to put your faith in professional pest control companies.
But how smart is that really? Don't get me wrong, most pest control professionals are great people who really know their stuff, and who have the genuine desire to make your home as termite free as it can be.
Although there are surely con-artists in any given niche, I'm not hinting at some general conspiracy.
Where the pest control entrepreneur knowingly leaves the back door open, so to speak, for the termites - in order to charge for an expensive termite control operation later on.
Five billion dollars for what? But considering that US citizens annually spend an estimated 5 billions dollars on termite control and on repairing termite damage, you'd think that people want to make sure they at least get their money's worth.
Consider this: If you were going to remodel the bathroom and kitchen in your home, how much time do you spend on research before actually buying anything? I bet you would go over the features and benefits of a whole lot of design options and building materials.
And you would probably interview several contractors in order to get a good price as well as reliable quality service.
Perhaps you'd even go so far as to brush up on how these remodeling jobs should be done.
Not in order to replace the expert (your contractor), but in order to be able to verify that the job indeed is done properly.
Or what if you are going to buy a used car.
If you know nothing about cars, you will probably feel better if a friend of yours - who happens to be very knowledgeable about cars - tag along to stop you from making a poorly informed purchase.
How about when you bought your new computer? The modern video camera?The flat screen TV? Okay, so you get the point already.
You pay due diligence and do your research before making any substantial investment.
In terms of pest control professionals this will include checking their credentials with appropriate authorities and associations, reviewing their terms, asking for referrals and so on.
But the thing with termites is that they are difficult to detect, which means that many homes owners do not get in touch with a pest control professional before they have an ongoing infestation at their hands.
If you live in an area where termites are common, you want to be much more pro-active than that.
You should learn the basics about different termite species and how they operate.
Because then you will stand a much better chance of preventing them from invading your home in the first place.
In the best case scenario you may not even need any further help.
Whether you choose to hire a professional for regular termite inspections or to deal with an ongoing infestation, you will have a much better idea of what a good service should include.
And you'll be able to ask all the right questions before hiring someone.