Common Consumer Questions
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.
Q: Will your treatment provide a clearance for
me if I decide to sell my home?
A: Yes.