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So I guess you could really label today’s discussion is more of a public service announcement than anything else. But today we’re going to talk about the impact that spray foam insulation can have on your pest control company’s ability to protect your home from insects and rodents, as well as the pest control companies ability to perform an adequate inspection. Most importantly for the presence of wood destroying organisms. There are others however, the wood destroying organism that we most commonly inspect for today is termites. The Pest Control industry in Georgia is regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Structural Pest Control division, there is some but not a tremendous amount of information available to the general public about the advantages and or disadvantages of insulating our homes with spray foam insulation. And the information I’m talking about is as it relates to pest control. So our discussion today is going to be almost verbatim however, I will do some paraphrasing from a publication created by the Structural Pest Control Commission to the Georgia Department of Agriculture called spray foam insulation and pest management, which was issued on June 20 2018. And just so everyone understands what’s Georgia Pest Control Commission is, I will the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission is just so everyone understands what the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission is, I will read directly from their rules and regulations. So the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission shall consist of seven members as follows the head of the department of Entomology of the University of Georgia or some qualified person of that department designated by them, the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of magical agriculture or some qualified employee of that department designated by them, the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health or some qualified employee of that department, designated by them. Three residents of Georgia who are currently certified under the Georgia specimen Pest Control Act and who are actively engaged in pest control industry, and one person having a recognized interest in Consumer Affairs and protection, who has who has no connection whatsoever with the pest control industry. The last for the three members of the industry and the citizen at large, if you will, are appointed directly by the Commissioner of Agriculture. So the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission serves the public by adopting regulations and policies to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Georgia. And as part of their mission. The Structural Pest Control Commission works with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to educate the public about Structural Pest Management. This document this specific document was created to provide a background on spray foam insulation and issues related to pest management. The Georgia Department of Agriculture does not regulate spray foam applicators. My off the cuff guests would be the Department of Consumer Affairs, but I’m not exactly sure who regulates the spray foam industry in Georgia. However, the Department of Agriculture is responsible for regulating the pest control industry in Georgia. At this point, and I’m talking about in 2018. During routine inspections for wood destroying organisms, pest control industry noticed an increase in spray foam insulation installations and it was brought to the attention of the the Structural Pest Control Commission. This specific publication is an effort really to inform consumers how spray foam insulation products could adversely impact the ability to inspect for and control termites, carpenter ants, wood boring beetles and other pests including rats and mice. So if you’re considering the installation of spray foam insulation in your home, or you’ve already installed this product in your home, this may be a beneficial discussion for you. To help you to understand, really the unintended consequences associated with trying to make your home more energy efficient. There are advantages and disadvantages of spray foam insulation, as one would expect the primary advantage is energy cost savings. Some people may or may not really expect the disadvantages included but the two of the, I guess the primary disadvantage may be higher insulation costs, but you can get undetected water leaks as well. The Structural Pest Control Commission also notes that other disadvantages of spray foam insulation are that it prevents copper a comprehensive performance of inspections for wood destroying organisms and creates possible conditions that may invalidate your termite warranty. spray foam insulation can also hide evidence of pest activity. insects such as termites, carpenter ants, and rodents, rats and mice can easily chew through the spray foam insulation, which also provides insulation benefits to those pest populations. The presence of such pest within or behind the spray foam insulation makes visual inspection and control problematic at best, if not literally impossible. spray foam insulation impairs the ability of pest management inspectors from performing a visual inspection for evidence of a pest and fists, infestation intrusion or damage. There are currently no inspection tools that can overcome how spray foam insulation prevents visual inspection for pests. George’s Structural Pest Control regulations require pest management inspectors to determine the current presence or previous presence of infestations, and report these findings on what we refer to as the official wood infestation inspection report. The general public would call this a termite letter. These inspections include a visual inspection and the sounding and or probing of accessible areas. Well, well obviously if it has spray foam insulation insulation is not accessible for any type of pest inspection. pest management companies will typically include language in their contracts that the installation of products that prevent visual inspection may negatively affect or void a termite warranty. And the Structural Pest Control Commission’s Commission recommends that homeowners contact their pest management provider or consult with one for the view of how installation of spray foam installation could impact their pest or termite control contract. The state of Georgia has modified the model energy code which general contractors or I guess, insulation applicators have to abide by to include a termite inspection trip above and below the foundation wall to expose the sill plate and the lower band rim joist for visual inspection. Now, at Faith pest control, we offer a free consultation and a 100% make you happy money back guarantee. Do you hire faith pest control to get rid of your bug problem. And at the end of the 30 days, you’re not 100% Happy, we’ll come back and retreat your home for free. And we’ll keep on trading it for free until you tell us that you are happy. That still doesn’t make you happy. We’ll give you back every penny you spent on the original treatment. Plus, we’ll pay you an additional $25 for your time and trouble just for fooling with us. The bottom line is this. I want you to be happy with the service we provide or you won’t pay us a penny period. If you feel like what I’ve said makes sense. Call faith pest control today at 770-823-9202 and asked to speak to me Fred tally. I’ll be more than happy to speak with you and answer any questions that you may have.
