Sixteen years. That’s how long termites have attacked the Coalmont Public Library, a historic building that has served as a Grundy County landmark for more than a century. After experiencing extensive moisture and termite damage, Tennessee building officials considered closing the library altogether. If it weren’t for the pest professionals at Sherrill Pest Control, they probably would have.
A history worth saving
When it comes to foraging for food, termites don’t discriminate. The structure was originally the Coalmont Bank Building when it was built in 1921. Since then, the historic structure has also housed company offices, civic facilities and more. Now it serves as a library and city hall for Grundy County residents. Unfortunately, by the turn of the century, the library was overrun by termites. Building officials were perplexed: how would they save such an iconic landmark?
Discovering the right approach
Thankfully, the pest management professionals at Sherrill Pest Control are experts at property rescue operations. First, they assessed the library for previous treatment in order to find the right approach. “Liquid treatments were done twice to the property and they weren’t working,” said Kevin Sherrill, operations manager. Once liquid treatments were ruled ineffective for the operation, Sherrill turned to The Sentricon® system.
Solving the problem from the ground up
“We were excited to offer the Sentricon system to eliminate existing termite colonies and protect the structure from future invading colonies,” said Sherrill. Sherrill Pest Control set to work installing 15 in-ground Sentricon stations around the library where termite activity was found.
After installing in-ground stations, Sherrill Pest Control relied on Recruit AG® FlexPack™ stations to completely eradicate any above-ground activity and eliminate potential aerial colonies. 14 stations were installed over mud tubes in crawlspaces, attics and hard-to-reach areas with high moisture levels in order to achieve total colony elimination.
Celebrating another 100 years
After underground Sentricon stations and Recruit AG FlexPack stations were installed, the city of Coalmont saw immediate success: the termite infestation was reduced drastically and would soon be gone. This was good news for Preston Miller, Mayor of Coalmont, who appeared on-site after the installation to praise the preservation of an important city landmark. He also touted the charitable nature of Sherrill Pest Control for the decision to donate both their service and product free of charge.
For Kevin Sherrill, that felt like a historic win. “This landmark has been a part of our Grundy Community for over a century, and we want to ensure it’s still here another century,” he remarked. Fortunately, thanks to Sherrill Pest Control and the Sentricon system, it will be.
