MONTVALE, N.J., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When buying a home, 57 percent of Americans are most concerned about finding old termite damage, according to a national study conducted by Premise Termite Elimination. But, paradoxically, while 33 percent of homeowners feel their local area is a major target for termites, one in three homeowners have never had a termite inspection.

And even as the real estate market continues to soar, the damage these silent destroyers cause has reached an all-time high. Pest control industry estimates indicate that the damage termites cause now tops $5 billion each year - and homeowner's insurance will not cover these claims. These costs are especially problematic for 40 percent of surveyed homeowners who responded damage up to $2,000 would be a hardship.

From now through May, termites will be at their worst as termite swarm season descends on the United States. "The good news for homeowners is that the battle against termites can be won through prevention. The key is to schedule an annual termite inspection," says Manny Martinez, business manager for Premise Termite Elimination from Bayer Environmental Science.

In many cases, a home is a family's single largest investment. Housing experts recommend setting aside one to three percent of the market value of the home each year to pay for maintenance and repair costs, which should include a termite inspection.

"Termites work behind the scenes 365 days a year in every state except Alaska. But actual signs of infestation take years to appear, so letting it go allows the damage to become more and more significant. Inspections are usually free. But even if there's a small fee, investing in an inspection costs a fraction of what it can cost to repair the damage termites can cause," says Martinez.

If a termite inspection does uncover signs of termite activity, local pest management professionals (PMPs) can offer homeowners a range of services to halt the damage, the least intrusive - and most immediate - of which is a non- repellent liquid treatment like Premise. Imidacloprid, the active ingredient in Premise, is the most widely used insecticide in the world and transfers quickly, and provides long-lasting effective termite control.

The survey was a nationally representative telephone study conducted among homeowners between February 23 and February 27, 2005 by International Communications Research. The study included a total of 364 homeowners ages 18+ for a maximum margin of error of +/- 5.1% at the 95 percent confidence level.

For more information on how to prevent termite damage in the home, or to find a local PMP, visit http://www.nobugs.com. For a copy of the survey, please contact Jim Angstadt at jangstadt@tierneyagency.com or (215) 790-4347.

About Premise

Developed by Bayer Environmental Science and available only through a trained pest management professional (PMP), Premise is a termiticide/insecticide available in a variety of applications to control indoor and outdoor termite infestation. Premise is the premium non-repellent termiticide providing structural protection. To date, Premise has successfully treated over one million homes in the U.S. and all over the world. Imidacloprid, the active ingredient in Premise, is the most widely used insecticide in the world and is commonly used in consumer products for both people and pets.

About Bayer Environmental Science

Best known for its flagship product, Bayer Aspirin, Bayer Corporation produces a broad range of health care, life sciences and chemical products that help diagnose and treat diseases, purify water, preserve local landmarks, protect crops, advance automobile safety and durability and improve people's lives. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Bayer Corporation had sales of $10.1 billion in consumer products in 2000 and is one of Fortune magazine's "Most Admired Companies." The company employs 23,200 people. It is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, a $29 billion international health care and chemicals group based in Leverkusen, Germany. The Bayer Group stock is a component of the DAX and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAY - News).