Termite Treatment and Termite Control
For the last 30 years, customers in our stores and visitors to our web
site have asked," What can I do for termites
myself ?" Many times we have suggested that they get a
Pest Control Service Company to do the work for Subterranean (Ground)
termites, because of the many different factors, particulary on slabs
or basements.
In most all cases, a service company would be needed for Drywood Termites.
1.How
to Do Your Own Termite Baiting you will find the "how" of
doing your own pest / termite control using
Advance, Hex Pro or Firstline ® termite baits
The Advance and Hex Pro System have chitin
inhibitors, similar to the system used by Sentricon.
and is labeled for pre treatments and Firstline Bait System is not
labled for pre treatments.
2.
How to treat using tradtional treatmente methods of termiticide
chemicals in the soil, you will
find the "how" of doing your own pest and termite control using Taurus SC or Termidor SC as your choice for treating termites.
The technology of non repellents such as Taurus SC and Termidor SC is an advancement over other termite
insecticides that are only repellent barriers.
With "repellant" termiticides, any of the smallest gap in the treated
soil can be detected and exploited by the termites to gain entry
in the building. They will find ways around it. This is a major short-coming
of the more traditional chemicals used for termite control.
Taurus SC and Termidor SC are made up of a nonrepellents ,
they are undetectable by termites. The termites can't see, smell,
taste or avoid Taurus or Termidor .Taurus SC is
more economical than Termidor SC.
The table below will show the maximum label application rates and cost per gallon of finished yield.
Termidor SC-$68.90 |
Taurus SC-$56.85
|
Yields 24 Gallons
$2.87 Gallon |
Yields 24 gallons
$2.36 Gallon |
Doing your own termite work,in particular applying chemicals
for termites, may not be for everybody. We also hope to help you with
guidelines for finding a qualified service company that treats termites
at How
to choose a Pest Control Service.
At Termite
Home Inspections, you will find a series of pictures showing
damage from termites, powder post beetles and carpenter ants.
Can
I apply termite chemicals myself?, is designed to answer
that question. It will give you recommendations and instructions if
needed to treat for termites.
Traditional / standard termite chemical barrier treatments
for Subterranean (ground) termites are designed to
prevent them from entering the structure. They also will prevent termites
inside the structure from getting to the soil to get the moisture needed
to survive.
-
Since the currently available chemical barrier pesticides are very
short lived, in some cases, no more than 5-8 years, the concept of
using a chemical barrier treatment as a the sole means of controlling
subterranean termites has been challenged by baits designed for termites.
There are various
Baiting systems, for termites on the market.
Instead of injecting chemicals into the soil which will only last a
few years, you can now place termite bait directly into the ground around
the outside of a structure which the termites will find, feed on and
die.
The technology of baiting systems for termites are constantly changing
and improving
Baiting colonies of termites is simple and can also be used as a
monitoring tool to detect termites where they are not yet a problem.
Termite baits elimininate and control in conditions where the structure
is untreatable with soil termiticides ( near a body of water for example),
or there is a concern about pesticide use, and even in structures
where soil treatments have failed.
The Subterranean (Ground) Termite will have colonies
in the ground, building vertical tunnels that look like mud tubes above
ground level so that they can search for food.
Subterranean(Ground) termites can form tunnels through cracks in
concrete, so slab homes are not exempt from these termites.
Subterranean termites will die if exposed to air for an extended period
of time; tunnels are used for transporting the food to the nest and
protecting themselves.
Subterranean termites need to stay in contact with the soil in order
to survive as opposed to the Drywood termites that only needs low moisture.
Drywood termites are more prevalent in the coastal
regions.These termites may be carried in furniture from one region to
another. Drywood termites are found many times in the attic wood structure.
Drywood termites are more prevalent in the coastal regions.They may be
carried in furniture from one region to another.
These termites are found many times in the attic wood structure.
Refer to
our section on Termite/Ant
Diagram to determine the major difference between ant
appearance and termite appearance.
Signs of Termites
- Mud
like tunnels, usually vertical, among the foundation of the interior
or exterior walls.
- Termite
wings.
- "Swarmers" or
flying termites appearing in the house,particulary near light sources.
Subterrean
Termite Appearance:
- Worker:
wingless,light colored,1/8 inch long
- Soldier:
the head is elongated with mandibles.
- Supplementary
Reproductives: light colored with no wings or very short
-
Primary Reproductives:most
often seen,winged, and darker than the other three castes These are
also called "swarmers".
Dry Wood Termite Appearance
These termites
are larger (up to 1/2 inch long) than the Subterranean termite.
Diet:
Their
diet is wood and other cellulose material, such as paper, cardboard,
etc.
Recommended Termite Treatments
The presence
of termites in your home or under your home is a serious problem and
should be treated by a professional pest control operator. Due to the
many different factors involved we feel a professional would serve your
needs better in many cases than doing it yourself.
However,
we do carry a several lines of
Professional Termite products.
Feel free to e- mail us or call us for further infomation.
