ReggieDeere
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My work bench in my shop has been eroding, I think I have a termite problem. Anyone have an idea what I can do, besides hiring an exterminator to take care of my problem?
Termites???
- Thread starter ReggieDeere
- Start date
Watch out termites can cause a lot of damage before you even notice them.
I struggled with termites for a long time. Causing many thousands of dollars in damage.
First I had Orkin come out . That cost a lot but it did seem to work ok keeping them at bay for the ten years that they said it would. But then I found them in my garage again. I tried the stakes from Home Depot but they just seemed to keep eating them. I did a lot of research and found that about the best that the average homeowner can apply is Termidor. Here is the link to the manufacturers website although they recommend you use a professional to apply the product.
There is a lot of information about it.
http://www.termidorhome.com/
This is the place I ended up buying it from, fast and friendly and they ended up being the cheapest at the time for a case. they also describe how a homeowner would apply it using a 5 gallon bucket.
http://www.pestproductsonline.com/products/Termidor_SC_20_oz-14-0.html
I read some stuff about it where studies suggested that a continuous chemical barrier is not needed due to the fact that it is undetectable by the termites and that it transfers throughout the colony from the scouts. I applied it by flooding it in a small trench around the house using my lawn sprayer with a hose hooked to it. I applied it last year this time and haven't seen any evidence of termites since. But that really doesn't mean anything termites can sort of come and go over a period of years. It will take several years before I know if it really worked.
Just going form my research I am confident that it will work.
It is expensive but when you have your sill plate eaten out from under your house it gets to looking pretty cheap.
Hope this helps.
I struggled with termites for a long time. Causing many thousands of dollars in damage.
First I had Orkin come out . That cost a lot but it did seem to work ok keeping them at bay for the ten years that they said it would. But then I found them in my garage again. I tried the stakes from Home Depot but they just seemed to keep eating them. I did a lot of research and found that about the best that the average homeowner can apply is Termidor. Here is the link to the manufacturers website although they recommend you use a professional to apply the product.
There is a lot of information about it.
http://www.termidorhome.com/
This is the place I ended up buying it from, fast and friendly and they ended up being the cheapest at the time for a case. they also describe how a homeowner would apply it using a 5 gallon bucket.
http://www.pestproductsonline.com/products/Termidor_SC_20_oz-14-0.html
I read some stuff about it where studies suggested that a continuous chemical barrier is not needed due to the fact that it is undetectable by the termites and that it transfers throughout the colony from the scouts. I applied it by flooding it in a small trench around the house using my lawn sprayer with a hose hooked to it. I applied it last year this time and haven't seen any evidence of termites since. But that really doesn't mean anything termites can sort of come and go over a period of years. It will take several years before I know if it really worked.
Just going form my research I am confident that it will work.
It is expensive but when you have your sill plate eaten out from under your house it gets to looking pretty cheap.
Hope this helps.
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Termites can be terrors! I would definitely hire a professional exterminator to handle your problem. There are two things that I will hire an exterminator for, one is termites, the other is roaches. EWW!
mystreba
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As with most household pests, the termite is absolutely fascinating - one of the most complex bio-systems imaginable. Here's a simple explanation of their reproductive cycle - mind-blowing stuff. http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/termite2.htm
First, you must diagnose the problem. If you don't have a termite problem, you may be spending money unnecessarily. While it's always best to err on the safe side, many homes in the metro DC area were built on a semi-permanent film of various termite control chemicals, from chlordane (now banned) to dursban (ditto) to termidor. If the former was applied to your lot before the slab was poured, you should never have termites (unless you add an addition or otherwise disturb the foundation/soil). It would be very unusual for you to have a termite problem without seeing some kind of symptom. The colony will send out thousands of flying reproductive swarmers - this is your best chance at discovery. Do a google search to see how you can distinguish termite swarmers from flying ants. Speaking of which, a wood deterioration problem may not necessarily be a result of termites - carpenter ants can do almost as much damage.
You can also inspect for mud tubes - termites leave the colony to find food (ie: your house), but must return to the colony in the ground. They won't travel out in the open so they construct little mud tunnels - also a good chance for discovery.
If you suspect you do have termites, definitely hire a professional. It simply isn't worth the risk of ignoring it or handling it on your own. In the Metro DC area, there are several good ones. I use Western, and they have excellent customer service, vastly imroved over the years. Like any reputable pest control company, they guarantee their termite program. Be prepared to shell out several throusand dollars, and then an annual maintenance fee.
First, you must diagnose the problem. If you don't have a termite problem, you may be spending money unnecessarily. While it's always best to err on the safe side, many homes in the metro DC area were built on a semi-permanent film of various termite control chemicals, from chlordane (now banned) to dursban (ditto) to termidor. If the former was applied to your lot before the slab was poured, you should never have termites (unless you add an addition or otherwise disturb the foundation/soil). It would be very unusual for you to have a termite problem without seeing some kind of symptom. The colony will send out thousands of flying reproductive swarmers - this is your best chance at discovery. Do a google search to see how you can distinguish termite swarmers from flying ants. Speaking of which, a wood deterioration problem may not necessarily be a result of termites - carpenter ants can do almost as much damage.
You can also inspect for mud tubes - termites leave the colony to find food (ie: your house), but must return to the colony in the ground. They won't travel out in the open so they construct little mud tunnels - also a good chance for discovery.
If you suspect you do have termites, definitely hire a professional. It simply isn't worth the risk of ignoring it or handling it on your own. In the Metro DC area, there are several good ones. I use Western, and they have excellent customer service, vastly imroved over the years. Like any reputable pest control company, they guarantee their termite program. Be prepared to shell out several throusand dollars, and then an annual maintenance fee.