This article is about TERMITE control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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Spring is when many insects begin anew.
Some start with only a fertile queen. Some have
gone dormant in winter and emerge when
temperatures are warm. Some are active through
winter and use spring as a time to send out
reproductives. Such is the case with termites.
Although spring is most likely the time to see
termite activity, these insects are hard at work year
round. Spring is when most termite colonies send
out reproductives, or swarmers, and this "swarm"
indicates a termite infestation. Properly identifying
termites can save property damage, time and money.
This article will explain what to look for and how to
identify a termite infestation before they eat you out
of house and home! Then we will recommend how
to treat these infestations and what products to use.
Subterranean Termites are the most common
species of termites throughout the mainland of the
United States. The bulk of this article is geared toward
subterraneans but the treatment methods, application
techniques and materials will work for all species.
Termites are important in nature because they recycle
cellulose or wood. Termites turn dead trees quickly
and efficiently into food and nutrients which in turn
feed many organism's. To a termite, any structure with
wood represents food. Once inside your structure, they
will feed undetected in sill plates, studs, floor joists
or any cellulose material they can access. This food
will lure a continuous flow of worker termites to your
structure. Proper treatment to stop this infestation
includes creating a chemical barrier in the soil. In
some cases treating the wood will help. Now bait stations
are being set out as well. All these tools can help in
both protecting, preventing and controlling termites
before they establish themselves in your structure and
start doing damage.
There are different members in any termite
colony. Most remain hidden. The main nest is
located where moisture and temperature is
consistent and meets their requirements. Worker
termites and soldier termites travel away from the
main nest and may be encountered under a log,
woodpile or in your building. They are small; about
1/4" to 3/8" in length. They appear white and are
soft and vulnerable. This short video does a good
job of showing just what they look like.
If you have Quicktime Movie Player installed on your
computer, you can view the above movie via this
external link. The quality of this movie is much
greater then what you'll see above, but because
it's a big file, it will take a little longer
to download.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW HIGH QUALITY QUICKTIME MOVIE
We also have another short video that shows them
magnified even more here:
Termites do not like to expose themselves
so they build dirt tunnels through which they
travel. These will be readily seen on foundation
walls, studs inside wall voids and on sill plate on
top of foundation walls. Most are thin - not as thick
as your pinky - but are large enough to allow termites
to pass through in both directions. If the target is
providing good food expect the tunnel to widen. This
will allow more termites to have access to the food.
These tunnels are used to carry food, stabilize
temperature and regulate moisture. They
also allow termite swarmers to exit the colony.
Swarmers are generated once or twice a year. They
leave their colony with the sole purpose of starting a
new one. Swarmers are most likely seen in the
spring and because they occur so infrequently,
swarmers are often ignored or improperly identified
as flying ants. Most people think the swarmers are
the ones that do the damage but in fact they don't.
Swarmers do nothing but leave an existing colony in
search of another location where they can start a new
colony. However, swarmers are very important. Any sign
of swarmers indicates active termites since we know
swarmers can only emerge where active termites have
created mud tunnels. If you have termite swarmers in
your home or immediately adjacent to the home, you have
active termites which need to be treated. Don't ignore
this important sign. Acting early and quickly will
prevent damage and minimize infestation levels which
makes controlling them all the more easy. Here is a
short video showing what swarmers look like.
A termite swarm is short lived. Most are
over within an hour or two. The swarmers emerge
from existing tunnels or termite tubes. They fly to
light or warmth. Although they have wings, termite
swarmers are not good fliers. They flutter at best
and will be blown away by any breeze. The swarm
may range in size from just a few to over a
thousand. The males will be looking for females and
try to pair off. The pair will mate and if conditions
are right, a new colony will begin. Look for
swarmers around windows, light fixtures, doors,
partition walls, stoops and moist areas. Although
they may emerge from wood which has damage,
swarmers do not cause it. Their only purpose is to
reproduce. Consider them to be a sign. Make note of
where the activity was most concentrated and so that
when you treat the key areas are treated thoroughly.
This is usually in one of several locations around the
home. Porches, stoops, garage door jams, where garage
slabs attach to basements, patio's, any door entrance,
furnace rooms and crawl spaces with dirt floors.
Keep in mind termites generally appear where it is
damp and dark but they will take advantage of whatever
they can including pressure treated lumber, decks,
landscape timber and even live trees!! In fact,
it is not uncommon for an active termite population
to kill a tree within a short period of time. If
you find live termites on any tree you wish to keep,
be sure to treat it as described below. To help
locate trees which may be in a weakened state due
to termite activity, use STRESS EYE GLASSES. These
unique glasses will show you just what trees, plants,
shrubs or grass is under stress from things like
lack of water, fungus or parasites like termites.
They can be very helpful at identifying when such
plants are being impacted enough to warrant some
extra care so you can save them from a sure death.
Swarmers are often mistaken for small ants.
Both are short; about 1/4" to 3/8" long. Both are
dark in color. Both will occur in large numbers.
And since many ants feed on termites, it is common
to think the termites are part of the ant activity you
recently noticed. In fact what is happening is that
the ants have moved into your home to "harvest" the
termites. As the ants prosper from this healthy diet
they will start to send out swarmers and more adult
ants looking for new areas to feed and/or start new
subcolonies. If the termite colony starts to swarm
the ants will focus in on this highly nutritious
snack and you will find an increase and concentration
of the ants as they move in on the easy prey.
If you experience a swarm this spring, look
for the differences between ants and termites to
determine which you have. There are three key
differences between the two. The termite swarmer
appears to have two distinct body parts - a head
which is attached to an oval body. The ant swarmer
appears to have three sections - a head, a thorax and
an abdomen. This can usually be seen with the
naked eye. A trained individual can see this quickly.
The next difference is the antennae. Ants
have antennae which are elbowed. Look for this
bend to be about 90 degrees. Termites have
antennae which are straight. This is a big difference
and can usually be seen with the naked eye. Having
a magnifying glass will enable you to see this quickly.
The third major difference is termite
swarmers tend to lose their wings. Expect to see a
small pile of wings where most swarmers emerged.
You may notice some swarmers without wings
walking around. This is normal. Termite
reproductives use their wings to carry them away
from their own nest. These wings are soon shed.
Ant swarmers are more likely to retain their wings.
Do not expect to find piles of wings if ants are
swarming. Most that die will have their wings
attached.
There are other differences beyond the scope
of this article. However, these are the most obvious
and easy to see. Once identified, you can prepare
yourself to do a treatment. If you have ants, go back
to our ant article and review what needs to be done
to control this persistent insect. If you now know
you have termites, read on. The author will now explain
what type of treatment options you have, what the
differences are between them and what products should
be used.
Since termites enter on foundation walls, through
hollow foundations and up from under slabs, traditional
treatments have been to treat the soil through which
they travel. The concept has been to create a
barrier and that if termites were to travel through it,
they would die. This has long been the accepted
method and when done right will keep termites out.
To treat outside the home, simply dig a trench against
the foundation wall 4-6 inches deep. You need a trench
so that when the chemical is applied it does not run
off. The treatment involves applying chemical to
this trench and allowing it to soak in. When the
right material is used, the treatment should last several
years. Equally important is being sure to apply the
right amount of product for the area being treated.
The right amount of Termiticide needed will be based
on how many linear feet you intend on treating. Linear
feet is basically a measurement adjacent to the
foundation. For example, if you were treating the
outside foundation of a structure and it had 6 sides,
you would have to add all the lengths of the sides
up to get the total linear feet. This can be done
with any standard tape measure but a MEASURING WHEEL
is the easiest way to get this total. With the
Measuring Wheel, all you would do is walk around
the building and let the wheel add up all the distance.
It has a small meter that will keep adding up the distance
you have rolled the wheel so when you have gone
once around the foundation, you will have the total
linear feet. Knowing the exact linear feet you have
to treat is critical. Only when you know this total
can you be sure that the right amount of termiticide
will be applied to the soil. Without this basic
information, its not possible to know just how much
concentrate will be needed for the job at hand.
To treat hollow block, you will need to drill into
the voids of the block. This may be a necessary
treatment if such block was used for the foundation
walls. Treatment involves pumping the chemical into
the holes. This should provide several years of
protection - probably longer than outside applications -
since such spaces are well protected from the
weather. Again, an exact measurement will be needed
in order to determine just how much material should
be applied. If the house is a slab or has a slab
attached, you may need to drill and treat through
the slab as well. Holes should be spaced one foot apart.
Drill down from the top of the slab and drill the holes
6-9 inches away from the wall. Hammer drills are
designed for this work and 1/2" holes are the most
common size drilled. The chemical is then applied
through the holes and will form a barrier under the
slab to stop the termites from being able to
enter. Although most of these applications are
done with liquid, Foam sometimes proves to
be valuable. Foam was first used in the early
1980's. Since gaps can occur under slabs
when dirt settles, traditional liquids are not
able to get all areas covered. The soil not
treated or the bottom of the exposed slab not treated
provide pathways on which termites can travel.
By using foam, you are able to "carry" the pesticide
up and onto the bottom of the slab. This has proved
to be invaluable for some homes where settling has
occurred underneath the slab and several standard
treatments have failed to stop the invasion. Foam
applications became common in the early 1990's
and today are used when several regular treatments
have failed to completely stop the activity. If you
know there has been a lot of settling, foaming might
be the best option where the activity is present.
Though you may choose to foam more areas than needed,
foaming will not hurt and certainly will provide a
more complete treatment. However, it is time consuming
and tedious. Use it where you know you have termites
under a slab or in a wall for best results; standard
soil treatments will provide adequate coverage and
protection in the remaining parts of the home.
Although you may feel the wood which has
been damaged by termite activity needs to be
treated to effectively control them, this is seldom
the case. Most infestations are controlled by
treating the soil. The only exception to this is
when treating for drywood termites. Drywood termites
have the unique ability to survive with very little
moisture but more importantly, above the soil!
Drywood termites are only found in a few states
but cause substantial damage where they are active.
This is due mostly to the fact that they access
the structure far away and removed from where people
are likely to see their activity. It is not uncommon
to have drywood termites enter around rain gutters
and soffits. Once colonies start feeding is when the
damage occurs and at this time the homeowner notices
the rotting wood. Soil living termites use mud tunnels
when they come up so many times aware homeowners see
the new activity before the termites are able to
do any damage. Drywood termites are active in very
small part of the United States. They are most common
in southern California, Arizona and Florida. However,
there is some activity in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana,
southern Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Unless
you are sure you have Drywood termites, don't limit
your treatment to the wood only. Dampwood termites,
Formosan and all the other subspecies of subterranean
termites need to have thorough soil treatments done
if your intention is to both keep out and protect the
structure. Since the barrier in the soil prevents
the termites from being able to enter the home,
the ones left in the wood will die from
dehydration. Termites need moisture on a
regular basis and usually will return to the soil
at least once a day. When the soil is properly treated,
they will surely die and pose no risk if left untreated.
However, the author has learned termites left in walls
and other voids to die off don't always cooperate.
Too many times he has found the survivors are able
to find a chink in the armor; a part of the soil
treatment which was incomplete. Once found, they
will scramble back down into the soil, find their
way back to the colony and build new tunnels back
to your home if the wood they were eating was worth
it. To prevent this from happening, the author always
suggests treating wood and voids where termites are
thought to be active. This is done by using either
a wood penetrating material or a wood injecting aerosol.
In the past couple of years, termite bait
stations have become another tool which can be used
when treating for termites. The concept is simple; by
installing treated stakes into the ground foraging
termites will find the stakes, eat them, share them
with the colony and ultimately kill the colony. This
sounds so appealing for several reasons. First, it is
very easy to do. Second, it is inexpensive and third,
it works for ants and roaches so why not for termites?
Well, there are many reasons why it won't work every
time. First, it is not likely every termite colony
which is active on your property will find a treated
station on which to feed. It is very likely that some
colonies will find the stations and the treated bait
will have an impact on that colony. However, it is
more likely that more colonies will miss the stations
all together. Some of these will undoubtedly find
their way to your home. Secondly, baiting for insects
works well when that insects colonization habits
tend to be for the establishment of small colonies.
In fact, the larger the colony of any insect, the harder
it becomes to control with a bait. This is true for
rodents as well. One lone rodent or one lone roach is
easy to control with a bait; 30 rats or 300 roaches will
probably require the use of bait and spray. Thirdly, baits
work best for insects which target specific food supplies
and tend to feed exclusively on that food. In other words, the
use of baits is most effective when the target pest is
most likely to feed on one type of food source. Though
termites target cellulose specifically, because there
is so much of it around it is not likely the whole
colony will feed on the treated wood alone. If enough
of the treated stations are not ingested by the colony,
the colony will survive. This is why it is best to
view the use of bait stations as another tool for
termite control. Don't rely on bait stations alone;
incorporate them into a complete package which includes
liquid treatments around the entire home to prevent termites
from gaining access to the home, wood and void treatment
where termite activity has been noted and bait station
placements where you have ideal conditions for termites
to be present. This diversified defense will provide
the best overall protection. Remember, wood and void
treatment is designed to kill current activity. Soil
treatments are designed to protect the structure by
creating a treated band of soil around the home through
which the termites cannot enter. Bait stations are
designed to be used as monitors around the home intended
on impacting local colonies BEFORE THEY EVER GET TO
YOUR HOME. Installing bait stations around your property
will enable you to have some monitoring devices around
the home which can be used to "see" what is happening
as well as allow you to impact local colonies active
on your property even though they aren't in your
home. By weakening them out in the yard you are
diminishing the risk of them ever finding your
home. Clearly the best treatment strategy is the
combination approach.
Now that you have a general understanding of the
termite and the application methods needed for controlling
this pest, you can consider which products to use for
treating your infestation.
If you want to do some treating for termites, first
decide where you want to treat. If you have wood
damage or what might be current termite activity
in a wall void, use some BAYGON AEROSOL. This product
comes with a tube which enables you to inject it
deep into damaged wood cavities or galleries created
by termites. Baygon is easy to use, kills termites
on contact and will last for several months in the
wood. You may need to drill small access holes
into which you would place the tube for injection.
If the wood is damaged, the Baygon will flow
into the cavities and penetrate a foot or two. Space
your drill holes a foot apart to insure proper
coverage. If you have a large area of exposed
wood you would like to treat, use BORACARE. This
product is in the Boron family so it is both low in
odor and safe. It is clear, mixes with water and
is applied with a pump sprayer. Boracare works
for powderpost beetles, carpenter ants and decay
fungi. It has special carriers which enable it to
penetrate untreated wood. Boracare works as
a stomach poison. If termites try to eat treated
wood, they will die. Boracare lasts a long time.
A good treatment is expected to last several
years and even longer when applied into protected wall
voids where breakdown due to rain and sunshine will not
occur. Both the Baygon and Boracare treatment options are
great for subterranean termites which are in the wall as
well as Drywood Termite activity. The rule is simple;
if you have a small area to treat, the Baygon will suffice.
If you have a large area like a the wood joists and sill
plate above a crawl space, use the Boracare.
If you have a lot of activity in a wall void or cement
blocks which you want to treat as thoroughly as possible,
you can use the FOAMING TOOL which will create a thick
foam of termiticide that will penetrate better than
the traditional liquids or aerosols. You can add the
Boracare to the Foaming Tool, along with some FOAMING AGENT,
and you will be applying a thick whip cream type of
material which will penetrate deep into all the voids,
galleries and cracks that termites typically find. This
type of treatment has many benefits. First, it will stop
termites from eating as well as living in the void.
Second, it will protect the wood in the wall indefinitely.
Thirdly, Boracare will stop many other pests from living
in the wall as well. If you are only treating the wall
space for prevention, you can use TIMBOR as well. Timbor
will not penetrate the wood like Boracare but it will
prevent wood destroying insects from nesting or eating
local cellulose so use it before you have activity. Once
termites are known to be active or suspected of being
active, use the Boracare. It's penetrating power makes
it the better choice when you absolutely have to get deep
into wall voids which may be harboring termites. And
if you've had an ongoing problem and want the best active
possible, go with the TERMIDOR. It's a bit pricey but
if there are termites in the space, it will knock them
out for sure. It's different in that it uses the "transfer
effect" which means the chemical is passed on from termite
to termite once one comes in contact with it. Termites
can't detect it's even present so they don't know what's
causing the problem once they start dying. Typically
they'll retreat once this happens and your infestation
will simply disappear. Termidor is rapidly becoming the
product of choice when troubleshooting a problem area and
many companies are opting to use it around the home as
well for their complete soil barrier. Unlike the conventional
liquids which repel termites, Termidor is undetectable so
the termites won't try to circumvent or move around
where it's been applied. The net result is they have no
idea what's happening which turn causes them to leave.
It's believed that Termidor may be able to kill off
termite colonies better then even the bait stations!
Now that you know what to use for treating wall voids
where Drywood or Subterranean termites might be living,
you need to consider a soil treatment. As explained above,
this material will bind to the soil and provide several
years of protection. This will keep foraging termites from
finding your house and feeding on it. This product should
be applied after you have dug a trench around the home
4-6 inches deep with a TRENCHING TOOL. There are several
products to use for this treatment but none of them last
like the materials we had 10-20 years ago. Todays products
will probably last 3-5 years depending on the strength of
the finished material you apply. Most people want to know
which product is "the best" or which one will "last the
longest". Well, any product that keeps termites out of your
home is the best and how long it will last depends mostly
on how much you apply! Most of todays materials come with
two application rates. Use the lesser rate and you should
expect 3 years of protection; use the stronger rate and
you should expect 5 years of protection. In general, don't
wait longer than 5 years to retreat. The simple process of
renewing the chemical barrier around the home insures you
won't get renewed termite activity! For this application
you should use a good TERMITICIDE which is concentrated
and will work on termites currently foraging in the
treated soil as well as repelling them from the area.
This mode of action is very effective but it does mean
gaps can be created over time and termites can sometimes
find their way around the application. If you want the
best protection possible, go with the TERMIDOR. Granted
it does cost more to apply but since it's undetectable,
the local termite population won't even know its there.
That means the risk of them "moving around" or trying
to find gaps in the barrier is effectively eliminated.
All these products are low to no odor and are easy to
work with. Apply the material with a HOSE END SPRAYER.
These devices are easy to use. Simply fill the concentrate
into the sprayer, dial it in to the proper number which
depends on the material being used, hook it to your hose
and spray. It works by sucking out the concentrate, mixing
it with the water flowing from the hose and spraying it
where you direct the stream. Using the pressure of the water
hose makes for easy application. Use this applicator for
treating trenches but it can also be used if you are
treating mulch piles, pine straw, wood chips and other
places around the home and/or adjacent to the structure
where termites like to feed. If you have termite
tunnels going up a tree you don't want damaged, be sure
to treat it at the base. Trees will easily succumb to
the impact of such parasites and are more sensitive
than most people realize. More important, allowing a
termite colony access to such a food source will keep
them active close to your home which will inevitably
lead to them getting inside. Try to treat such areas
prior to putting the wood chips, mulch or pine straw
out since treatment will be more thorough and complete.
However, if you discover termites active in such
locations after everything is in place, get some of the
concentrate and be sure to treat heavy. Treating these
areas and making them termite proof is just that much
more protection for the house. If you have to treat
holes through a slab, you will need a tool like our
SLAB TREATER. This device allows you to get the chemical
subslab and even into cement blocks. Once you are
finished treating, plug the holes with our 1/2" CORKS
and then seal them with cement. If you insist
on using a more elaborate sprayer, you can use either
our ONE GALLON or TWO 1/2 GALLON Pump Sprayer by removing
the nozzle and directing the sprayer extension into the
holes. This will prove to be time consuming with all the
pumping you will have to do so one of our 20 Electric Sprayers
might be the better option. You can review our line of
sprayers on our SPRAYER PAGE to learn all the differences
and options we offer. The SELF-POWERED SPRAYERS will provide
the most similar tool to that of a professional but is
rarely needed. Remember, it is getting the product
under the slab that matters the most. Most of the sprayers
we feature will accomplish that task; be sure to pick one
that will do that for you as well as be applicable for
other applications.
If you have treated your slab before and the termites
have returned, you may need to step up to the FOAMING TOOL
we detailed earlier for void treatment. This same
tool can be used to treat under slabs which have been
allowing termites access to your home even after several
standard liquid treatments. Be sure to use the right
amount of product even though you are foaming. When using
foam, it will take longer to treat so consequently most
people don't use enough of the concentrate. You can mix
any of the concentrates we sell along with the FOAMING AGENT
and the end result will be a thick heavy foam which will
fill the void under the slab which has been allowing
the termites to avoid the treated soil. Remember, you
won't have to treat the soil if you have drywood termites;
subterranean termites are the species which will return
to the soil requiring you to saturate it around both
sides of the foundation to stop them from gaining access.
Now that you have treated any wall voids where termites
may have been living and treated the soil around the
home to prevent them from returning, you should consider
the use of TERMITE BAIT STATIONS which are excellent
monitoring devices to use around your property. Install them
about 5-10 feet apart; 2 or more feet away from treated soil
along foundation walls. Try not to space them any more
than 10 feet apart. These come with untreated WOOD BASES
on the bottom of the station with INSPECTION CARTRIDGES
above the Wood Base. The Wood Base is solid and should
last a year. Though termites will feed upon it, they seem
to prefer the Inspection Cartridge over the plain Wood Base
and will readily pass over the base to get to the cartridge
above. The Inspection Cartridge is made of a cellulose
material and seems to be easier for them to eat and digest.
They won't lastlong once termites find them so try to
inspect stations every 45-90 days. Once termites are found
in the station, you'll need to replace the Inspection
Cartridge with a TREATED BAIT CARTRIDGE. Made to be similar
to the Inspection Cartridge, the Treated Cartridge will
be readily accepted and fed upon. Termites that feed upon
it will effectively not be able to molt. Failure to be able
to molt will cause either death or incapacitation. And since
the active ingredient is slow acting, it takes awhile to have
an impact. This is by design. The delay of impact insures it
will affect the colony since termites readily share food and
most all will feed on the same food supply. Keep in mind two
tools that you will probably need if you decide to install some
of these stations. The first is the TERMITE BAIT STATION TOOL.
This is needed to properly open the top of the Termite Bait
Station. By design they have a top that doesn't come off
easy and without this tool, getting them open will prove
difficult. The second tool you may need is an EARTH AUGER.
It's basically a drill bit that can be used on any standard
hand drill but instead of using it for wood or metal, this
bit will enable you to drill into the ground. It makes a
hole which is well suited for our Termite Bait Stations
and is definitely worth the investment if you plan on setting
up a bait monitoring program. This short video shows the
whole process which is actually quite easy to do.
In summary, termites are a pest which can cause a lot
of damage in and around the home. In order to protect the
structure you own, use a combination of the best materials
and application methods available today. These include
wall or void treatment when treating for drywood termites
or active subterranean termites, subslab and perimeter soil
treatments alongside foundation walls to prevent the
local colonies from having access to your home and bait
station installations to monitor local activity. This
approach will help you keep activity on your property
minimized as well as out of your home.
If you want to see some of the products listed
above, click on any names which are a different
color or appear on our web page underlined. These
are links directly to our product catalog where you
will be able to see them as well as learn more about
how to apply them. You can also follow the links
below and go directly to our termite products page.
Once you decide what you need to treat for termites,
order on line for special discounts or call on our
toll free for further assistance.
Our toll free number is 1-800-877-7290.
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