DIY termite control. Possible?

[kev1965]

Is it possible to get quality results doing Termite control yourself? These termite companies want to rape you with their fees and I have done extensive research on termite control/prevention. It seems very possible to get professional(if not better) results if you know what kind of chemicals to use, where and how to use them, and have good knowledge of different species of the nasty little bug. I just wanted to get some feedback on homeowners who have or are doing this now. Maybe some nightmare feedback on Homeowners who got rooked by a professional company, etc... Go people!!... Throw Kev some input here!! Thanks in advance!

[Wgoodrich]

Termites are a funny acting little bugger that can not stand sunlight or open air. A few seconds of open air or sunlight exposure will kill a termite.

That was the good news !

Termites often will commit suicide by the hundreds while building a tunnel along the surface of a wall to get to some good tasting wood. Once the termite tunnel is in place the hord of termites come and go at will taking food back to the queen in the nest.

Again that is the good news !

Now for the bad news, termites have become resistant to many pesticides. Also nest of termites are very hard to find. Often times a termite nest may be hundreds of feet away from a structure that is being eaten. Then again that nest may be hundreds of feet deep also. Now go find that nest !

That was the bad news !

If you are skilled enough to find their nest then you place spray between their nest underground in their tunnels found along the foundation of the home. Then you spray the inside of the house also.

Be aware that pesticide can make you and your family sick at the very least if improperly installed.

Best advice is your house is one of your largest investment and those termites sees your house as a dinner plate.

If it were me I would check around and ask for credentials of skill in an exterminator and hire a pro to do this very important job.

May not be what you wanted to hear but truth I believe is what you were seeking.

Good Luck

Wg

[kev1965]

Thanks for the info. You are right... I am looking for direction. I guess I was hoping to hear that it would be just as good to DIY. Cost saving is always good news. I will take another job for awhile and get the place treated. I then believe that I may sell this old wood pile! Thanks again!
Kev :cry:

[kev1965]

I am now lining up as many Termite companies as I can to come out for free estimates. To ensure that I get the best service for the best cost, what are the best chemicals out there? I am quite educated in the fact that "Termidor" is suppose to be THE one. Does this still hold true? What is the average "life" of a treatment? Just want to make sure that I make the best choices for my dollar. Thanks!! ........................ Kev

[Wgoodrich]

Do not say anything to each exterminator. Let them tell you their best advivce to solve your problem. You should get a confirmation by several with the same advice that you are getting the correct advice each providing that advice individually without any influence from you making this advice untainted but only their professional opinion.

Life of a single termite is not the concern you need to pay attention to. Life of the queen producing new termites on a daily basis is the attention you need to pay attention to. This is a continuous cycle. Best move is to block the approach of the termites making the insecticide stick to the termites crossing that poison then taking it back to the nest with them thus contaminating that nest and queen with the poison.

Today's best poison will be tommorows best resisted poison. The termites will build a resistance to a certain poison. This is why a good exterminator will constantly change the poison being used to avoid building resistance to that poison.

Listen and you should find your answer after all the exterminators provide their best advice to you. You should find a common set of advice after the day is over.

Ask questions be shy from tainting their opinions untill after they have provided their advice.

Let us know what you find.

Good Luck

Wg

[kev1965]

Thanks... I will need it!!

Kev
:cry:

[jdizon]

An important step in termite control is to make sure they can't re-invade your home once you've gotten rid of them to begin with. Also, there's no point in allowing more termites to enter your house while you're still battling the first batch. Start by going outside with a caulking gun and some sealant. Seal everything. Concentrate heavily around doors and window frames. Also look for and fill any cracks in the foundation. Another common entrance point for termites is the gaps that are left around wires and cables that lead indoors and around outdoor faucets. If you don't have them already, make sure to get some insect screen to put over any and all vents that lead into your home.

[pushkins]

Termidor is a registered product of Bayer, it is applied by the trench method (flooding an area creating a barrier that the termites have to go through ),it works by attaching itself to termites as they pass by it, they then touch other termites and pass the chemical to them. It basically causes the termites to starve to death by suppressing their desire to eat, therefore forage and take food back to the nest. Large amounts or any undiluted amounts of the chemical will kill the termite on contact and cause serious risk to other animals including humans, that's why it is applied heavily diluted. Application is not only covered by "trenching" the foundation but by also drilling a small hole/s in cinder blocks (usually piers) and flooding the area inside the blocks, this is a very common place for termites to gain access to floor joists unnoticed.
Another product to look at is "Talstar" registered product of FMC corp. Both products use the same technology and treatment method, Talstar is significantly less expensive.

Your biggest problem will be purchasing either authentic product (depending on your state's laws, legally), in many states both of these products can only be purchased by people that are licensed to buy this level of chemical.

Around me the cost to have a termite treatment done ranges from .55 cents/sq. foot to .80cents/sq. foot.


Now that I typed all that I see the post is 6 years old.......lack of observation skills to push....10 out of 10.

[scuba_dave]

Threads from 6 years ago............

The poster who bumped it is from the Phillipines..............:hmmmm: