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For many of us, our home is the single more expensive investment we will ever make. The average house will incur $7,900 in damage before termites are ever detected!

An Overview of Termite Chemicals

For many years, the traditional method of controlling subterranean termites was to apply a liquid pesticide, known as a termiticide, to the soil. It has worked by applying a chemical barrier around and beneath the structure in order to block all possible routes of termite entry. Any termites attempting to penetrate through the treated soil were either killed or repelled.

However, there are many obstacles to forming such a barrier. Many possible termite entry points are hidden behind walls, floor coverings, and other obstructions. Considering that termites can tunnel through small untreated gaps as narrow as pencil lead in the soil, it is understandable why the traditional/ barrier liquid termite treatments have failed to correct termite problems at times.

Most termiticides are not as stable in most soils as termiticides which were manufactured prior to 1989. Chloronated hydrocarbon insecticides (termiticides) like chlordane, aldrin, lindane, etc. were known to have tremendous stability in soils and lasted a lot longer than the present termiticides.

The same qualities which made them good termiticides also made them environmentally unsafe. Chlordane got the bad reputation from wide misuse and was taken off the market in the USA.

There are several different insecticides used by pest control operators for soil treatment for termites currently. All are safe and effective when used according to label directions. The insecticides remain effective in the soil for approximately 5 to 10 years. Each product has slight advantages and disadvantages.

The physical and chemical nature of your soil surrounding your home can impact the effectiveness of the chemicals stability with respect to time. Soil clay content, pH, Organic matter content, particularly organic carbon content will greatly influence the rate of break down of the termiticide in soil.

NOTE: Disturbing the termite treatment may void any termite warranty that you may have on your home.

Signs of Termites

You may encounter different types of termites, such as Formosan, dampwood, drywood, etc. If your home is infested with one of these termites, it may require different or more extensive treatment procedures including wood treatment.

Wood Damage

The pattern in which subterranean termites feed on a piece of wood is hard to miss. These cellulose-loving insects can leave nothing behind but the wood grain. However, termite damage is usually hidden, due to the insects’ habit of eating the wood from the inside out.

Discarded Wings

Even if you miss an exterior termite swarm, it may not be difficult to see that it took place. Soon after swarmers take flight, they shed their wings, leaving small piles of wings behind in spider webs and on surfaces around the home’s foundation.

Termite Swarmers

Swarmers from mature colonies typically spread their wings and leave their colonies in the springtime in order to start new colonies. Swarms on the exterior of a home may be missed by homeowners, as they are typically brief events during the morning or afternoon — a time when many of people are not at home. Formosan termites can also swarm at dusk.

Mud Tubes

Subterranean termites build mud tubes (also known as shelter tubes) to serve as bridges between their colony and the wood they are feasting on. These tubes are made of tiny pieces of soil, wood and debris, and are used to protect the colony from predators and conserve moisture.

Termite Mounds

While termites in the United States cause billions of dollars in damage every year, no North American termite species is known to build mounds. Termites that construct their colonies above ground live primarily in Africa and Australia.

Termite Droppings

Because termites don’t have the luxury of indoor plumbing, drywood termites often leave behind frass or droppings. These tiny fecal mounds often mean the wood above is infested with termites.

Interesting Facts About Termites

Every year termites attack about four million homes in the United States.
They cause more than $6.5 billion in property damage.
Termite damage is more common than damage caused by storms, fire or earthquakes, yet it’s rarely covered by homeowner’s insurance.
Thousands — and sometimes millions — of termites live in each soil based colony.
Workers foarage continuously for food.
Reproductive termites swarm from an existing colony to start new colonies.

You Can be Green and Eliminate Termites

We want to protect the environment while ridding your property of termites. We can do this using Termistop®.

Termistop Flanges and Blockouts are a non-chemical solution that prevents termites from entering the home at the service penetrations through the slab. The stainless steel mesh creates a “physical barrier” to termite entry when it “keys” into the concrete. By addressing these areas during construction with Termistop Flanges and Blockouts, PCO’s reduce the need to apply chemical termiticides within the living space of the building.

Many green building programs around the country emphasize the use of physical barriers and non-chemical termite solutions. Termistop qualifies as a physical barrier in many of these programs and will capture points for the builder in some of the green building rating systems.

Termistop and the full Termimesh System have been specified in many high profile green building projects around the United States in both residential and commercial construction. Listen to what one of the premier green building architects in the nation has to say about the product.

Termite Control