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Oct. 21, 2008 06:00 PM


Professional termite treatmentThere are small problems around the house the average homeowner can fix. A trip to the home repair store can get you some advice on what to do, and the parts you need to do it. Termite control is a serious matter – this is not a stuck door or a leaking sink, this is the entire house that is a stake. Your house is probably the largest single investment you have. Controlling or preventing an infestation of termites is not something you want done by an amateur – and that would be you.

Effective and long-lasting termite control requires 1) training and experience, 2) insecticides (termiticides) formulated specifically for termite control, and 3) the tools (pumps, hoses, soil rods and nozzles) to treat the soil. These components are linked. To buy and use termiticides you must be trained and then certified as capable to use them by a state and federal agency. You must apply termiticides according to specific directions given by the manufacturer, and with the tools listed in the product directions. Each house is different and that makes each application slightly different, and that is where experience becomes important. A professional knows what to do and how to handle the subtle differences in each house.

Termite control is not simply treating the soil around the house. Yearly inspections are a part of the treatment, and this second step requires the same level of training and experience. Subterranean termites can make their way through a two-inch gap of untreated soil, and they may find such a gap any time after the house is treated. Termiticide applications are evaluated every year by inspecting the house (foundation) for signs of termite activity. Inspections must be done carefully or the house is not protected.

Reference: Survivorship and Tunneling Activity of Reticulitermes flavipes in Response to Termiticide Soil Barriers With and Without Gaps of Untreated Soil. 1994. Brian Forschler. Journal of Entomological Science 29: 43-54.