If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual inspection?
Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable regardless if
there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?

Don't they have companies that use animals to literally 'sniff' them out?

Fred wrote:
If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual inspection?
Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable regardless if
there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?

Fred,

Wrong group, try alt.home.repair


"Fred" wrote in message
...
If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual
inspection? Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable
regardless if there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?

"Fred" wrote in message
...
If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual
inspection? Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable
regardless if there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?

I would not poke around with a screwdriver. Look for mud tunnels leading
from the ground to the structure. Subterranean termites cannot live in
daylight so they build mud tunnels to travel in. In particular look in
areas that have water. Look under sinks and bath tub clean out areas. If
you see any black specks in your sheet rock and the paint is loose that
could be an indicator. Termites will eat the paper between the chalk and
the paint.
Actually Orkin will give you a free inspection but I strongly suggest you
shop the competition if you are infested. Pricing differs widely depending
on the company, time of day, wind chill factor ;~) and several other reasons
to stick it to you. You do not want this to be a DIY job if you are
infested.

"Fred" wrote in message
...
If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual
inspection?
Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable regardless
if
there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?



Termites live in dirt, not wood. Look for mud tunnels running up foundation
walls and footings. They hate light, and will build tunnels to protect them
on their trip from the nest (underground) to the wood (your house). If your
house is on a slab, you can try digging some test holes around the
foundation at various locations.

In my experience, many pest control companies are out to sell you protection
you may not need. A good professional home inspector knows what to look for.

I've seen it on TV but don't think we have a local company with termite
finding dogs. Dogs could also detect people with illnesses like cancer.


"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote
in message ...
Don't they have companies that use animals to literally 'sniff' them out?

Fred wrote:
If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it
doesn't have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use
to locate termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual
inspection? Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable
regardless if there are termites or not or would DIY method be
sufficient?

"Fred" wrote in message
...
If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual
inspection? Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable
regardless if there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?


Termite traps, same as the pros. If they're there, get a pro. He can use
stuff you can't buy.

Fred wrote:
If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual inspection?
Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable regardless if
there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?

Place a landscape timber on the ground. Unless that timber is treated
to 1.0 retention rate or higher, termites will eat it. That's how you
find termites around here. Most poison resistant bugs I've everheard
of.

If you've got termites, a maintenance contract, after full treatment
(which is the only way you'll get a long term contract)is cheap
insurance. I think mine costs $65 per year. It's a deal for the bug boy
too, as in the past 18 years, they've had to re-treat exactly once, and
that only partially.

I've read that some dogs are trained to even detect when someone is
going to have an epileptic seizure .. giving the person enough warning
time to lay down or stop working with any equipment or whatever.

Pretty cool animals, aren't they?

Jack


Fred wrote:
I've seen it on TV but don't think we have a local company with termite
finding dogs. Dogs could also detect people with illnesses like cancer.


"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote
in message ...

Don't they have companies that use animals to literally 'sniff' them out?

Fred wrote:

If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it
doesn't have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use
to locate termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual
inspection? Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable
regardless if there are termites or not or would DIY method be
sufficient?

I've read about that. Even without a dog, it is often possible to tell if a
person is going into a seizure a minute or two before they actually seize.
They just don't teach the trick in med school.

Michael
"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote
in message ...
I've read that some dogs are trained to even detect when someone is going
to have an epileptic seizure .. giving the person enough warning time to
lay down or stop working with any equipment or whatever.

Pretty cool animals, aren't they?

Jack


Fred wrote:
I've seen it on TV but don't think we have a local company with termite
finding dogs. Dogs could also detect people with illnesses like cancer.


"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net"
wrote in message ...

Don't they have companies that use animals to literally 'sniff' them out?

Fred wrote:

If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it
doesn't have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use
to locate termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and
visual inspection? Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be
advisable regardless if there are termites or not or would DIY method be
sufficient?

Sick people has a certain smell, SWMBO could detect it some of the time.
This maybe typical of people, females in particular, with heighten sense of
smell. Now if she could only detect termites!

I understand you could hear termites too as they crunch into the wood -
noisy eaters.



"Herman Family" /without_any_s/ wrote in message
...
I've read about that. Even without a dog, it is often possible to tell if
a person is going into a seizure a minute or two before they actually
seize. They just don't teach the trick in med school.

Michael
"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net"
wrote in message ...
I've read that some dogs are trained to even detect when someone is going
to have an epileptic seizure .. giving the person enough warning time to
lay down or stop working with any equipment or whatever.

Pretty cool animals, aren't they?

Jack


Fred wrote:
I've seen it on TV but don't think we have a local company with termite
finding dogs. Dogs could also detect people with illnesses like cancer.


"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net"
wrote in message ...

Don't they have companies that use animals to literally 'sniff' them
out?

Fred wrote:

If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it
doesn't have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use
to locate termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and
visual inspection? Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be
advisable regardless if there are termites or not or would DIY method
be sufficient?

IF you live in an area with fire ants, you don't have termites. Carpenter
ants are another story tho.

"Rick Samuel" wrote in message
...
IF you live in an area with fire ants, you don't have termites. Carpenter
ants are another story tho.

Geez where did you hear that????? I can assure Houston TX has termites and
fire ants.

In article ,
"Fred" wrote:

If your house looks perfect from the outside how do you know if it doesn't
have termites feasting on the inside? What other methods to use to locate
termites other than poking around with a screwdriver and visual inspection?
Would a maintenance contract with a pest company be advisable regardless if
there are termites or not or would DIY method be sufficient?

As in any colony, there are the virile males who procreate like crazy.
They're the studs of the tribe.
Therefore, a Zircon stud finder might work?
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
then again..maybe not.

Not true, at least not here in North FL, we have both fireants
AND termites

John

On Wed, 7 Sep 2005 16:43:01 -0500, "Rick Samuel"
wrote:

IF you live in an area with fire ants, you don't have termites. Carpenter
ants are another story tho.

My area must be the equal opportunity of them all. I have termites, fire
ants AND carpenter ants. South Louisiana, home of all the bugs.
Perry
wrote in message
...
Not true, at least not here in North FL, we have both fireants
AND termites

John

On Wed, 7 Sep 2005 16:43:01 -0500, "Rick Samuel"
wrote:

IF you live in an area with fire ants, you don't have termites. Carpenter
ants are another story tho.

Perry Templeton wrote in message
...
My area must be the equal opportunity of them all. I have termites, fire
ants AND carpenter ants. South Louisiana, home of all the bugs.
Perry
wrote in message
...
Not true, at least not here in North FL, we have both fireants
AND termites

John

On Wed, 7 Sep 2005 16:43:01 -0500, "Rick Samuel"
wrote:

IF you live in an area with fire ants, you don't have termites.
Carpenter
ants are another story tho.
I live in socal and recently layed down a couple of termite infested boards
alongside the tablesaw (the saw on rollers, outside) when it came time to
cleanup, I noticed there was a huge train of argentine ants making their way
through the holes in the lumber cut by the termites. They were dragging them
out whole. Almost made me happy to see one pest wiping out the other. Now if
I can train them to go to the fence alongside my house and get the termites
there..... Pat

On Thu, 8 Sep 2005 08:35:16 -0700, "patrick mitchel"
wrote:

I live in socal and recently layed down a couple of termite infested boards
alongside the tablesaw (the saw on rollers, outside) when it came time to
cleanup, I noticed there was a huge train of argentine ants making their way
through the holes in the lumber cut by the termites. They were dragging them
out whole. Almost made me happy to see one pest wiping out the other. Now if
I can train them to go to the fence alongside my house and get the termites
there..... Pat



I have seen that done.
the first step is to open up the termite tunnels in the board so the
ants can get in. then stuff some ants in there.

my theory is that the termite poop left packed in the tunnel is part
of the termite defense against ants. not sure if it's just a physical
barrier or if there is some version of chemical warfare going on as
well.