In article . com,
says...
Hello;

I had exterminators look at my house, because of a small termite
problem. They gave me a free estimate and the total is going to be
around $2200.00 for everything including the bait spikes they will put
in the ground inside and outside around my house which would include
monthly change-out for about a 2 year plan...does this sound like a
good price? I don't know anything about this, $2200.00 (or more) seems
expensive to me. Is there something I could do myself? Could I buy
these bait/poison spikes somewhere and install them myself? This all
started when I found mud trials and rotted lumber in my cellar. Thanks
for any help.



Sounds like you are dealing with one of the National companies or at
least a small guy trying to act like one... check with friends and
neighbors and see who they may use and TRUST. You can place out the
baits yourself, probably even the same products that the pros use but if
you ever sell the home and the evidence of previous activity with no
paperwork showing it was professionally treated the buyers may insist on
you paying for some more termite work. Here is an example of the failure
of baits... http://arrow-pestcontrol.com/sen1.JPG
http://arrow-pestcontrol.com/sen2.JPG This home was treated in 2000,
maybe 1999, by spot treating the area of activity, then placing out the
baits. In the second pic you can see the original tube in the light
which is about a fingers width. The termites moved over a few inches
and continued on even though there was a bait station within a foot and
by the size of the new tube it had been there four or five years. I will
usually come across this type of scenario a few times a year when I do
inspections for real estate transactions (WDI reports). As another
poster suggested have the home treated with Termidor. We have yet to
have a call back on any home we have treated with it and that is pretty
much the same story we hear from other exterminators around the country.
It works totally different from other products out there and it has
actually changed the way termite work can be done. In my case I actually
charge less for what I charged for termite work 4-5 years ago and the
homes are much better protected. And, when doing WDI inspections I have
yet to come across a home with termites that had been previously treated
with Termidor. Shop around, you will probably find a reasonable price.