"Norminn" wrote in message
ink.net...
The idea of drilling holes all over the house scares me, and it is really
a crap shoot, IMO. Foundation barrier treatment during construction can
be iffy, too, since many contractors skimp on chemicals or disturb the
barrier after treatment.

Tenting is not done, as far as I know, for subterranean termites.
Insurance here is Florida that I have experience with is for future damage
after an infestation has been treated.

Best source for info is state extension service, which can give you
information on dominant termite species for your locale and information on
most effective controls. Read up on prevention and inspection - it isn't
rocket science. You can't sterilize the soil under and around your home,
and there is always natural cellulose debris that termites eat. I
personally prefer a private pest control contractor with good refs and
long experience, and don't like subbing it out, but that might be hard to
find.

Our 35 y/o condo building has been tented twice, and neighbors on both
sides, in much newer buildings, have been tented within past 5 years.
Can't get away from them ) I find them in lots of places, including a
wood partition that is exterior and not attached to wood; also palm trees,
dead branches of shrubs, etc. The wood partition had subterranean
termites coming in because it was damaged by sprinkler hitting it.
Repaired sprinkler, scraped away the mud tubes and they didn't come back.
When you inspect your home, be sure to inspect inside of crawl spaces and
plumbing access panels. Plumbing entries are the favorite.

Thanks for your advice. We definitely have subterranean termites, so I
guess the lack of tenting is not indicative of an absence of termites.

I called my state extension service today and they gave me some information,
but it wasn't anything I didn't already know. I wish someone we knew was
having treatment, but everyone is taking their chances I guess.

Thanks again,

Dawn