coloradotrout wrote:
Should I proactively try to prevent termites, and if so, how?

I live in NE Kansas - partially wooded area with about 35" of rain a
year.

The house was built in 2000. Original owner has a pest company come
out and spray, set bait traps, etc. I'm inclinded to do as much as I
can myself. I'll spray a perimiter pest spray to keep down spiders,
etc. But what about termites? Is this a serious threat -- one worth
hiring the pros to prevent?

1. No wood on or in the soil. House builders often leave stumps or
scrap wood buried.

2. No mulch close to the house. The loose, damp soil underneath makes
it easy for termite scouts to tunnel to the house.

3. Boron treatment for most vulnerable wood, such as what lies on the
foundation. The preferred chemical is like borax but penetrates better.
It's harmless to mammals but stops insects and rot. It comes as a
powder or a honeylike liquid. You add water and apply with a sprayer or
brush. Because it's a mineral, it remains in the wood indefinitely.
The termite who takes a bite will go home and poison his colony.

4. Termidor. It uses the same insecticide found in dog shampoos. It
lasts indefinitely in soil. The termite who crawls through treated soil
will go home and poison his colony.