I am about to have a termite treatment done around the exterior of my home.

I'm wondering about how deep into the ground, and how far out from the
exterior wall, the treatment is usually done. It's a house with a full
basement that has cinder block walls on the exterior.

Part of the area around the house has a cement walkway that goes right up to
the cinder block wall, and the rest of the exterior is just dirt/grass. My
understanding is that they are going to drill holes through the cement and
into the ground about every 6 inches or so around the house.

The reason I am asking is that there is a "terra cotta(sp?)" pipe in the
ground along one side of the house. Two of the gutter downspouts empty into
the clay pipe which takes the rain water to the street. The pipe is about 6
inches away from the basement wall and is buried a few inches under the
ground surface. I exposed a portion of it so the pest control person will
see where it is.

NOTE: I also posted this in the alt.consumers.pest-control newsgroup, but
thought someone here might know.

I heard they are no longer allowed to pump any insecticides into the ground.
Could be a local thing I guess.

Sure makes fighting termites tougher!

"Ben Franklin" wrote in message
...
I am about to have a termite treatment done around the exterior of my
home.

I'm wondering about how deep into the ground, and how far out from the
exterior wall, the treatment is usually done. It's a house with a full
basement that has cinder block walls on the exterior.

Part of the area around the house has a cement walkway that goes right up
to
the cinder block wall, and the rest of the exterior is just dirt/grass.
My
understanding is that they are going to drill holes through the cement and
into the ground about every 6 inches or so around the house.

The reason I am asking is that there is a "terra cotta(sp?)" pipe in the
ground along one side of the house. Two of the gutter downspouts empty
into
the clay pipe which takes the rain water to the street. The pipe is about
6
inches away from the basement wall and is buried a few inches under the
ground surface. I exposed a portion of it so the pest control person will
see where it is.

NOTE: I also posted this in the alt.consumers.pest-control newsgroup, but
thought someone here might know.

In article ,
says...
I heard they are no longer allowed to pump any insecticides into the ground.
Could be a local thing I guess.

Sure makes fighting termites tougher!


Or it might be a story given to you by a local company that installs the
more expensive (less effective) baits? I know in an area in
Pennsylvania terminix has discontinued liquid treatments after they were
sued by the state on a mis application by their techs, but I think that
was more of a company decision.
--
Lar

to email....get rid of the BUGS

Lar wrote:
In article ,
says...
I heard they are no longer allowed to pump any insecticides into the ground.
Could be a local thing I guess.

Sure makes fighting termites tougher!


Or it might be a story given to you by a local company that installs the
more expensive (less effective) baits? I know in an area in
Pennsylvania terminix has discontinued liquid treatments after they were
sued by the state on a mis application by their techs, but I think that
was more of a company decision.

It was a big deal in Florida a few years ago - newer subdivision, in the
news a lot, apparently because lots had either diluted or misapplied
poison. What I have read says that the application must be the correct
strength and the barrier not interrupted. I can't imagine how the
application would not be disrupted from landscaping, etc, but don't know
any more. Sounds chancy to me. Drilling holes all over concrete slabs
and foundations sounds like a racket to me, given subterranean termites
can have a colony 200' across and get in through minute cracks and
plumbing entries.

In article ,
says...
It was a big deal in Florida a few years ago - newer subdivision, in the
news a lot, apparently because lots had either diluted or misapplied
poison. What I have read says that the application must be the correct
strength and the barrier not interrupted. I can't imagine how the
application would not be disrupted from landscaping, etc, but don't know
any more. Sounds chancy to me. Drilling holes all over concrete slabs
and foundations sounds like a racket to me, given subterranean termites
can have a colony 200' across and get in through minute cracks and
plumbing entries.


If it was a newer subdivision, it was probably talking about pre treats,
where all the soil is treated before the slab is poured. All too often
the builders will go with the cheapest price that can be 6-10 cents a
square foot and to cover the cost of material a company would have to
charge around 15 cents (if applied properly). With the older
termiticides a continuous barrier would be needed, since they were
basically a chemical shield...any break would allow entry, even push the
termites to the break and needed much drilling in the concrete, but with
the way the newer products work (termidor and Phantom) a continuous
barriers isn't needed to get complete control, the colony is attacked
rather than just keeping them at bay. And less labor can result in less
job cost to the customer and I have yet to have a retreat needed on any
home I've treated with Termidor.
--
Lar

to email....get rid of the BUGS

Lar wrote:
In article ,
says...
It was a big deal in Florida a few years ago - newer subdivision, in the
news a lot, apparently because lots had either diluted or misapplied
poison. What I have read says that the application must be the correct
strength and the barrier not interrupted. I can't imagine how the
application would not be disrupted from landscaping, etc, but don't know
any more. Sounds chancy to me. Drilling holes all over concrete slabs
and foundations sounds like a racket to me, given subterranean termites
can have a colony 200' across and get in through minute cracks and
plumbing entries.


If it was a newer subdivision, it was probably talking about pre treats,
where all the soil is treated before the slab is poured. All too often
the builders will go with the cheapest price that can be 6-10 cents a
square foot and to cover the cost of material a company would have to
charge around 15 cents (if applied properly). With the older
termiticides a continuous barrier would be needed, since they were
basically a chemical shield...any break would allow entry, even push the
termites to the break and needed much drilling in the concrete, but with
the way the newer products work (termidor and Phantom) a continuous

Why aren't these miracles better known? Are there published studies
about them?

barriers isn't needed to get complete control, the colony is attacked
rather than just keeping them at bay. And less labor can result in less
job cost to the customer and I have yet to have a retreat needed on any
home I've treated with Termidor.

If I paid for term. prevention and it didn't work, I'd be inclined not
to call you back. A "barrier" poured around the foundation just doesn't
sound like a sure thing - rain washes away?, folks dig and plant stuff,
etc. Why would termites not go below the barrier?

In article ,
says...



If it was a newer subdivision, it was probably talking about pre treats,
where all the soil is treated before the slab is poured. All too often
the builders will go with the cheapest price that can be 6-10 cents a
square foot and to cover the cost of material a company would have to
charge around 15 cents (if applied properly). With the older
termiticides a continuous barrier would be needed, since they were
basically a chemical shield...any break would allow entry, even push the
termites to the break and needed much drilling in the concrete, but with
the way the newer products work (termidor and Phantom) a continuous

Why aren't these miracles better known? Are there published studies
about them?

Published studies? LOL just ask ANY company across the country what
they feel is the best product out there. Termidor is the only product on
the market to be 100% in the US Forestry testing for over 10 years. An
easy way to find an answer about termidor is to google Pest control,
then what ever company that pops up, email them the question what is the
best termiticide on the market. Even the companies, that make their
money off of baits usually will do a minimal treatment with Termidor,
meaning there probably is no real reason to pay the costs of bait
systems.
barriers isn't needed to get complete control, the colony is attacked
rather than just keeping them at bay. And less labor can result in less
job cost to the customer and I have yet to have a retreat needed on any
home I've treated with Termidor.

If I paid for term. prevention and it didn't work, I'd be inclined not
to call you back. A "barrier" poured around the foundation just doesn't
sound like a sure thing - rain washes away?, folks dig and plant stuff,
etc. Why would termites not go below the barrier?

There are many variables why a pretreat didn't work...after treatment
more work was done to the pad unknown the the treating company thus
disturbing the barrier..foundation work was done which may remove
treated soil from around the structure..etc. the reason you may call
the original treating company would be it probably is a no cost service
compared to hundreds of dollars for a new company to put it on contract.
Termiticides are required to "bond" to the soil and not leach away when
they are applied up to several feet deep rather than just spraying the
product about It's one of the characteristic from regular insecticides.
For a product to be labeled a termiticide it has to show 100%
effectiveness for 5 years in field studies by the US Forestry dept and
that means it can not "wash" away. Landscaping can effect the termite
barrier, but more so with the older products. The newer products such
as termidor and Phantom are not recognised by the foraging termites, so
by the nature of the termite they will find the product even if there is
not a continual barrier. The older products only were a shield, so that
a break meant guaranteed re infestation down the road. For what it's
worth, since the five years Termidor has been on the market I have yet
to have a call back on any home I have treated, "full" or preventative.
Another way to gauge it's effectiveness. It was the first product to
have a 5 year guarantee from the makers on retreats..two years later the
other two major products have adopted that warranty. Termidor makers now
offers a 10 year guarantee for their product.

--
Lar

to email....get rid of the BUGS