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Do it yourself termite treatment... can you treat without digging a trench?

Do it yourself termite treatment... can you treat without digging a trench?


  #1  
Old 08-20-13, 02:54 PM
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Exclamation Do it yourself termite treatment... can you treat without digging a trench?

I found termites on a worn wood threshold to the front door entry of my house. I sprayed it thoroughly with a termite foam, but I'm worried about termites elsewhere now. What is the least expensive and easiest, most effective way to treat my house? I'm looking into a chemical that contains Fipronil and the directions say to dig a 6 inch trench around the house, then spray. Will the treatment still work if I just spray without digging the trench? Someone told me it would work, but wouldn't last as long, but I'm not sure if they knew what they were talking about. Also, how do I check if there are any other termites inside and if so, how do I treat those? (The chemical which contains fipronil only works with the soil I believe.) Thank you all so much for your help!
 
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Old 08-20-13, 04:39 PM
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I think this is one of those situations best left to a professional.

1. They can look at the insects to confirm that they are in fact termites and look at your house for the best way to treat.

2. Professionals they tend to do thing more properly. Starting out by asking ways to cut corners does not instill confidence in your DIY approach to a potentially serious problem.

3. This is not a birdhouse hobby project. Termites can destroy your house. You don't want to mess around trying to save a couple hundred dollars and end up allow many thousands of dollars damage to occur.
 
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Old 08-21-13, 04:41 AM
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...... and if you do diy - follow the directions!! You'll also want to step up your inspections to make sure you've taken care of the problem. I'd carefully inspect the crawlspace, all along both sides of the foundation, anywhere that wood has contact with masonry. Hopefully there is no wood in direct contact with the earth. As PD stated - termites can cause a lot of damage to your home which is likely your biggest financial asset.

btw - welcome to the forums!
 
  #4  
Old 08-21-13, 05:05 AM
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Fipronil is an excellent choice for subterranean termites. It is necessary to get the proper amount of chemical down in the ground next to the foundation wall. If on a slab then the depth of chemical treatment would be to the depth of the slab.

That doesn’t mean that your trench has to be that deep, but you are making a trench because you need the trench to hold the chemical while it seeps down. You are flooding the trench, not spraying. You can pour the chemical into the trench from buckets. Since you don’t have pressure treating eqpt you may need to punch holes in the bottom of the trench with re-bar or such in case your soil has too much clay.

If there are cement porch/patio slabs/sidewalks next to the house you should drill 1/2 to 5/8 diameter holes near the house, but about 16” apart and treat into. Without pressure treating eqpt that seals to the hole the chemical may not flow into the holes though.

Typically we use 100-150 gallons of termiticide per house for a full exterior treatment. Fipronil can work as a partial treatment if you get the chemical where the termites are. It seems that you do know where they are so treat that side of the house thoroughly. The labels will tell you to use 4 gal per 10 linear foot per foot of depth to footer. That’s a lot if you have a basement, not a lot for a crawl or slab.

Be careful near water wells; sometimes water wells are in the perimeter of house which is too close for a liquid termiticde treatment.
 
 

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