Please help termite advice needed

yesterday i went in backyard to plant some blubs and as i started digging noticing hundred of termites in ground. my back fence is against state property with dead trees. the back fence in picture is about 25 ft from house foundation. researching like crazy decided to order Taurus SC but how should i treat the soil against the fence. I know how they treat the house around the foundation but whats teh best way to treat the soil near the fence.i know i should hire a exterminator but i am in little financial crisis and trying to save every penny . i have been inspecting my house and basement for mud dams or any signs of termites coming into my house. i really need some direction on best way to eliminate do they don't get to my house.

 

Is the fence vinyl or wood? Maybe there's wood inside the vinyl? In any case, I'd treat it just like a structure by trench around the fence posts and letting it soak in and re-fill the trench. The label may have instructions for treating a fence, poles, etc. If there are any dead stumps, roots in your yard I'd treat them too.

Is the rear of your house exterior perimeter soil or part soil with patio, pavers, etc? I wouldn't hesitate to trench the rear soil perimeter, about 4 to 6 inch wide trench, about 4 inches deep. Follow the label directions for the amount of Taurus to use. Great choice, by the way. I'd consider pounding holes in the trench with re-bar, about every linear foot, to facilitate soil absorption.

 

thank you so much for your response. fence is all vinyl no wood inside. there are no dead stumps or wood in my yard by right behind my fence is that big dead oak tree i am assuming they are feeding off and now moving towards my property because i have mulch on my bed. rear of my house is all waver patio with concrete underneath and so is one other side. 2 other side are soil and my plan is to trench and do the same treated from those two sides.

anything else i should do different or do anything else?
should i do the trench and treat the whole back fence which is about 20 linear feet? even though i see no signs of termites? problem is there are some fruit trees i planted last year along the back fence and if i treat those area i am getting rid of them since i don't want to eat any fruit from those trees . they are fairly small and not bearing any fruit right now.

 

Subterranean termites live underground and the colony could be anywhere in any direction from that tree. They may or may not be feeding on that tree. In any case, they feed at multiple sites at the same time.

By the label, which is the law, you can only treat structures, posts, poles, etc because they sit on or penetrate the ground. The fence between poles is not on or in the ground so technically you can't treat it and it won't stop the termites anyway as they could be anywhere in your yard or adjoining areas. If the posts were wood, you could trench and treat them in order to protect them. Termiticides aren't labeled for broadcast treatment nor trenching and treating without a structure to protect.

Just focus on treating the house as a preventative.

 

do recommend i remove the pavers along the backyard wall and drill holes and pump this solution as well? its just crazy amount of work but i am so nervous and stressed out about this. i am freaking out that these termites will all move slowly underground 25 ft to my house in few years? i am going crazy ?

 

If theres no other way to get termiticide down and along the rear wall, then yes, remove the pavers and drill holes about every 16” apart, about 6 inches from the house or so. Drill hole spacing should be no more than 16” apart.

Don’t stress about the termites; they may never hit your house but since they are that close I would treat it. Describe your basement; what are the walls made of and are they exposed, as opposed to being finished? What about over head? Can you see the floor joists and related wooden members?

 

half of my basement is finished and half is unfinished. also half of my house has basement and other half is on a slab i hope it makes sense.i looked every were for any signs of termite in basement but nothing. i can take some pics if needed. also all walls in basement is poured cement. i can see all floor joist in the unfinished side. other half was just finished in 2014.

i know its stupid question but why can't i dig around the patio instead of going right up against the house. if i am trying to create a barrier why wouldn't that work?

 

The patio edge is too far from the house. There is no “wall” under the patio to put the chemical against. It needs to be against the basement walls as a barrier since that is what you are trying to protect. Also, it is better protected there from the environment because of the basement walls, overhead soffits, rain gutters. The termiticide will stay put in this environment.

Poured cement walls are good, though not perfect, as a termite prevention. When you are outside and inspecting the soil perimeter of the house; can you see exposed cement basement wall, at least to a small extent, before the house siding starts? It would be good if you could see that for inspection for mud tunnels and such.

 

some areas of my house basement walls are 3 feet off ground those area are clear and very easy to spot mud tunnels but some area are only 4 -8 inches from ground. those i have to keep eye on and double check. i will have the product in few days but in mean time is it ok to dig the trench now and have it ready? or do i have to do everything in one shot? i had some time tomorrow want to see if i can get a head start.

 

You can dig the trench now, no problem. It sounds like you have good access for inspection, even the 4 to 8 inch doesn't scare me. So many houses have siding right to the ground.

Don't overdo the trench; it's main purpose is to keep the termiticide against the house. Also, sometimes on the sides of a house there is a slope in the landscaping. If that is the case with yours, you can put in "dams" to keep it from flowing to the downhill part of the trench. Rocks, thick dirt clods, or kick the trench shut at that spot to act as a dam. You'll get the idea when you start.

I didn't ask earlier: Do you have a water well or city water? If water well, how close is it to the house?

 

its city water . pipe coming in to house from street. also for now i am only treating the area where the termites are by the fence and only the sides 2 sides of the house where dirt is up against the foundation.thanks again for all your help.

i been watching plenty of videos on how to apply it if you have slope. fortunately i don't have slope but i will make dams every 10ft so i can do one section at a time . Also i was talking to my neighbour whose cousin is an exterminator and gave him half a bottle of termidor HE . he told me i can use what ever is left in the bottle. what are your thoughts on termidor HE? i know its more concentrated and i need to use less water per linear foot and trench can be smaller as well.

 

I/we never used Termidor HE as we were very satisfied with fipronil generics. I'm retired now so I won't have that chance. However, many in the industry like HE a lot. I would use it, but not mix it with the Dominion, even though some concentrates do have both active ingredients in their product. Let the chemical engineers do it and we will use their product and directions.

Hopefully you will get a label with the HE, if not they can be found on line. The label is worth reading as it is instructions on how best to use that product. Focus on post-construction treatment.