How to get rid of termites

Hello;

I had exterminators look at my house, because of a small termite problem. They gave me a free estimate and the total is going to be around $2200.00 for everything including the bait spikes they will put in the ground inside and outside around my house which would include monthly change-out for about a 2 year plan...does this sound like a good price? I don't know anything about this, $2200.00 (or more) seems expensive to me. Is there something I could do myself? Could I buy these bait/poison spikes somewhere and install them myself? This all started when I found mud trials and rotted lumber in my cellar. Thanks for any help.

Reply to
Ejohnson
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If that price really includes monthly professional checkups and bait replacements for 24 months it doesn't sound unreasonable.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

Does that price include a yearly contract that will pay to have any new damage repaired ? If so, the yearly costs might be around $125-150 and will be well worth it if you get any major damage. If you get the contact make sure they document any existing damage so they can't claim any new damage was old and there to start with.

If you do it yourself you might/might not get them all and you would be responsible for any damage that you couldn't see until it's too late.

J
Reply to
Joey

If you can't find good answers, try asking this in alt.consumers.pest-control. I had a treatment for much less than that, though it depends on where you live, and the type of termites.

After doing my "homework", I found out that the bait systems are worthless. You can't bait a termite with wood if they've already found a good source (your house), and no chemical will attract them. Opt for Termidor applied by a professional pest control tech. The company should give you a guarantee as long as you pay a yearly maintenance fee ($100 per year in my case) and they check yearly for signs of termites. If found, they will treat again. YMMV.

Reply to
Lucky

Spectracide baits worked for me and it only cost maybe 100$, after I had the baits in I checked them, when I found one with termites I added more bait stakes. Try it first, its alot cheaper.

Reply to
m Ransley

Reply to
barbarow

In article , snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com says... :) Hello; :) :) I had exterminators look at my house, because of a small termite :) problem. They gave me a free estimate and the total is going to be :) around $2200.00 for everything including the bait spikes they will put :) in the ground inside and outside around my house which would include :) monthly change-out for about a 2 year plan...does this sound like a :) good price? I don't know anything about this, $2200.00 (or more) seems :) expensive to me. Is there something I could do myself? Could I buy :) these bait/poison spikes somewhere and install them myself? This all :) started when I found mud trials and rotted lumber in my cellar. Thanks :) for any help. :) :)

Sounds like you are dealing with one of the National companies or at least a small guy trying to act like one... check with friends and neighbors and see who they may use and TRUST. You can place out the baits yourself, probably even the same products that the pros use but if you ever sell the home and the evidence of previous activity with no paperwork showing it was professionally treated the buyers may insist on you paying for some more termite work. Here is an example of the failure of baits...

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This home was treated in 2000, maybe 1999, by spot treating the area of activity, then placing out the baits. In the second pic you can see the original tube in the light which is about a fingers width. The termites moved over a few inches and continued on even though there was a bait station within a foot and by the size of the new tube it had been there four or five years. I will usually come across this type of scenario a few times a year when I do inspections for real estate transactions (WDI reports). As another poster suggested have the home treated with Termidor. We have yet to have a call back on any home we have treated with it and that is pretty much the same story we hear from other exterminators around the country. It works totally different from other products out there and it has actually changed the way termite work can be done. In my case I actually charge less for what I charged for termite work 4-5 years ago and the homes are much better protected. And, when doing WDI inspections I have yet to come across a home with termites that had been previously treated with Termidor. Shop around, you will probably find a reasonable price.

Reply to
Lar

After having a major termite problem in my old house I would guess the repairs would of been around 20K to 25K, but being a Contractor I did it myself. This is my advice Talk to as many termite Co. as you can. Read up on this Termite Baiting system. This is what I found Pretty much a Waste of Money, Two of the 4 Co. I talked said it's a make you sleep good at night thing. I also found college study that pretty much came up with the same conclusion. If your house is on a raised foundation ask if the put the spikes under the house. They told me no, Seams to be a big area unprotected. The baiting is a real Money maker for the pest Co. Monthly contracts determines their CO. value Ask about the warranty , ask about if you get termites again if it's covered. What I did was all the repairs myself, Had a product called Thermador ( sp) spayed, My research found it the best. The best thing is have termite inspection done once a year, A whole lot cheaper. I will throw this in . I had Terminex do an inspection largest pest Co in the world. The inspector outright lied about problem areas, kept trying to push this monthly service down my throat and he actually pulled a loan application out of his back pocket. So you need to do your home work.

Reply to
Sacramento Dave

I'm in FL and we have had our house treated twice. The first time when we found termites in a carpet tack strip and the second time when the original five year contract ran out, just as a precaution. I plan to do it again next year when the current five year contract runs out. I went for the kind of treatment where they drill down into the foundation and put in poison. The next time they do it, they will use Termidor and the guarantee will be for 10 years. It cost a lot less than what you were quoted. Five years ago, they drilled in the original holes and it cost slightly less (about $600) than what I paid for the first treatment because it wasn't as much trouble. Termidor will cost a little more, I was told, but still nothing like what you were quoted. Be sure and ask around and try to find someone you know who has first hand experience with the company. If there is a consumer protection agency there, check with them, too. Termite treatments are expensive and you want to get what you pay for.

Reply to
Dorot29701

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