Termite treatment -- how deep into the ground?

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.

Reply to
Ben Franklin
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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!

Reply to
MrC1

In article , snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net 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.

Reply to
Lar

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.

Reply to
Norminn

In article , snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net 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.

Reply to
Lar

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

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?

Reply to
Norminn

In article , snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net 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.

Reply to
Lar

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