Pest Control - Termites in the center of the house!

Author

Termites in the center of the house!

Walter R.

2006-02-28, 5:21 am

We have slab floors in Southern California

We have had subt. termites build tunnels in the garage, trying to get into
the wood structure. They were easy to get rid of by drilling holes in the
garage floor and injecting poison.

Yesterday we noticed a mud tunnel next to a baseboard in the hall in the
center of the house.

How do we drill holes in the slab without hitting a water pipe in the slab?
?

How can the termites get to the center of the house, covered by a slab? What
is the best way of dealing with them?

Of course, we will have to deal with a pest control company but it would be
nice to know about potential alternatives before we get involved with them.

Can we get rid of them by trenching around the house and poisoning the soil
on the outside of the foundation (footings)?

Thanks for any input

--
Walter
-

Lar

2006-02-28, 11:21 am

In article <z0UMf.5$Bu6.3@tornado.socal.rr.com>, wer25@example.com
says...

Yesterday we noticed a mud tunnel next to a baseboard in the hall in the

center of the house.

How do we drill holes in the slab without hitting a water pipe in the slab?

The treating company will probably have a Protek II box that shuts the
drill off when it contacts grounded metal, such as water pipes.

How can the termites get to the center of the house, covered by a slab? What

is the best way of dealing with them?

Here is a pic of a slab http://arrow-pestcontrol.com/SLAB.JPG Any of
the slab penetrations can be an entry. In the foreground of the pic you
will see what is about a foot square hole in the slab. That is the bath
trap area, a common entry for termites. A hole would be cut into the
wall to saturate that soil, then the hole would be covered with a soffit
vent or the equivalent. http://arrow-pestcontrol.com/wallcut.JPG
In the center of the SLAB pic you will see a grouping of plumbing pipes
wrapped in tape/insulation. These areas can create a tunnel through the
slab allowing entry. Cracks from settling or shifting of the slab can
also allow them in. The way these are treated is to drill the slab and
saturate the soil underneath these spots.

Of course, we will have to deal with a pest control company but it would be

nice to know about potential alternatives before we get involved with them.

I would stay away from the National companies, the larger the company
the more your just a name and a tend to be that month's quota to cover
their overhead. Ask friends/family who they may of used and are happy
with. My personal opinion would be to go with a company that uses
Termidor. It will quickly stop the problem and is the only product that
I have used that has not allowed termites to of returned, even if not
every possible entry point had been treated.

Can we get rid of them by trenching around the house and poisoning the soil

on the outside of the foundation (footings)?

The Termidor product is the only product I would use in that manner,
though the area of the activity should also be treated. Since termidor
has been out, my treatments have evolved to treating only perimeter,
area of activity, and bath trap areas, actually lowering the cost of the
job over a few years ago and I have yet to have a call saying termites
have returned.

--
Lar

Oh, if only Noah would of been a bit more wise,
he surely would of swatted those two flies.

to email....get rid of the BUGS

Walter R.

2006-03-02, 2:21 pm

Thank you for your very informative post

--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
"Lar" <larflu@comcastBUGS.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.1e6e1cd91a83e930989873@netnews.comcast.net...
> In article <z0UMf.5$Bu6.3@tornado.socal.rr.com>, wer25@example.com
> says...
>
>

Yesterday we noticed a mud tunnel next to a baseboard in the hall in
> the
>

center of the house.
>

How do we drill holes in the slab without hitting a water pipe in the
> slab?
>
> The treating company will probably have a Protek II box that shuts the
> drill off when it contacts grounded metal, such as water pipes.
>
>
>
>

How can the termites get to the center of the house, covered by a
> slab? What
>

is the best way of dealing with them?
>
> Here is a pic of a slab http://arrow-pestcontrol.com/SLAB.JPG Any of
> the slab penetrations can be an entry. In the foreground of the pic you
> will see what is about a foot square hole in the slab. That is the bath
> trap area, a common entry for termites. A hole would be cut into the
> wall to saturate that soil, then the hole would be covered with a soffit
> vent or the equivalent. http://arrow-pestcontrol.com/wallcut.JPG
> In the center of the SLAB pic you will see a grouping of plumbing pipes
> wrapped in tape/insulation. These areas can create a tunnel through the
> slab allowing entry. Cracks from settling or shifting of the slab can
> also allow them in. The way these are treated is to drill the slab and
> saturate the soil underneath these spots.
>
>
>

Of course, we will have to deal with a pest control company but it
> would be
>

nice to know about potential alternatives before we get involved with
> them.
>
> I would stay away from the National companies, the larger the company
> the more your just a name and a tend to be that month's quota to cover
> their overhead. Ask friends/family who they may of used and are happy
> with. My personal opinion would be to go with a company that uses
> Termidor. It will quickly stop the problem and is the only product that
> I have used that has not allowed termites to of returned, even if not
> every possible entry point had been treated.
>
>

Can we get rid of them by trenching around the house and poisoning the
> soil
>

on the outside of the foundation (footings)?
>

> The Termidor product is the only product I would use in that manner,
> though the area of the activity should also be treated. Since termidor
> has been out, my treatments have evolved to treating only perimeter,
> area of activity, and bath trap areas, actually lowering the cost of the
> job over a few years ago and I have yet to have a call saying termites
> have returned.
>
> --
> Lar
>
> Oh, if only Noah would of been a bit more wise,
> he surely would of swatted those two flies.
>
> to email....get rid of the BUGS

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