# Termite treatment



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

It's the same with a few exceptions and additions.

You can not use it in an area with standing water, within so many ft. of your water source (if you have a well)
Application also changes according to what type foundation you have.

What type foundation do you have.
Are the walls concrete block, or stick built?


----------



## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

Thanks for the response. It's SW FL. My house is CBS (concrete block stucco) on a monolithic slab.

It struck me as odd that all soil would be treated the same. My soil is sand if you dug a 6X6X10' ditch, you could not fill it with water with a garden hose unless it was right after a very heavy rain! After heavy rains it would be hard to dig the same ditch without it filling with water. 

After giving up trying to dig post holes during rainy season, I would not want to attempt this in rainy season.
JIm


----------



## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

DIY pest control is not really an active forum : )

The more I read the more I wonder? a 6x6 trench is required! Unless there is a slab then 1/2 inch holes should be drilled every 10 to 12" and the Termidor somehow introduced into the hole. 

Why cant' the exterminator make believe there is a slab all the way around my house and drill holes in the dirt and put Termidor in each hole??

It either works or it does not work!

Yes I was the annoying little kid that always asked why, why, why 

I feel sorry for anyone that cones to give me an estimate:thumbup:

JIm


----------



## gobug (Jul 13, 2012)

I did not dig many trenches in my termite jobs. I used a 4' long hollow steel rod with an on-off handle on a hose attached to a 50 gallon tank and pump. 

I would calculate the amount of termiticide I needed based on the label and the structure. Then I would slowly insert the rod into the ground, valve open, and time it as I injected the termiticide. 

I felt I got more even distribution of the termiticide because of the diversity in soils around the city and around a house. I would see the termiticide come up around the rod if it was not going through the soil.

I only dug a trench if I had a difficult time inserting the rod all the way to the handle, and the foundation did not include a basement. Or, if there was a risk of the chemical running out of the treatment zone.

As for slabs, they are mostly (surface area wise) inside. Even outside, they must be drilled. The difference between injecting through the rod into the soil and into a slab is the tool, and the amount of chemical. The slab takes less chemical because you are just adding enough to get to the bottom of the grade beam and around the junction of the slab, grade beam and walls. With a full basement, outside, you must inject enough chemical to evenly cover the wall from the soil surface down to the grade beam. That would include beneath driveway or patio slab. There were times when I drilled the slab with a big enough holes to insert the rod so I could get the termiticide all the way down.


----------



## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

Thanks for the time and effort you put in your response gobug. As I am researching this some of the available information defies common sense and logic.

For most it would be best to hire a pro. Unfortunately there are pro's and then there are people who just want to make money, can be difficult to tell them apart.

If I contract this out, my first requirement will be that they mix the chemicals on the job, where I can make sure they are using the proper amount and types.


----------



## gobug (Jul 13, 2012)

Ask for a copy of the label and a MSDS prior to signing a contract. Check it out on line.
You live in a termite heaven. Poisoning the soil is not the only path, but definitely worth comparison.
Your structure will also have it's own complications which may not be easy to deal with.
Since your climate and soil are moist, termite problems become repititious. Many termite companies break even on the initial treatment and make their money on annual contracts to monitor and retreat as needed. That may be a consideration for your abode.


----------



## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

If it were not for chemicals everything is FL would quickly disappear!

I am considering doing this myself, I may not have all the info available. But I would be more cautious about how it is done.

When I was in Thailand I noticed small plastic lines installed before slabs were poured, I inquired about them and was told they are to treat for insects. Great idea.
JIm


----------

