# Will this anti-termite plan work?



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Waste of time.
Get a real chemical termite treatment and have them do an annual inspection.
I've seen termite tunnels run along exposed heating ducts in a basement then make a 90 deg. turn and run straight up 6" until they reached the floor joist.
Sand and stones are not going to stop them.
DO not fall for the Bait station scam!
There still going to be able to get in from under the slab any place there's a crack, or where plumbing and wiring was run.


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## iLikeDirt (Apr 27, 2014)

What is the "bait station scam?"

It is simply incorrect that they cannot get through 16-grit sand? I've seen this repeated in many places.

I am not averse to chemical treatments but would prefer to avoid them due to the downsides of poisoning my land and the recurring nature of the expenditure. A once-every-ten-years treatment is one thing, but paying for some kind of annual service contract is something I am just not going to do. This is a DIY site, after all.


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## Indepspirit (Apr 30, 2014)

Here is a quote from Orkin's website: 

"Sand termite barriers can be erected to protect houses from these insects. Sand termite barriers can be made from uniform sand particles of an approximate 16 grit size. The barrier can be poured to a depth of four inches or more around the foundation. The sand barrier also should extend at least 20 inches from the foundation. These barriers are not 100 percent effective at keeping out termites."

I had a neighbor that put it a sand barrier and it seemed to work good for him. I'm not an exterminator so not an authority on the subject but I know he had problems with termites for years then put in the sand barrier and problem seemed to go away. 

I understand not wanting to use chemical treatment but the chemicals have changed over the years. Chlordane — no longer used, but once the termiticide of choice — remained in the soil for decades and negatively impacted ecosystems. The new generation of soil treatments is water-based with low amounts of active ingredients. The most common type used is a water-based solution of .06 percent fiprinol blended with large amounts of water. Fipronil has been shown to have a very low hazard to mammals and none to vegetation. It’s the same thing used on household pets to kill fleas and ticks.


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