# Termites -- please help.



## weatheredwood (Aug 9, 2007)

A lot of the companies around here refuse to do tenting anymore. They say it is a rip off to the customer. It will kill the drywood termites, but a new colony can form. They just recommend spot treating drywood termites. The good thing is that drywood termites destroy wood very slowly compared to subterranean termites.


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## DerfIV (Sep 12, 2019)

We just dealt with a pro exterminating termites last spring. No mention was made of tenting, but we live in West Virginia, a bit of a hike from CA. Might be different kinds of termites.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Can you access the inside of the crawlspace to get a better view?


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## weatheredwood (Aug 9, 2007)

The pellets are the termites waste. You should be able to see the holes they are pushing it out of directly above the pile. I would just spot treat.


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## Paultergeist (Oct 13, 2014)

mark sr said:


> Can you access the inside of the crawlspace to get a better view?


I can....to be honest, I get a little bit claustrophobic down there, but I can get down there if I really have to.


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## Paultergeist (Oct 13, 2014)

weatheredwood said:


> The pellets are the termites waste. You should be able to see the holes they are pushing it out of directly above the pile. I would just spot treat.


Home Depot had a product called "Terminate" (by Spectracide) which was a spray foam -- I was gonna try that. Maybe even drill an extra hole or two to try to get access to the general area -- then get as much of that foam in there as I can.


Does that sound like the right approach? I guess I am not sure how the pros get the chemical into the vicinity of the bugs?


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## weatheredwood (Aug 9, 2007)

Paultergeist said:


> Home Depot had a product called "Terminate" (by Spectracide) which was a spray foam -- I was gonna try that. Maybe even drill an extra hole or two to try to get access to the general area -- then get as much of that foam in there as I can.
> 
> 
> Does that sound like the right approach? I guess I am not sure how the pros get the chemical into the vicinity of the bugs?





You can drill holes and spray foam into them. I would go for a commercial product myself. You can purchase them online at do my own pest control and other sites. You might even have a local do it yourself pest control store in your area.


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## Fman (Nov 9, 2018)

I'm always suspicious of termites because years ago I spent a week as an *Pest Control man. I was told that if I didn't find any termites to say something like: "Well, I couldn't find your termites but I know they're there somewhere..." Some bs like that. I'm sure termites exist but, I'm not going going to snow people like that- if you get my drift...


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

IMO it's hard to beat getting where you need to in order to completely assess the situation. Viewing your wood structure from the crawlspace should show you if the termite damage is worse/less than you think. I've always used the big box termite poison and as far as I know it's worked well for me.


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## Paultergeist (Oct 13, 2014)

mark sr said:


> IMO it's hard to beat getting where you need to in order to completely assess the situation. Viewing your wood structure from the crawlspace should show you if the termite damage is worse/less than you think. I've always used the big box termite poison and as far as I know it's worked well for me.


You are correct, of course. I am just going to have to put on my big-boy pants and force myself to deal with the claustrophobia and get eyes on this by getting under the house.


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## Nick_Grachevski (Apr 10, 2020)

Water and vinegar are good for that purpose. Wild chamomile can be used too.  Check here 
one can find other tips on both natural and chemical pest control. Hope it will come in handy.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Termidor is a good product. You won’t find it in the big box stores. But you can buy it online. I’ve had great results with it.


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## dj3 (Apr 27, 2020)

Termite companies use stuff that cannot be sold to the public. Call for estimates.
I own rentals and termites is one thing I sub out for quick and good results.


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## Doug Locke (Aug 31, 2017)

A big infestation should probably be dealt with professionally. You can make you own termite bates with boric acid (pharmacies, amazon, even dollar stores sell it). It's the active ingredient in many insect baits. 
Mix it with water, then soak it into stacked or rolled up cardboard. There are a lot of videos online how to make it. 

You can sprinkle it on the termites, places where you suspect they are. 

It kills over a few weeks, slow enough to be spread around the colony.

For exposed wood I blend it with propolene glycol (stuff thats in vape liquid and smoke machines - also dirt cheap), and brush it on like paint.

It's a very low cost way to prevent infestations. I'm not sure how great it is at getting rid of a large problem, specially if their is rotting wood in your house attracting them. 

(if you add sugar to the mix it will kill ants and other insects attracted to human food)


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## jaykim (Dec 3, 2019)

Is the wood inside exposed and unpainted, not being covered by drywall?
Then, it is easy. Just buy a gallon of BoraCare(about $70 - $90 depending on where you buy), and either spray or paint that area with it after diluting it to 1:1 ratio or so. It is almost permanent treatment. It is not cheap, but I think it is well worth it. I did my garage exposed joist and stud myself. Look up the BoraCare.


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## xxxyler19 (Nov 29, 2021)

Nick_Grachevski said:


> Water and vinegar are good for that purpose. Wild chamomile can be used too. Check here
> one can find other tips on both natural and chemical pest control. Hope it will come in handy.


Taking the necessary action to hire a pest control company is the right step. Even if it costs you, it is much better than having to do nothing about it. There are lots of termite inspection, which is why you have to take the time to choose the right one.


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