# Drywood Termites



## Doc Sheldon (Nov 23, 2014)

Definitely not my area of expertise, miamicuse... but I once had an exterminator do an office structure using microwave equipment, which only required the occupants to leave during the actual treatment process. We tested for 3 years and never saw termites return. Might be worth looking at.


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## miamicuse (Nov 13, 2011)

Microwave? Hmmm I need to check into that.


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## Doc Sheldon (Nov 23, 2014)

they move a transmitter along the inside of the wall and a reflector on the outside, slowly covering all the walls. Never made a lot of sense to me, 'cause it seemed like they'd miss a lot that way, in the subfloor and roofing... but it worked. A major infestation might be more problematic. But they guaranteed to keep coming back as many times as needed, and never had to, so it's worth looking into.


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## Gustavas (Oct 4, 2014)

I'm not sure about your landlord tenant laws where you are, but trying to find a "good" time for everyone is just not possible. 

schedule it to give everyone enough legal notice. boot everyone out, and get it done right.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Want to be nice, offer to pay for a hotel stay for a day.


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## miamicuse (Nov 13, 2011)

has nothing to do with being nice. There are rules and regulations, tenant rights and lease agreements to adhere to.
It's not one day. It most likely will be three days. Two days to tent and one day to allow the gas to completely disappear until they give the all clear signal with their bio-meter.
Tenants will not have use of the property for 3 days, so credit has to be given for loss of use of the facility they pay rents for. However number of days with a prorated daily rent multiplier.
Also need to pay for their lodging, on a per diem per day basis. Doesn't matter if they stay with their sister or uncle or at a hotel, there should be compensation.
If they have dogs or cats that need to be kerneled, that too.
They can't cook, so food, plus, since all food and medicine need to be out of the property while it's being fumigated, whatever food in the apartments, pantry, refrigerator, cosmetics that cannot be consumed prior, or removed during, had to be wasted, so grocery cards for that part of the reimbursement.
That's all on top of the tenting cost, and loss of all shurbs along the outside of the house that most likely will die off.


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## ChuckTin (Nov 17, 2014)

Wow. We are in Florida also so I feel your pain.
No easy solution that I can see. In today's "sue anybody" climate how are your going to get past this?


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## chris67663 (Mar 3, 2015)

If a drywood termite infestation is suspected in your house, a thorough examination of the entire structure should be conducted by a pest control operator or building inspector. To provide a valid report, the inspector must hold a State-issued wood-destroying organism inspection card and be personally licensed in the termite category or be supervised by such a licensee. 

Drywood termite treatments are divided into three general categories which reflect their areas of coverage: whole-structure, compartmental, and local or "spot" applications. Preventative treatments are also available and are usually offered after an existing infestation has been treated. All treatments listed below will kill drywood termites, but their effectiveness is limited when used beyond their intended scope. 

Wood Injection. Wood injection or "drill-and-treat" applications have been used since the 1920s to treat drywood termite infestations which are accessible and detectable. An insecticide is injected into small holes drilled through any wood surface into termite galleries delivering the treatment directly to the pest population. This is the simplest and most direct method of treatment. The amount of drilling required and the effectiveness of this treatment depends on the chemical used and the nature of the infestation. Most chemicals will remain active in the wood after treatment to thwart resurgent colonies.

Borates. Spray and foam applications of products containing boron salts are applied to raw, uncoated wood surfaces. Because penetration depths of borate solutions and depth of drywood termite galleries vary, injection into existing infestations should also be performed (see also wood injection above and preventative treatments below).

Microwave. Microwave energy, applied to relatively small sections of infested wood, kills termites by heating them. Thermocouples should be inserted into treated members to insure that adequate microwave energy is delivered. Microwave equipment is not designed to treat areas where access is limited.

Electrocution. The probe of a hand-held "gun" is passed slowly over the infested wood surface and inserted directly into pellet "kick-out" holes. The high voltage and low current energy emitted by the probe electrocutes termites in the immediate application area. There is no way to measure a lethal dose at a given location in wood with this device. In some cases, holes must be drilled into wood and wires inserted to improve penetration.


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