# Help ? Termites



## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

*"Q: Can I treat the house myself?*
*A:* Ridding a home of termites requires special skills. A knowledge of building construction is needed to identify the critical areas where termites are likely to enter. Many of these potential points of entry are hidden and difficult to access. Termite control also utilizes specialized equipment such as masonry drills, pumps, large-capacity tanks, and soil treatment rods. A typical treatment may involve hundreds of gallons of a liquid pesticide, known as a termiticide, injected into the ground alongside the foundation, beneath concrete slabs, and within foundation walls.

In short, termite treatment is a job for professionals. A possible exception would be if a mailbox post, sandbox or other small wooden object not attached to the house was infested. "Do-it-yourself" products, sold to homeowners at retail stores or bought over the internet, will seldom eradicate an existing termite problem."

Reference:​ 
Potter, M. (2010, January 10). _TERMITE CONTROL: Answers for Homeowners _. Retrieved from Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture website: http://www.ca.uky.edu/ entomology/entfacts/ef604.asp


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## PAbugman (Jun 29, 2010)

My favorite: Termidor (active ingredient=Fipronil).
2nd favorite: Premise (active=Imidacloprid).

Google Termidor. 

There are many circumstances/situations that do require professional knowledge and experience because of home construction & subsequent remodeling & conducive conditions which needs to be combined with understanding termite behavior and biology. That said, even us pros have failures. Learn about termites and treatments first, to enhance your chances of success. 

My favorite termiticide choices above are for Subterranean Termites only. I have no experience, and limited knowledge of others. Make sure that you know what type of termites you have. Hope this helps.


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## MagicalHome (Apr 12, 2010)

I suggest you get a professional to get rid of them. Termites live in colonies. You have to kill the queen in order to get rid of them fully. If you treat only a part of your house, the termites will look for other avenues. Unless the queen of the colony dies. It will be an unending infestation.


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## searchengineguy (Aug 13, 2010)

*Termite Inspections*

That was good advice from JimF. Termidor gets the results because it kills termties slowly and can eliminate the colony. Its also really worthwhile to get the best termite inspection you can if you live in a high risk area.

We use and recommend Termatrac. You can see more info on my website on the best termite tools.

Regards, Bruce
http://www.a1pestcontrol.com.au


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## mcgrathpest (Jun 27, 2010)

hire a professional to treat the termites. Only let them use termidor. I wouldnt trust anything else. If you have drywood termites then you need to do a totally different type of method. I wouldn't try to do it yourself. Plus the termidor will last in the ground for 10 yrs.


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## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

mcgrathpest said:


> hire a professional to treat the termites. Only let them use termidor. I wouldnt trust anything else. If you have drywood termites then you need to do a totally different type of method. I wouldn't try to do it yourself. Plus the termidor will last in the ground for 10 yrs.


I dont believe termidor is the only brand/active ingredient out there to "trust". I used Dominion and that too lasts for 12 years, not 10. Still, 10, 11, 12, who cares. The stuff works and is not overpriced. I used it on subs and they are GONE. Do some research and you will find much of this "only call a pro" is like a sacred cow. 

In my case, a pro wanted $500 for the job. I did it in 1-2 hours with some digging and $25 for pesticide.


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## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

I guess you have to figure out what is best for your comfort level. If I were to do it myself, I would do a lot of research first.


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## smoochas (May 13, 2010)

Those who are recommending Termidor, can I ask how that compares to a product called Phantom? Some of the exterminators I've interviewed have named it as the product they would be using.


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## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

dont get hung up on names too much. All those brands mentoined are good....just make sure your brand is NON REPELLENT. Focus on the chemical compound not on the marketed branding. Become an informed edjukatid consumer and youll be better off in the long run.


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## mcgrathpest (Jun 27, 2010)

i wouldnt use anything else than termidor. its the best stuff out there.


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