We have them in spot areas in our home. Can Electro Gun or thermal treatment be an option? Are they as effective as Termidor? Any advice would be appreciated.
Get on the phone to a reliable pest controller. They must treat the exterior of your house. If you can see even one, they have a well established nest somewhere outside of your house. The Queen must be killed and then they will drive holes in the ground around your house and fill them with pesticide. They will come back once a year to inspect for a minimal or no charge, if you have a decent warranty.
Thank you Breezy. After calling the exterminator would using diatomaceous earth work to keep them away? Does anyone know about this stuff?
Yes it would keep them away......from that one spot. Have you ever destroyed an ant hill only to have 2-3 more pop up a few inches or feet away? These won't be much different. Don't underestimate these critters. Can't really treat one spot. Preventing them is tough enough, but getting rid of them is even tougher. Good luck.
Blue, you live in Newport Beach, so I've seen plenty of the termite tents enclosing a home to get rid of them. Thought that was the norm out there! Either way it's gonna cost you a pretty penny or two to oust those buggers.
Blue, what's the age of your house, type of build and materials? As written above, if you see 'em, you got way more of 'em you can't see. Call the pros. Why DE? Never heard of that approach but it sounds like deterrence not eradication.
33 years old. Stucco, wood trim, wood patio frame that connects to the house, and roof with spanish tile. I am going to have the exterminators use the Termidor and then I will use the diatomaceous earth to keep them away if it works. I have read that even just putting a wood pile can near the home be a preventative measure. We actually have not seen any termites. I forgot the most important question. There are 20 spots with termites. All are exterior except for one in the attic. I was told by the exterminator that tent fumigation would be the best solution. I really don't want to deal with tent fumigation all the necessary precautions and toxic exposure. If I do spot treatment how much of a risk am I taking with termites sticking around? The tent fumigation would actually be about the same price as spot treatment. $1,800. I almost fell out of my chair when I read the email outlining the cost.
Try to get some more quotes. 18 hundred sounds a bit high. I am not licensed, but did deal with Pest Control for the Navy. From what you described, fumigation MAY NOT be necessary. I'm by no means going against a professional's opinion, but an aggressive treatment around your foundations is required. I have seen entire walls of WWII era buildings completely collapsed at the base I used to work at from termite infestation. It is best to aggressively counterattack. Best of luck!!!
I'm green-ish but don't get my panties in a wad if bringing in the heavy artillery; sometimes you just gotta kill bugs. Whatever residual exposure you'd have after tenting probably pales in comparison to what you ingest in a week breathing So Cal or Vegas-casino air. We all have what I think are good opinions here, but a wood and stucco home -- typical So Cal -- of that age that hasn't (?) been treated in ages/ever (?) … get the pros. Price seems about right for that market unless you are talking 400 s.f.!
I always wondered if a home was built without wood on the outside if the interior frame can still get termites. If not why are home even build with wood? It would just attract termites and frankly it is not that aesthetically appealing.
My house is built on a slab and I still got them. I live in a development that once upon a time was a swamp, therefore, pretty damp. Termites love damp. If you had x-ray vision, you would see earthen tunnels running up the sides of your foundation to get at the wood framing. Termites are clever little bastards and eternal vigilance is required to keep them at bay. Did not take Cal into account in regards to your estimate. I paid a grand for initial treatment and got a very good warranty plan from Terminix.
To the first, yes, of course. Exterior damage, the noticeable stuff, is often inconsequential to the stuff going on under the skin. Hence hiring experts to check it out. As for the material, woods been around longer than humans have been building structures. It's inexpensive, it's durable if given even just a modicum of care -- things like termite treatments as sporadic ongoing maintenance in climes that are termite-prone; it's just like paint and HVAC maintenance -- and it is easy to work with. Also, building codes often are beyond slow to adapt to changes in technology. The aesthetic thing is only an opinion. If you want durable, try rammed-earth or hay-bale construction.