Home Gardening

The truth about termites
The Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - July 6, 2002

Termites often evoke a since of fear in homeowners. It is of utmost importance to be as educated as possible about the kinds of termite species and their habits. Although I cannot possibly cover everything there is to know about termites, I want to provide you with a brief overview of their control.

Termite treatments can be complicated; therefore, most treatments can be applied more easily by a professional service. One of the reasons that it is hard for individuals to treat for termites is that they lack the equipment that is necessary to adequately treat the building.

For example, if one wants to treat using a liquid termiticide, the first thing that must be done is to trench the outside perimeter of a slab house. The trench needs to be at least 4 inches wide by 4 inches deep and some labels call for the trench to be six by six.

The next step is to mix the product, and the label on these products requires that it be applied at the rate of four gallons of mixed solution per ten linear feet. A building measuring 50 by 40 feet has 180 linear feet and will require 72 gallons just to treat the outside perimeter. This can be done, but a tremendous amount of work is in store for the homeowner.

Other treatment areas are involved depending on the type of foundation, which can further complicate the process. However, some homeowners still want to try and want to know which product to use. Container concentrations of homeowner products are often considerably lower than those available to the pest control trade. This requires more of the product per gallon, which increases the cost.

Two active ingredients that are available for termite control are permethrin and beta-cyfluthrin. The beta-cyfluthrin is sold under the name Bayer Advanced Home Carpenter Ant and Termite Killer Plus and it contains 2.5 percent beta-cyflthrin. Permethrin is sold under various trade names and concentrations may range from 2.5 percent to 10 percent. Both materials have termites listed on the label, and they can be used for post-construction termite infestations.

As one can see, effectively treating termite infestations can be quite a tedious task. For this reason, treatments are best left to pest control companies.

Here are a few pointers to consider before choosing a company to treat your home for termites:

I cannot emphasize enough to homeowners the need for making well educated and informed decisions about treatment options for termite infestations. Remember, Extension publication 531 is a must for any homeowner with questions about termites.

These archived gardening columns were written by Chance McDavid, former Harrison County Extension Agent.