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Home › Articles › Grandparent Home and Garden › The Trouble With Termites

The Trouble With Termites

The Insect With an Appetite for Your Home

By Lisa Marie Metzler

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, a non-profit organization to educate consumers about termite infestation.

Termite Calling Cards
Although it is difficult for most homeowners to suspect they have termites, there are a few calling cards termites leave. According to Timothy Wise, co-owner of Appalachian Pest Control in Huntington, W.Va., most homeowners will realize they have a termite problem when they notice a swarm in the spring. "This is when termites are mating and they swarm out to find a mate," says Wise. "They drop their wings and try to get back to the soil to start new colonies."

Other signs, according to Wise, are the existence of termite mud tubes (termite trails), exit holes in the drywall, soft baseboards or window molding. Shower tiles falling off, windows not closing properly and wallpaper with bubbles are all signs that termites are possibly inside the walls and have already damaged your home. You should consult a licensed pest management professional to verify these problems are termite related.

Good Riddance
To extinguish the termite, one has to know how the termite lives. Termites groom, feed and touch each other constantly. Products used to kill termites rely on the chemical being passed mouth-to-mouth or simply by the transfer method.

Bait monitoring methods rely on the termite passing the chemical by mouth. The bait system is installed around the property. Small traps are inserted into the ground that contain a small piece of cellulose. Once a professional confirms termite activity, they use a termiticide. The termite then takes the termiticide back to the colony and transfers it by feeding. Bait monitoring requires patience and isn't always effective. Usually repeated treatment is required.

New technology is fighting back and product manufacturers such as Phantom, Premise and Termidor have created "undetectable liquids," which are applied around the home. Termites pass through the protective circle without feeling, smelling or tasting the liquid. "With Termidor, pests forage freely in the protective ring around the treated structure and unknowingly pass the termiticide onto the rest of the colony through feeding, grooming or mere contact," says Kisner. This "transfer effect," says Kisner, is how Termidor can eliminate 100 percent of termite populations within three months, including the Formosan variety.

What is wonderful about this new technology is that the need for repeated monthly treatments is no longer necessary. "Field trials with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service show that Termidor has controlled 100 percent of subterranean termites for over eight years," says Kisner. However, Kisner recommends follow-up inspections by pest management professionals be conducted annually. Visit www.TermidorHome.com

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