Termite control

Pre-Construction Termite Treatment

Soil Treatment

To pretreat new construction for Subterranean Termites, a liquid treatment that provides a continuous chemical barrier around the foundation is applied to the soil. For slab construction (including foundations, patios, and garages), the entire soil surface of the new construction is treated before the vapor barrier is installed by the construction crew and the cement is poured over it.

This treatment prior to the cement is the first phase. A full soil treatment is done in stages, with the final phase of the application completed after the house is finished being built and the landscaping is done (Post-Construction Treatment).

Wood Pretreatment

Treating the wood in a newly constructed home is another method of pretreatment available when building a new home. Key construction wood, such as the 2 x 4s framing the house, can be treated with a borate product. The wood is pretreated before the siding and sheetrock is installed. According the product manufacturers’ data, termites will not feed on borate-treated wood nor will they build shelter tubes over it. Borate products are nontoxic with the active ingredient a borate mineral salt.

With a borate only pretreatment there is a possibility that termites may eventually enter a slab home through an expansion joint and attack nearby untreated wood, such as baseboard molding. Also, treating the wood only does not stop termites from building mud tubes on the foundation wall. If there is a mud tube on a foundation wall, it is an indication of termite activity whether or not there are termites in the mud tube or the wood. If the home is being sold, the WDI Report (“termite inspection”) will report that the building may be infested even if the wood was pretreated.

Our Recommendation

At Bricker Pest Control, we view Wood Pretreatment as an additional service that is beneficial for keeping pests from intruding into the wood of the home, but it does not protect the area around and outside of the house from termite infestations.

New Home Owners

If you are building a house, we recommend you discuss pretreatment with your contractor to ensure your new home will be protected. We work with builders throughout the area to provide new home owners the pest protection they need. Contact us for more information.

Termite Baiting System

The research on termites has advanced considerably in recent years. The conventional method for controlling Subterranean Termites for many years has been to apply a “barrier” by way of liquid treatment. Termites who attempt to penetrate the treated soil are repelled and/or killed.
However, in recent years, termite bait stations have been developed to actually reduce termite populations in and around the structure. Most commonly, bait stations are inserted in the ground around the structure at regular intervals. The stations contain a “bait” desirable to the termites, and they are then monitored by the pest control professional. When termites are found in a device, the bait is replaced with a slow acting product that is lethal to the termite.

Some benefits of a baiting system are that it is minimally invasive to the homeowner’s property—no drilling is required through the slab or other areas. Also, some homes have tricky situations where certain locations are inaccessible so a complete “barrier” cannot be made with a conventional liquid treatment.

However, a baiting system does take longer to “eliminate” the termites (so is not always best to use when dealing with real estate transactions), and it does require continuous & regular “monitoring” of the bait stations—requiring multiple visits per year with an annual renewal fee that is typically higher than a typical liquid treatment.