TERMITE CONTROL: Answers for Homeowners Termites and termite management services can be confusing however, there are more options available today than ever before. Some of the most common termite questions raised by homeowners are answered below. Why worry about termites? Why are infestations often discovered during March - May? How will I know if my home is infested? Can I treat the house myself? How do I choose a termite control company? Why is there such variance in price? Which treatment methods and products are most effective? Does the entire house need to be treated -- or can they just treat areas where I see termites? How long will the treatment last? Will the chemicals harm my family or pets? Have I been "cheated" if termites continue to infest my house after treatment? Q: Why worry about termites? A: Termites cause billions of dollars in damage each year. They primarily feed on wood, but also damage paper, books, insulation, and even swimming pool liners and filtration systems. Termites can injure living trees and shrubs, but more often are a secondary invader of woody plants already in decline. While buildings may become infested at any time, termites are of particular importance when buying or selling a home since a termite inspection/infestation report is normally a condition of sale. Besides the monetary impact, thousands of winged termites emerging inside one's home are an emotionally trying experience not to mention the thought of termites silently feasting on one's largest investment.   Q: Why are infestations often discovered during March - May? A: Spring typically is when large numbers of winged termites, known as "swarmers," emerge inside homes. In nature, termites swarm to disperse and start new colonies. Triggered by warmer temperatures and rainfall, the winged termites emerge from the colony and fly into the air.   The swarmers then drop to the ground, shed their wings, pair off with a mate, and attempt to begin new colonies in the soil. Few swarmers emerging outdoors survive to start new colonies. Swarmers emerging indoors are incapable of eating wood, seldom survive, and are best removed with a vacuum. They do, however, indicate that an infestation is present.   Q: How will I know if my home is infested? A: Discovering winged termites indoors almost always indicates an infestation warranting treatment.   People often confuse winged termites with ants, which often swarm at the same time of year. Termites can be differentiated by their straight antennae, uniform waist and wings of equal size. (Ants have elbowed antennae, constricted waists and forewings that are longer than the hind wings.)   The swarmers are attracted to light and are often seen around windows and doors. Termite swarmers emerging from tree stumps, woodpiles, and other locations out in the yard are not necessarily cause for concern, and do not necessarily mean that the house is infested. On the other hand, if winged termites are seen emerging from the base of a foundation wall or adjoining porches and patios, there's a good chance the house is infested also and treatment may be warranted.   Other signs of infestation are earthen (mud) tubes extending over foundation walls, support piers, sill plates, floor joists, etc. The mud tubes are typically about the diameter of a pencil, but sometimes can be thicker.   Termites construct these tubes for shelter as they travel between their underground colonies and the structure. To help determine if an infestation is active, the tubes may be broken open and checked for the presence of small, creamy-white worker termites.   If a tube happens to be vacant, it does not necessarily mean that the infestation is inactive; termites often abandon sections of tube while foraging elsewhere in the structure.   Termite-damaged wood is usually hollowed out along the grain, with bits of dried mud or soil lining the feeding galleries. Wood damaged by moisture or other types of insects (e.g., carpenter ants) will not have this appearance. Occasionally termites bore tiny holes through plaster or drywall, accompanied by bits of soil around the margin. Rippled or sunken traces behind wall coverings can also be indicative of termites tunneling underneath.   Oftentimes there will be no visible indication that the home is infested. Termites are cryptic creatures and infestations can go undetected for years, hidden behind walls, floor coverings, insulation, and other obstructions. Termite feeding and damage can even progress undetected in wood that is exposed because the outer surface is usually left intact.     Confirmation of infestation often requires the keen eye of an experienced termite inspector. However, even the most experienced inspector can overlook infestation or damage which is hidden.   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.   Q: How do I choose a termite control company? Why is there such variance in price? A: These are complex questions. The company should be licensed by the Department of Agriculture or agency responsible for regulating termite control in the state. Membership in their state pest control association and/or National Pest Management Association suggest the company is an established firm with access to technical and training information needed to do the job correctly. As with any service company, references are invaluable. Consider calling at least 2-3 companies. Requesting inspections and estimates from more than one will help verify the existence of a termite problem and allow you to compare services. TERMITE BAITS : A GUIDE FOR HOMEOWNERS No structural pest causes more confusion than termites. Most homeowners have little knowledge of these troublesome insects, and what it takes to get rid of them. Our understanding of termites has progressed considerably in recent years.   New management tools have emerged, and a significant number of pest control firms are now using baits as an alternative form of treatment. This publication will help homeowners understand termite baits so that they can make a more informed purchasing decision.   TERMITES IN PERSPECTIVE Subterranean termites, live below ground in cooperative, intermingling groups known as colonies. Mature termite colonies tend to be decentralized entities occupying multiple nesting and feeding sites, interconnected by underground tunnels. The dimensions of a colony can be quite variable. Larger colonies can have hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals, occupying areas of up to half an acre. Smaller colonies may contain less than 10,000 individuals, with a foraging "footprint" no bigger than a bedroom. In some cases, larger but fewer colonies may be present; in others, individual colonies may be smaller and more numerous. In residential areas, the colony or colonies responsible for damage may actually be located in a neighbor's yard, rather than beneath the house that is infested.   Subterranean termites excavate narrow, meandering tunnels through soil, eventually encountering wood, their primary food. Decaying tree roots, logs, stumps, woodpiles, and plant debris afford a ready and abundant supply of food for the colony. In nature, termites are very beneficial since they aid in the decomposition of organic matter and the return of nutrients to the soil. Occasionally during their persistent foraging, termites encounter wood within buildings. Once a suitable feeding site is found, the workers establish an invisible odor trail to attract other termites to the structure.   Subterranean termite infestations can go undetected for years, hidden behind walls, floor coverings, and other obstructions. Over time, significant damage can result. The cryptic nature and tenacious foraging habits of these insects also pose a challenge to control efforts. Unlike other services such as plumbing or electrical work, termite control involves living creatures. Traditional treatments may fail at times, underscoring the need for other forms of management.   CONVENTIONAL "BARRIER" TREATMENT For years, the standard method of controlling subterranean termites was to apply a liquid pesticide, known as a termiticide, to the soil. The goal was to create a continuous chemical barrier around and under the building in order to block all potential routes of termite entry. Termites attempting to penetrate the treated soil were either killed or repelled. In actual practice, there are many obstacles to achieving such a barrier. Many potential termite entry points are hidden behind walls, floor coverings, and other obstructions. Even where access for treatment is possible, it is hard to uniformly wet soil and achieve thorough coverage. A typical "barrier" treatment may involve hundreds of gallons of pesticide injected into the ground alongside the foundation, beneath concrete slabs, and within foundation walls. Homeowners sometimes object to the drilling and disruption that such treatments often require.   ALTERNATIVE APPROACH: TERMITE BAITS Termite baiting employs a very different approach. With baits, small amounts of material are deployed like edible "smart missiles" to knock out populations of termites foraging in and around the structure. Foraging termites consume the bait and share it with their nestmates, resulting in a gradual decline in termite numbers. Some baits may even eradicate entire termite colonies. A comprehensive baiting program then seeks to maintain a termite-free condition on the customer's property through ongoing inspection, monitoring and re-baiting as needed.   Slow-acting baits (such as the Sentricon Colony Elimination System pictured above) can destroy large numbers of termites foraging in the vicinity of a structure. (illustration courtesy of Dow AgroSciences)   The baits consist of paper, cardboard, or other palatable food, combined with a slow-acting substance lethal to termites. The bait must be "tasty" enough that termites will readily consume it, even in the presence of competing tree roots, stumps, woodpiles and structural wood. If the bait kills too quickly, sick or dead termites may accumulate in the vicinity of the bait stations, increasing the chance of avoidance by other termites in the area. Delayed-action also enhances transmission of the lethal agent to other termites, including those that never fed on the bait. Entire colonies can be eliminated in this manner.   PATTERN OF USE Various methods of termite baiting are employed by pest control firms. Some baits are inserted below ground out in the yard, while others are installed inside the building in the vicinity of active termite mud tubes. Installation Below Ground   Most termite bait components (paper, cardboard, etc.) decompose rapidly under ground. Consequently, most installations initially utilize untreated wood in the stations. Once termites are detected in the wooden monitors, the bait material is added. Termites cannot see or smell the baits underground; they more or less wander into them during their persistent foraging activities. To increase the odds of discovery, the stations are installed at fixed intervals (typically 10 to 20 feet apart) around the entire outside perimeter of the building and in known or suspected areas of termite activity (e.g., around woodpiles, stumps, moist areas, and adjacent to previous termite damage)   Because subterranean termites feed at multiple locations within their foraging area, chances are good that one or more bait stations will eventually be found and fed upon. Termites may be found in below ground stations at sub-freezing temperatures, but their feeding activity and effects of the bait are greatly reduced. At times of the year when the ground is frozen, snow covered , or saturated, inspection of bait stations can often be curtailed until conditions once again become favorable for termite foraging and feeding.   The more bait stations installed, the better the chances of locating termites. Installing more stations increases the odds of encountering multiple colonies, or weakly associated "satellite nests" of the same colony -- any of which could be of potential risk to the structure. Planning, patience and persistence are requisites for successfully using below-ground termite baits.    Above-Ground Installation Baits can also be installed above ground, in known areas of termite activity. Typically, the stations are installed directly in the path of active termite tunnels after the mud tubes have been broken. Other times, they can be mounted directly over termite-infested wood, drywall, or other surfaces. Effects tend to be more rapid with above-ground baiting, since the procedure does not require waiting for termites to find the below-ground installations. They are normally used in conjunction with below ground baiting, rather than as a stand alone.     SENTRICON® This product/system has been the most extensively tested of those currently on the market. Consequently, it will be discussed in some detail. The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System was developed by Dow AgroSciences (Indianapolis, IN), and is sold only through authorized pest control firms. The bait contains a slow-acting ingredient which disrupts the normal growth process in termites (i.e., termites die while attempting to molt). Termite control with the Sentricon System ® entails a 3-step process: (1) initial monitoring to pinpoint termite activity, (2) delivery of the bait, and (3) subsequent monitoring to provide ongoing protection of the structure.   Step 1. Monitoring- Termites are detected by installing plastic monitoring stations around the perimeter of the building.     The station housing (pictured above) is a hollow green plastic cylinder, about 10 inches long by 2 inches wide, with slits along the sides for termites to enter. Initially, each station is provisioned with two untreated pieces of wood, intended as monitoring devices for the presence of termites in the area.   The station is inserted into an augured hole in the ground, with the cover flush with the soil surface. Monitoring stations are installed around the outside perimeter of the building, at about 10- to 20- foot intervals alongside the foundation. Narrower intervals, while more effort to install and inspect, increase the odds that termites will encounter them during foraging. Stations are typically installed about 12 to 18 inches from the foundation, to avoid soil that may have been treated earlier with a liquid termiticide. Patios, driveways, and other paved surfaces are not a problem unless soil access is prevented around the majority of the structure. Oftentimes, stations can be installed farther out from the foundation, in adjoining planter boxes, etc. When necessary, stations can also be installed under pavement.   As a supplement to installations along the foundation, additional stations are installed in suspected termite foraging areas, such as near pre-existing termite damage, stumps, woodpiles, or moist areas on the property. Periodically thereafter (monthly, bimonthly, etc.) the wood monitoring devices within each Sentricon station are inspected for termite presence.   Termites feeding on wood monitoring pieces   Step 2. Bait Delivery- When termites are found in a monitoring station, the untreated wood is replaced with a perforated plastic tube containing bait laced with a slow-acting termite growth inhibitor (noviflumuron).   To hasten the overall process, termites feeding on the wood pieces are carefully dislodged and placed within the Baitube. Eventually, these termites tunnel through and out of the perforated tube, reuniting with their nestmates in the soil. In doing so, they leave behind a colony-specifict scent that promotes recruitment of other nestmates to the bait. In order to promote additional "hits" (attacks) on stations, additional stations containing wood are installed near those receiving Baitubes.   Transferring termites to the baitube and reinsertion of baitube   Inspection of all Sentricon stations, with and without substituted bait tubes, continues until no more live termites are discovered. Empty, moldy or degraded baits are replaced and additional stations added as deemed necessary.   Step 3. Continued Monitoring- After termites are no longer found in installed Baitubes, the baits are once again replaced with untreated wood pieces and monitoring continues. Even if the termite colony threatening the structure has been eliminated, termites from neighboring colonies can reinvade the area. Reinfestation can also occur if only part of the original colony or colonies was eliminated. Consequently, structures protected with Sentricon (and all other bait products and systems) will need to be continually inspected, monitored and maintained to guard against reinvasion from new colonies or previously suppressed ones. Once the termite population has been eliminated, the pest control firm will continue to monitor at three- to four-month intervals for an indefinite period.   Independent research studies, indicate that the Sentricon® Colony Elimination System is an effective termite control option. Some of these studies involved structural that could not be controlled using conventional liquid methods. Despite Sentricon's demonstrated effectiveness, diligence and persistence are requisites for success ? as is true for any termite management program. In order to use Sentricon, companies must receive training and adhere to rigid quality assurance standards required by the manufacturer. Various enhancements have been added in recent years to facilitate performance and serviceability. Aboveground stations are available to hasten delivery of bait to termites evident within in the structure. Why the Sentricon System? Property protection through proven colony elimination The Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System has been documented to actually eliminate termite colonies by utilizing the biology and behavior of these pests to affect their demise. The Sentricon® System is protecting more than 1 million homes and commercial properties nationwide. Proven termite colony elimination has made the Sentricon®System the No. 1 brand in termite protection. Non-disruptive Your Authorized Operator can install and monitor the Sentricon® System exterior stations without even entering your home. With the Sentricon® System, no drilling in floors or foundations is required, and it results in limited disturbances to landscaping. Liquid chemical treatments involve digging a trench and treating the soil around and under homes with hundreds of gallons of diluted chemicals. Additional liquid chemical may be injected through floors, porches and patios. Environmentally responsible The Sentricon® System uses termite bait only when and where termites are present to eliminate the colony. With liquid chemical treatments, hundreds of gallons of diluted chemical may be necessary to treat around and underneath a home. The Sentricon® System was the first product registered under the Environmental Protection Agency's Reduced Risk Initiative and is the only termite treatment that has earned the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Sentricon and the Sentricon Design Logo are trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC. BAITS OR BARRIERS...WHICH IS BETTER? This is the most common question from homeowners trying to decide which form of treatment to purchase. The question is a difficult one with no simple answer. Factors to consider in the purchasing decision include: Are you opposed to having your floors and walls drilled, or furnishings moved? Homeowners considering a bait treatment are usually relieved to learn that their carpeting won't have to be rolled back, their floors extensively drilled, or furnishings moved, as is often the case with conventional liquid applications. The technician may not even need to come indoors to install or monitor the stations. Drilling noise, concrete dust, application hoses, and similar disturbances are avoided. Are you opposed to having pesticides applied in and around your home? Conventional liquid treatments utilize hundreds of gallons of termiticide, injected into the soil under and around the house. Health and environmental risks from such treatments are generally considered negligible, but some householders still are apprehensive. With baits, the amount of pesticide applied is minute and confined in tamper-resistant stations. Are there construction features that make it hard to treat with a liquid? Some buildings have wells, cisterns, nearby ponds or streams, plenums, sub-slab heating ducts, drainage systems, inaccessible crawl spaces, or other features that complicate treatment of soil with a liquid. With baits, such conditions aren't a problem and may be the only feasible form of treatment. Houses that were unsuccessfully treated with liquids also are candidates for baits, since they do not require gaining access to hidden or hard-to-reach areas.   In summary, termite baits are useful and effective tools for managing infestations. Regardless of which product/system is used, they will not work by simply hammering a few stations into the ground and walking away. Success will require thoughtful installation and diligent monitoring by an experienced technician, backed by a responsible pest control firm.