Dammit! Termites!!! Suggestions wanted

[Brad54]

So I noticed that the seal along the bottom of one of our basement walk-out doors is off and laying on the ground. Being the father of a 17 year old boy who has crammed the basement full of ATVs and mini-bikes, I naturally think he is somehow to blame.

I go to re-install the weather seal, only to find that there is no more bottom to the door! It's a metal faced exterior door, with wood around the edges and foam core.

The wood is COMPLETELY gone along the bottom, and up the side to the base of the hing. There looks to be a little loss starting on the door case opposite this area too.

I poked around a bit on the stack of studs in the wall that the door frame is attached to (unfinished basement) and they seem solid, but I'm going to poke harder, and maybe take a core-sample or two with a small drillbit... if wood comes out, I'm fine. If fluff comes out, I'm screwed.

There was a pile of dirt on the floor there, and I thought it was dirt from the kid leaving the door open all the time, or that it was dirt that had just accumulated. Turns out it's the dust and crumbs from the bugs.
I have not actually seen any of them, but wood doesn't just disappear.

So the plan is go mix up a batch of Pre-Core and HyKill and hose the area down inside and out. I'll also take off the siding along that area outside, and hose it down as well.

Then I'll have to rebuild the door and replace that section of door frame as well.

I've needed an excuse to get a table saw, so it's not all bad.

I'll have to check the rest of the wall too.

So other than the Pre-core/HyKill bath, anyone have any suggestions?

-Brad

 

[cbracer]

check out Bora Care or something like that. Boric Acid which is safe and effective on termites.

 

[Burtonrider10022]

Call an exterminator?


Can you bug-bomb for termites? I'd seriously research every method known to man (including voodoo or witchcraft) and do them all. Termites can do some serious, serious damage.

 

[DocRocket]

Yes, there are fumigant options for termites, however, when I used to see them in use in Florida, the house was "tented" in yellow plastic sheets, sealed together, and anchored to the ground--they stayed that way for several days to get the gas into every part of the structure. I don't know if there is a hours vs days option for this, but that was twenty years ago, so things could definitely have improved since then.
I agree though, everything you can do right now to chase the pests out and keep them gone--you could check into the Orkin/Terminex termite bait systems too, but they are preventative, not curative.

 

[ClickClickBoom]

Save your money from an exterminator, and buy some products from an online pest control company. IN many cases they are the same chemicals, but you just can't get them locally:

for example:
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/

Just do some research online, and you'll find the needed regiment.


Fun Fact: this product is the same active Ingredient that is Used in Frontline for fleas for your cats/dogs. You can buy this and then measure the dose. It's about 100 times cheaper.

Also popular for termites:http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/t...ign=cross_sell&utm_source=h&utm_medium=mybuys

I've ordered from this company before with no issues.

 

[Al Bundy]

Since you haven't seen them are you sure it's termites and not carpenter ants?

 

[rlitman]

Save your money from an exterminator, and buy some products from an online pest control company. . . Just do some research online, and you'll find the needed regiment.
Fun Fact: this product is the same active Ingredient that is Used in Frontline for fleas for your cats/dogs. You can buy this and then measure the dose. It's about 100 times cheaper. . .

That's what I would do too, but be aware that this is illegal.
Using a pesticide off-label is against the law. The label is LITERALLY the law.

That being said, you are talking about imidacloprid.
If you want that cheap, check this out (I have NO association with the seller):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/290822760061?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

The thing to understand, is that many seemingly different pesticides are the same chemical, with just different concentrations and preparations.
Adonis 75 WSP is nearly pure imidacloprid, so you're not paying for "inactive ingredients".

Oh, and you can hear the munching of termites in your walls with a stethoscope.
Hosing down the surface of affected wood, or even fumigating, will do little good unless the active ingredient makes it into the tunnels. You are better off removing the affected wood, and replacing it with pressure treated wood.

 

[ClickClickBoom]

Termidor is Fipronil

imidacloprid is another popular one, can't remember which Dog brand that translates to.


The thing to understand, is that many seemingly different pesticides are the same chemical, with just different concentrations and preparations.
-Yes very important to understand what your doing to get the same relative does.

For dogs/ cats do some research on the breeder forums, and you'll find the relative dosage instructions.

I also get my heartworm meds at TSC -meant for cattle. works just fine . . .

-Now, sorry for the detour, back to your termites-

 

[Angelfire]

I'm assuming subterranean termites?

We have them here bad. I went with the generic version of Bayer's Premise. Pre-treated under the slab and footings. Then I went with a generic version of bora-care and treated all the wood studs/plates/etc... As a maintenance, every 5 years with premise (they say 6-7 years but 5 is easier for me to manage!), whereas with Termidor you'll get around 9-10 years or so they claim. Anyway, maintenance is digging a shallow trench around the house and filling with the premise. Fill in the trench and plan to do it again in a few years.

Premise and Termidor (there's also Phantom and I'm sure others), work on a principal of being odorless and slow acting to termites. The idea is the workers come into contact with it and take it back to the colony where the entire colony is destroyed. I can't tell you personally how effective it is as I just put the stuff down this summer but I'll be keeping any eye on it.

Oh, and as mentioned above, shop around. The chems are now generic and relatively cheap compared to their name brand counterparts. And it's really not hard to do. If you have locations that need to be pressure treated, I can't help you with that.

 

[SGKent]

there are many kinds of termites and the treatment depends on what kind they are. Some live in the ground and some in dry wood. The most recent arrival are the Formosan termites which are extremely hardy and aggressive aka the "Super Termite". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formosan_subterranean_termite

There are also beetles and ants that eat wood, and dry rot also. My suggestion is to get at least 3 bids from local companies to see what you might have then decide to treat yourself or not. Do not let the guys bidding out of your site as some of the ruthless ones have been known to bring their own termites in a vial so they are guaranteed to find them. We had termites in one corner of the house. I must have treated 5 times with the proper chemicals, dug trenches etc but every few years they were back. This last time we treated with a termite company who drilled holes in the floor and put down a special chemical - they have been gone now for a long time. From what I understand, the actual colony can be hundreds of feet way so unless you have a chemical that kills all of them in the colony, they just find a different spot of the house to chew on if you treat one part. The chemical named by several others here is one that can be carried back into the colony if placed properly.

 

[jchetty]

Since you haven't seen them are you sure it's termites and not carpenter ants?

 

[skyking]

Blame it on your Kid !!

I would use a pro with a guarantee .

 

[cowboy73]

I would just buy a new door. An all steel door. I would also consider a pro for the bug killing the first time. You could diy pest control afterwards to keep them at bay.

 

[Tanshanomi]

Termites are terrible in our area (suburban Kansas City). Our house has been damaged by termites at least four separate times since it was built in 1957. About eight years ago, I'd had enough and signed up with the local exterminator for Dow Sentricon bait traps and monitoring service. For $250/year, they come out quarterly and check the 20+ traps around our property, baiting them as necessary. They checked the bait traps monthly at first, and it took about six months to knock out two huge underground colonies. Once things were clean, they switched to quarterly monitoring, and we get hits about every 1-2 years since.

There are lots of do-it-yourself options, but two things convinced me to go with the pros: 1) the price is fixed for as long as we keep the contract in force, and 2) it comes with a damage warranty. For as long as we maintain the service, they'll pay for any termite damage to our home. That's basically termite insurance for $250/yr. That's a heck of a deal, with some bait traps thrown in for good measure.

 

[Trey T]

Unfortunate for me, I recently found termite in a neglected side garage door. If studs have to be chopped and replace, that'll be fun for me.

Just endless projects for me...

 

[heavydutyOEX]

I have been a termite technician for five years and it sounds like you may have a moisture issue around your door. It's not uncommon for wet, damp door frames to become infested. It also sounds like it may be old damage. Usually if the dirt has all fell out from around the bottom of a door frame and you can see a cavity they have come and gone. Pry around with a screwdriver and if you see anything moving it's active. I would call a pro and insist on someone who only uses Termidor. Every other chemical is junk.