Post Construction Anti Termite Treatment

It's best to treat for termites as a home is being built.

Termites, also called white ants, are small, tan or white insects most closely related to cockroaches. They consume wood and other cellulose and usually live underground in large colonies. These creatures cause significant damage to human structures every year. Treating a building for termites as it is built is the most effective method, but not everyone can do this. Sometimes it's necessary to apply an anti-termite treatment after construction.

Drilling

In most cases, it will be necessary to treat under the house. In existing structures, this means drilling holes one and a half to two feet apart along the junction of the wall and floor of the lowest room in the house. Pressurized termiticide is injected into these holes and into the soil below them. This creates a barrier against termites and keeps them out of the house.

Woodwork

In heavily infested homes, the pest control company also needs to treat the woodwork. This involves drilling holes in door frames, window frames, and all immovable wooden objects adjoining the floor. These are also injected with termiticide. An oil-based anti-termite chemical may also be sprayed on infested wooden objects.

Tubes

Subterranean termites burrow through the ground and travel through mud tubes where they cannot burrow. Spraying and destruction of termite tubes prevents these creatures from safely reaching the house. Homeowners or pest control companies should destroy these tubes whenever they encounter them.

External Treatment

The outside of the structure also requires treatment. This involves digging trenches or drilling holes in the surrounding ground to a depth of about a foot. These trenches or holes are filled with termite-killing and termite-repellent chemicals, then sealed. This creates a poisonous barrier around the house itself, and keeps termites out.

Considerations

Treating an existing home is ineffective if homeowners do not take steps to prevent infestation. This means shifting furniture to a position about two feet from the wall to make drilling easier, and keeping deadwood, shrubs and other cellulose away from the home. It's also important to keep children and pets away from treated areas, as termiticides can make people and other animals sick.

References

• Pepsop Pest Control Services: Termite Control Services
• University of Kentucky: Termite Control