How to Get Rid of Ground Termites

Ground or subterranean termites cause more damage that any other type of termite in the US. There are ways to check for infestations of ground termites and things you can do to control termites and prevent the damages these bugs can cause.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. 
   Termite tubes John Conrad

   Learn what ground termites are, their habits and signs of their presence. Ground termites or subterranean termites are the most common type in the US. and can cause major damage to your house. These insects live in the soil, feeding on rotten wood they find there. They build mud tubes to travel through to get to food sources above ground such as in your house. These mud tubes are often the first sign that people see showing them that termites are present and damage is being done. There are other types of termites that do not use mud tubes or have to nest in the ground. If you want to find out about the other types of termites check out my article How to kill flying termites, http://forms.ehow.com/contribute.aspx?P=10&id=4785530, that also explains the termite life cycle.
   Termite inspections of your house are needed on a regular basis to check for signs of termite infestations. Look for the mud tubes along the foundation, under the crawl space, behind vinyl siding, and along basement walls. If you see tubes especially on upper story interior walls you can be sure that you have termite damage. Don't remove the tubes until after treating for the pests because you will want to check for activity in them afterwards to see if the treatment worked.

2. 
   Termite Soldier USDA

   Contact professional exterminators for the best results. There are three main ways to treat for subterranean termites and I need to say right up front that it is best to get licensed exterminators to do the job once you are sure you have termites. They know which chemicals are the best to use, how to safely use them, and they can guarantee their work for a year or more. If you are going to DIY then please get in touch with a professional for advice on what will work and is safe and legal to use in your area. The three main termite control methods are, soil treatments, surface sprays, and injectable foams and sprays.

3. Treat the soil around and under your house. Since ground termites enter your house through the soil, treating the soil around your house so it acts as a barrier or poison to them is the most commonly used method of control. Not only will this prevent future infestations but any subterranean termites already active in your house will also be killed because they will die if they cannot go back into the ground to nest. This method involves digging a trench that is some 4 to 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide around the foundation and any entering pipes or conduits. The soil down to the foundation base or footing is saturated with a termiticide or termite poison. The removed soil is simply piled nest to the trench to refill it later and this soil is drenched with the chemical also. If you have crawl space then the trenching is also necessary under the house along the inside of the foundation wall as well. You have to be sure the treatment is complete for any gaps in the soil saturation will give the termites a place to enter. There are many products on the market for soil treatment such as DemonTC/CyperTC, Prevail, Tribute, Dragnet FT, Permethrin Pro, Prelude, Dominon 2L, Premise and Phantom. The last three products are some of the newest and are considered some of the safest. Because these are non repellents, the termites do not recognize them as deadly and will go right through them, picking them up and carrying them back to the nest to kill the whole colony. The other repellent type products act as a barrier to the pests but do not kill the whole colony, so with them the termites will still be there to search for a hole in your defenses on a continuing basis.

4. Treat the wood structure of your house. Surface sprays that are used to treat the wood are a secondary barrier for ground termites. You want something that is going to penetrate the wood and give a long lasting residual effect. Some products used for this include: Borid, Invader HPX, Tempo 2, Suspend, Bora-Care, Timbor, Flee, Borrada D and Saga WP. The Boron based products have long been known as excellent pest control products that will protect wood for the life of the structure. These products are mixed up and sprayed on to untreated wood to kill any insects that are present and to keep them from attacking that wood in the future. By spraying any wood around the base of your house with a Boron based product it has been shown that ground termites will not build tubes across this treated wood. Again this is a secondary method of defense with soil treatment being the most important for ground termites.
   Injectable sprays and foams are used in cases where the soil cannot be easily treated such as under foundation slabs, within hollow block supports, under flooring where the crawl space is not accessible, and behind masonry walls. Holes are drilled through the concrete or other surface materials using special tools. These are spaced about a foot apart and the foam or spray is injected under pressure to fill or saturate the void. The holes are then stopped up and repaired. This is not a DIY job. You can also have soil treatments injected using a spray rod to penetrate the soil and spraying the chemical under pressure around the foundation of the house. This type of treatment is spotty at best and should not be considered as a replacement for trenching.

5. Use bait systems to wipe out colonys. One other method of termite prevention is the use of bait stations around the perimeter of the house. Some available products of this type are: Advance, Firstline, Hex Pro, Sentricon, and Exterra. These systems use in the ground bait holding units that are kept stocked with a food supply to attract any foraging termites in the area. These baits are checked periodically for insect activity and if termites are present then the bait is changed out with a poisoned bait. The foragers will feed on the poison and take it back to the colony where all the termites including the queen will be killed. You can put in system like this easily yourself, but you have to check the stations regularly and keep them supplied with the poison chemical baits when necessary. If you practice good termite control methods than you can save money by not having to repair termite damage later.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch for signs of termites such as swarming and the presence of shed wings and droppings.
• Check for termites in other possible food areas on your property such as wood piles, old stumps, and other buildings.
• Moisture is a big draw for termites, check for any sources such as roof leaks, leaky faucets, and bad drainage.
• Read and understand all labels on any chemical products you use.
• Wear protective gear and clothing when necessary.
• If you hire professionals be sure they are licensed.

[ruf1950]

on 5/27/2009 Excellent article on how to treat for subterranean or ground termites. 5***** and a recommend.