Got Termites?

I do, unfortunately, which leaves me with the unfortunate task of determining the best solution for killing these little bastards where they live…RIGHT THE HECK NOW!

We contacted a local pest control company who gave us a quote for a popular name brand baiting system. The quote was for localized treatment in the area where the termites were found and perimeter baiting stations around my house. That is what $1200 bucks buys me.

The idea is that the termites will somehow find the baiting stations and start eating the wood in the baiting system. Then, periodically, the exterminator checks the bait station for termites. If found, they are treated with poison and let go. Then, hopefully, they will take this poison back to the colony for distribution.

That seems like a nice idea, for protection, or as an ancillary approach for treatment. However, the idea that the bait method will get rid of the termites in my home now seems far fetched.

1. With this approach, we are only going to treat the area where we know for sure there are termites. What about the other areas in the house that might be infested but we can’t see them?
2. If the termites are in my house now. Why would they leave an abundant food source to check out sticks in the ground?

It didn’t make much sense to me so I did a little research on the intertubes and found a whole host of info that seems to validate my skepticism. Including a open letter by an exterminator in Oklahoma City, Harold Scheer.

Harold’s qualifications seem to speak for themselves

• Continuous professional experience in termite control business since 1976.
• Personally inspected over 50,000 homes in the metropolitan Oklahoma City area.
• Recipient of the Governor's Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service to the State of Oklahoma.

… and so on

Here is what he has to say about baiting systems.

I have read the data and the labels for all the termite bait stations. I have read the instructions. I have studied the purported results. I have seen the instructional videos. I have physically inspected some of the stations that have been installed around homes in metro Oklahoma City. I’m not impressed! Nearly every bait station I have checked is either full of water or full of ants.
...
• If the weather is too hot, they won’t work!
• If the weather is too cold, they don’t work!
• If the soil is too dry, they don’t work!
• If the soil is too wet, they don’t work!
• If every termite in the colony doesn’t eat it, they don’t work!
• Or, if the termites have an alternative food source (such as your house), they don’t work!!!
...
Termites are social insects, work as a team, and must construct above-ground earthen tunnels to reach the wood in your home. The building of these tubes or tunnels is a tedious, time-consuming process by an insect only a quarter of an inch long. To think that the colony would wake up one morning and decide to leave the studs in your wall and construct a new tunnel system to get to an outdoor stick in the ground is beyond comprehension to me. In thirty years, I have never seen termites leave a food source voluntarily!

I did a little more research and found a product called Termidor. It looked like it might be a good product. Read the following paragraph from this site which compares baiting to Termidor.

Termidor is so effective that a major pest control industry magazine recently speculated that its increasing use could eventually reduce overall pest control company revenues. This is because treating one house often eliminates the termite infestations in neighboring houses.

Sounds promising. Since I cant possibly do business with Mr. Scheer, I called Harold for his opinion regarding the two methods. I told him that I lived in Tulsa, and wanted his honest opinion. Here is what he said, “These baiting systems represent the largest organized scam of our time…in my opinion. Baiting don’t work…Termidor does. “

Well Harold, you convinced me. I’ve called two local pest control companies in Tulsa that use Termidor, and they will give me quotes tomorrow. Pray that it works. I want these termites dead!

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