Termite Proofing??

[vGolfer]

We've just had our sub-floor rebuilt. Most of the wood was OK - Bearers were intact - some of the joists had a bit of rot, but it's a very old double brick Victorian so you'd expect that. There were no signs of termites...not that we could see anyway. We used F17 to rebuild the sub-floor.

I had a guy come around today to quote on using some chemical to treat the ground around the house for Termites. Apparently it's supposed to kill them - not repel them. They come in, get this stuff all over themselves and then take it back to their colony where they spread it around and effectively kill each other!

He quoted $900 just for the internals. An extra $700 for the external. $1600 all up!

Of course he said he found evidence of termites in the kitchen area where there was a bit of rotted wood still there. I told him that the area was very damp from a leaking sink and fridge and I thought the rotted wood was just because of this dampness. "No...it's termites" he said.

Anyway, $1600 seems like a lot of money for treating the soil with a chemical. I mean, how long can this chemical last in the soil before it breaks down anyway. And how can they treat every single part of the ground.

Are there any other ways of preventing termites or do you guys think it's money well spent? Just seems like a lot.

Cheers

[Gumby]

Maybe get another quote but definitely do something. I am currently having a couple of units built and the council require either physical or chemical barriers. We are going for the chemical treatment.

I had a house years ago which got infested. It's not pretty and cost about $1500 to treat. (About 10 years back). We live in a country where these little buggers are rampant and they travel 100's of meters underground from the nest. They love dark, damp places so make sure your ventilation is good and lots of light is better. That isn't possible under most homes so just get it treated and check every 6 months or so. If you don't think they're around, stick a bit of oregon in the garden and dig it up in about 6 weeks - they'll be there. :eek:

[vGolfer]

I just have my doubts that a chemical treatment would be that effective in the soil. I may be wrong, but it just seems hard to believe.

[Trav]

My house had termite problems some years ago (beforeI bought it) They had the soil treated and we haven't seen any further problems. The neighbours though... :eek:

Trav

[silentC]

You can't kill all the termites. I don't like the idea of spraying chemicals, as you say they wear out eventually and I think it's a bit dodgey environmentally. Plus if you talk to a termite guy they'll tell you that all the stuff that really works has been banned. I reckon the best approach is a physical barrier to keep them out. There's heaps of products out there now such as termimesh, granite guard, etc. The idea is to block their access. Let them come but don't let them in the house. Let them go and eat your neighbour's house. You can't kill all the termites.

[Trav]

good point silent. The termite guy I spoke to last time said that they had some kind of device that they bury that attracts the termites and kills them. Not sure why you would want to attract the termites in the first place, but I guess if they stay away from your house, it is a good thing.

Perhaps you could go over to your neighbour's house and bury a whole stack of oregon and tasty hardwoods so that the termites are tempted to go to their place rather than yours! :eek:

Trav

[silentC]

A couple of years ago I had 10 or so bait stations put in (Sentricon I think). They're just a PVC tube that goes in the ground. They put timber offcuts in and the guy would come and check them every few weeks. When he sees evidence of tracking in the timber offcuts, he removes the offcut and replaces it with a bait. The termites take bits of it back to the nest and ultimately it kills the nest.

We put these in because the house is very old and not worth spending money trying to fix all the problems. The bait stations were just an attempt to slow the little buggers down. Prior to this he'd found two nests in trees on our property which he destroyed. The buggers were still coming, so obviously there were more nests around. The thing is the nest could be in your neighbour's yard or up the street. They can travel hundreds of metres from the nest.

We've since sold the house and are renting it now. The new owners didn't want to pay for the bait stations ($80 per bait), so now there's nothing between us and the house eaters. Just have to get the new house built before this one falls down :eek:

[ausdesign]

a couple of points for interest -

the chemical that used to be sprayed under slabs, around stumps etc was most commonly an organochlorine base, now banned & replaced with organophosphate chemicals. From memory, depending on soil type and not being disturbed, the original chemical used to be effective for around 10 years. The new types less than 5.
Ask a chemical mob how long their guarantee is & many used to be quoting 12 months - this may have changed.

'Bait boxes' are generally used to source termite activity & then (used to be arsenic) powder put in the boxes. Termites are fastidious groomers of one another so the poison is taken back to the nest & spread around. Depending on the amount of poison vs termites, they can be totally eradicated.

Termites enjoy moisture so a situation with a leaking pipe, open downpipe etc wetting the soil is asking for trouble even to the extent where they may set up a secondary nest under your house if the conditions are right.

[Grunt]

You can get rid of termites by making sure that the company that they work for goes under so they don't have internet access. At least it worked for out Termite.

[Termite]

You can get rid of termites by making sure that the company that they work for goes under so they don't have internet access. At least it worked for out Termite.

Sorry Grunt I'm baaaakk!My new modem arrived today so I just had to connect and get my forum fix, I was starting to tremble.

Oh by the way, the best way to keep termites away is bribery

[Grunt]

Damn, we'll have to think of something else.

[Marc]

$1600 is a reasonable price fo a chemical barrier.

However, do not settle just for any chemical barrier, ask the treatment do be done with Termidor.
http://www.termite.com/termidor.html

Thermidor is "fipronil" and that is the same stuff you put on your dog or cat to kill the fleas, (Frontline, advantage etc) only for termintes is used in a more diluted solution, so no danger for you childrens or the environemt.
The same cannot be said for any of the other "safe" products, be it phiretrines of insectizide. Repellants do not work because they do not eliminate the problem and the problem is the nest located in that neighbours property, yes that one that is a greeny and thinks it is cool to keep them as pets.

[vGolfer]

Apparently there is also some treatment that can be 'painted' onto the bearers and joists. It apparently repels termites. I think it's called Boracol?

Anyone know of its effectiveness?

[Eastie]

A chemical barrier is generally well worth considering - shop around until you're happy with the contractors assessment and quote.

You can make your own bait stations out of the following (I've seen these used for years around sheds and a couple of cattle yards with good success and I've put a couple in at home):

• untreated framing pine (90x45 or other "untreated" framing sizes are fine - about 200 - 250 mm long),
• clear perspex (cut to the size of the end profile of the timber - e.g. 90x45 mm),
• glue to stick the perspex to the pine,
• one screw, and
• a piece of flat sheet metal (cut to match the end profile of the timber).

Method: in the end grain of the timber, drill a two or three 20-25 mm diameter holes most of the way through - do not drill right through from end to end. Apply glue to the end with the holes and clamp on the perspex, covering the holes over. Try not to spread glue over the perspex as you'll cloud over the holes. Once the glue is dry ( you should be able to see into the holes) drill a hole through the perspex (& sheet metal) into the pine - preferably close to one of the corners away from the larger holes. Screw down the sheet metal over the top, so as it cuts the light from travelling through the perspex and into the holes. Dig a hole, bury it to the top and check it every month by sliding the tin to one side. It's easy to see if termites are in the bait - you'll either see termites, or if they have been at work they will have covered the perspex lens over with mud to cut out the little bit of light that gets through. You can make the bait more attractive by soaking it in disolved fertiliser for a couple of minutes before buring it (reportedly works best with high nitrate fertilisers). As the perspex cut air movement into the bait, opening the sheet metal won't disturb them (if disturbed they'll leave) - just don't leave the lid off too long. If there are signs of termites get in a termite eradicator to treat the bait - treatment costs about $80 (they drill into the bait and dust it).

Baits are typically put every 5-10 meters, especially in between the house and any liekly termite sources (dead stumps/trees, etc). Something not to forget is that baits only offer increased detection - they offer no protection!

For existing houses, a chemical barrier is a good investment compared to the cost of repairs or rebuilding (most insurance companies don't cover termite damage).

[vGolfer]

Thanks for all the tips guys.

Does anyone know what effect painting a thing film of Boracol over F17 subflooring would have on the actual timber? It's not goint to swell the timber up is it, making my subfloor more suceptible to movement and squeaky floorboards?

Thanks again.