Economy Pest Control serves the Greater Boston area with high-quality termite and pest control.

Termite Treatment Options

Okay, so you've got termites. Now what?

The first step in obtaining long-lasting control of termites is to take steps to eliminate conducive conditions wherever possible. These steps may include any or all of the following:

Fixing leaky downspouts or hose taps, correcting inverse ground slopes around the house, and otherwise eliminating sources of excess water in and around the structure.
Installing vents to adequately ventilate crawl spaces and similar areas.
Removing wooden debris (such as old form boards) from the exterior of the house, and from interior crawl spaces.
Eliminating wood-to-soil contact wherever possible (for example, by removing the bottom run or two of wooden clapboard siding where it touches the soil).

Chemical Treatment

Once you've done what you can to reduce conducive conditions, a chemical treatment will be necessary to deal with the existing termite infestation. Until the early 1980's, this meant using chlordane (or something very much like it). Chlordane belonged to a group of chemicals called organochlorines, which also included DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, lindane, methoxychlor, and a few others.

Chlordane was applied as a "chemical barrier" around and under buildings, and it was highly effective. Even today, many buildings that were treated for termites with chlordane 30, 40, and even 50 years ago remain termite-free.

Getting the chemical where it had to be was quite an involved operation and required special tools, including powerful electric or gas-powered drills that could penetrate a foot or more of concrete, power pumps and tank, and a wide variety of rods, nozzles, and injectors to actually disperse the liquid. A complete, unbroken barrier was essential to effective control.

Between the 1960's and the early 1980's, the organochlorines were progressively banned in the United States. Chlordane, one of the last survivors, was removed from the market in the United States in 1988.

The loss of chlordane began a scramble for effective replacements, and a flood of new products were introduced. Many simply didn't work. Others were banned for suspected health and safety reasons. Many pest control companies wearied of the confusion, the frustration, and the lack of a dependable replacement for chlordane, and simply left the termite business. Those who stayed in the business were forced to raise their prices dramatically to cover higher chemical costs and the increased frequency of warranty retreats.

Current Treatment Options for Termites

The past decade has seen considerable progress in the area of termite treatment. There are currently four major options for termite control available. Each has its adherents, its advantages, and its disadvantages. Please click the links below for brief discussions on each method.

Wood Treatments
Chemical Barrier treatments
Termite Baiting (For a comparison between baiting and Termidor, click here.)
Termidor

Can't I do it myself?

The control of termites is one of the most complicated and challenging jobs in pest control. It requires specialized knowledge of termite biology, building construction, and government regulations.

Special care must be taken to avoid contaminating living areas, heating and air-conditioning systems, and water sources. Furthermore, effective termite control requires tools and materials that are unavailable and unfamiliar to non-exterminators.

Remember, this is your family, your home, your investment that we are talking about. Is saving a few hundred bucks worth the risk you will be taking?

We didn't think so. For a professional inspection and treatment recommendations in the Greater Boston area, contact Economy Pest Control.

Termite Biology | Termite Damage | Termite Control