Termites

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Termite chemicals need proper equipment in order to deliver an even distribution in the soil. Proper calibration and understanding structural features is critical as well. Improper choice of chemicals or mixture could become repellant, causing pushing them into other parts of the home not currently active, taking years before you realize the failure. You would be far better delaying treatment than performing an irreversible improper treatment

A pest control company cannot provide a quote over the phone. A company must physically inspect and measure the area before issuing a written quote. 

The Structural Pest Control Service licenses and regulates applicators who inspect and control termites and other wood-destroying organisms.  

When an estimate or proposal for termite treatment is submitted to a consumer, the pest control company must provide the following written disclosure information:

• a detailed diagram showing the areas to be treated, approximate perimeter measurement of the structure, and areas of active or previous termite activity;
• terms of the warranty or guarantee;
• chemical label; and
• the concentration of any liquid termiticide application to be used or the minimum number of baiting systems installed.

Treatment specifications, warranties and guarantees can vary widely. The consumer is advised to review all this information and the pesticide label for explanations of the proposed treatment and compare this with any other proposal or estimate they may receive.

https://texasagriculture.gov/Regulatory-Programs/Pesticides/Structural-Pest-Control-Service/Termite-Fumigation-Applications

There are two types of termite services: a liquid barrier treatment and an in-ground bait station treatment.

Liquid termite treatment is a method that involves applying a liquid pesticide, known as a termiticide, around and beneath a structure to establish a protective barrier against termites. This barrier is designed to be imperceptible to termites, preventing them from avoiding the treated areas. When termites come into contact with this barrier, they ingest the termiticide and disseminate it throughout their colony, ultimately leading to the collapse of the entire colony. 

There are two types of termite in-ground bait stations: Trelona ATBS, which we resell, and Sentricon, which most national companies lease to you. There are no differences in how these stations work. They both provide an insect growth regulator and prevent termites from molting. Termites find these stations because they are constantly foraging for food and cannot detect them. 

Since you will own the stations we install, any pest control company can service them. However, only companies licensed with Sentricon can service those stations. 

A service agreement renewal protects your home in case termites get through the barrier.

Trelona ATBS Annual Bait Stations establish a protective barrier around the home, deterring termites while intercepting them during their natural foraging activities. Termites share a lethal dose of the active ingredient within the bait with other termites in the colony, leading to its elimination and long-term protection. 

Upon discovering a Trelona ATBS station, termites consume the bait and recruit other termites to the bait, ensuring its widespread distribution throughout the termite population. Novaluron, the potent active ingredient in Trelona bait, disrupts the termites’ vital process of molting. 

Upon installation, the homeowner will retain ownership of the stations, as they are not subject to a lease agreement.

Agricultural termites are subterranean termites that exhibit a preference for consuming live or deceased grasses and weeds, as opposed to the wood that other termite species consume. 

Occasionally, these termites may construct a mud tube on your fence. While they do not consume the fence itself, they can remove the stain that may be present, they can also build mud tube on top of the ground. It is worth noting that we have observed instances where a company may misidentify these termites as wood-eating termites and subsequently upsell a termite treatment. 

Consumers should be sure they are getting - and businesses must provide - an inspection report that reports the visible presence or absence of termites and other wood destroying inspections in conjunction with a real estate transaction.  The official report will have form number SPCS/T5.  All inspections reports for real estate transactions must be on this form 

There are two types of Termite pre-treatments. One treatment is to the soil and the other is to the wood.

Termite soil pretreatment is a preventative chemical treatment of the soil prior to the pouring of a building’s foundation. This treatment creates a barrier that prevents subterranean termites from entering the structure. A licensed pest control professional applies a diluted insecticide, known as a termiticide, to the soil surrounding and beneath the foundation’s planned footprint. This treatment is often mandated by building codes and lending agencies to safeguard new construction from future termite damage.

We recommend a wood-borate treatment for new builds. We currently provide this service for approximately 10 to 15 new homes a month for a local builders.  

The active ingredient is a borate salt. Borate salts work by taking advantage of a unique feature in the biology of termites, ants, and other insects. If ingested by ants, beetles or termites, the insect becomes unable to extract nutrition from its food and starves to death. And because of this unique mode of action, insects cannot develop a resistance, ever.

Borates work differently than most other insecticides or termiticides. For starters, they aren’t applied to the soil but to the structure itself. Secondly, it isn’t just a repellent or a bait but a little bit of each. A borate’s blend of glycols in combination with a borate salt provides results that are hard to beat. As soon as beetles and ants attempt to consume treated wood, they die. Subterranean termites won’t even try to eat treated wood and if they attempt to build a tube on treated wood, the termites start to die. This alerts the termite colony, and they abandon the wood.