Termites

[crokett]

I cut down what I thought was a bush this weekend but it turned out to be overgrown sprouts from a tree that was cut down previously. I discovered termites in the stump. I am assuming worst case that they are nesting in the ground. I planned to burn the stump out anyway so will burning it get rid of the termites or is the nest too deep for that? How effective are the bait stations at the BORG? Can my exterminator do anything I can't do?

If I take the stump out and don't kill them all they can move somewhere else (like my house) and I won't know about it. If I leave it alone, eventually they will take it out but then they move and I don't know where they are.

[dbhost]

Unofficially speaking, my termite guy told me straight out, that those termite stations that the BORG sell, and effectively the same thing they use. (Big recognizable company name etc... blah blah...). They do have some other treatments that they apply around the foundation to kill and repel the little wood eaters though...

Not sure if burning the stump would kill the nest or not.

I would think the knowledge an EXPERIENCED pest control professional can bring to the table would be well worth the money spent vs. DIY. But if your friendly neighborhood exterminator is just hiring any old kid off the street, not worth the time or money...

[crokett]

I will check out the kits at the Borg then. This bush is around 20' from the house. I had them do the full treatment 2 summers ago and the house was inspected last month and came out clean. It is brick facade over stick built so that somewhat mitigates the danger. Whenever I have put conduit or whatever through the wall of the house I make sure it goes in above ground.

[Hellrazor]

A little kero and a match...

Crispy termites!

[levon]

termites?

as an exterminator, im asking: what kind of tree was it and are you positive they are termites??? mormally a tree that keeps sprouting after being cut is a hardwood. termites seldom infest hardwoods!

[crokett]

Well unless ants are white it is termites. The center part of trunk - 8" or so across - is dead. The new growth was all around the outside. The dead part is where the termites are and I know what termite damage looks like. What I will do is get the bait stations and burn the stump out.

[levon]

termites

it they were white it sounds like termites. baits are an excelant choice for the job. go by the instructions to the tee. we use sentricon bait stations. we space them 10 feet apart around the circumference of the house. we insert an untreated piece of whitewood and check them every 90 days til we get a hit, then we remove the untrated wood with a pice that is treated with the bait. we then check them every 30 days til the activity stops and then replace with an untreated piece. i know this sounds complicated, buti say this to let you know termites may build a resistance to the bait. if you put out the bait you might be better off putting a station close to the stump and not burning it

[levon]

termites

if you dont burn the stump , you will kill the termites and not scatter them. then after they are gone burn it .

[iceman61]

if you dont burn the stump , you will kill the termites and not scatter them. then after they are gone burn it .

This makes alot of sense. If you try to burg the stump before irradicating the termites, they will move somewhere else & God only knows where they might go. You on the other hand "might" find out where they went after it's too late. Bait, kill, then burn.

[crokett]

This makes alot of sense. If you try to burg the stump before irradicating the termites, they will move somewhere else & God only knows where they might go. You on the other hand "might" find out where they went after it's too late. Bait, kill, then burn.

Yeah. scattering them is what I posted in my original post. I will get the bait stations and go from there. Is there anything I can do to make the bait more attractive than the stump?

[levon]

termites

dont worry they will find the softwood!

[rnelson0]

I planned to burn the stump out anyway so will burning it get rid of the termites or is the nest too deep for that?

Termites may travel a few hundred feet from the nest for food. Chances are the nest is somewhere else in a wooded area. That old root is just a food source. Get rid of it, they will probably find someplace else but I doubt you will kill them.

As for termite controls, I am jaded. Terminix told me that it would be $1500 to treat my property and they provide a guarantee because the chemicals have a half life of 40 or 50 years. However, they will not guarantee it unless I pay a yearly service fee of nearly $300 - even though they do nothing for service yearly. Sounds like a crock to me (or $3k at 5 years and $10,500 over 30 years of watching them do nothing), and it does not take much to do a self-inspection every few months.

[just started]

And Terminix goes up every year about 8-12%, it's $300 this year but was only $200 a few years ago.

[DUD]

David

I used old motor oil in parts of a dogwood that had termites and the tree lived and

termites are gone. Bill

[jziegler]

Termites may travel a few hundred feet from the nest for food. Chances are the nest is somewhere else in a wooded area. That old root is just a food source. Get rid of it, they will probably find someplace else but I doubt you will kill them.

As for termite controls, I am jaded. Terminix told me that it would be $1500 to treat my property and they provide a guarantee because the chemicals have a half life of 40 or 50 years. However, they will not guarantee it unless I pay a yearly service fee of nearly $300 - even though they do nothing for service yearly. Sounds like a crock to me (or $3k at 5 years and $10,500 over 30 years of watching them do nothing), and it does not take much to do a self-inspection every few months.

The local independent exterminators are much better than Terminix when it comes to pricing. Before buying my house, the inspector found evidence of termites. The owner at that time hired a local exterminator, who treated the house for a few hundred dollars. The following spring, we found more termites in an area that had been inaccessible (a crawl space under the front porch that had no access. He treated the area for no additional charge after I cut a trap door in the floor. He's been charging about $100 a year for the inspection (went up to $110 this year, the first time it's gone up in 4 years). So don't give up on that kind of service, but look for the little company rather than the big one. They can provide a good service, but don't waste their money on big ad campaigns, but go by word of mouth and an ad in the yellow pages, and many times the owner of the company may be the one treating your house.

Jim