Termite Extermination

[thiggy]

I have had some termite damage in my home. The ground floor is 8” concrete block on concrete slab. It is amazing how those little critters can make their way through tiny crevasse in the concrete. As I make my repairs, I wish to treat against further termite activity. I have about ¾ gal of 75% chlordane that I plan to use, and I need to know what dilution was used (back in the day) when applied around the foundation. Any suggestions from folks who recall how it was used for termite protection would be appreciated.

[iceman61]

I don't know the mix rates or application rates but here is food for thought:

"Chlordane does not dissolve in water. Therefore, before it can be used as a spray, it must be placed in water with emulsifiers (soap-like substances), which results in a milky-looking mixture."

paragraph 1.1
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs31.html

[FL Buckeye]

thiggy, I sent you a PM.

[Jim Boyd]

Did you ever find the mixing info? The older guys at work say that is some nasty stuff.

[thiggy]

I had two responses which recommended a dilution to a 1% concentration.

[lebomike]

Thiggy, 1% is the right mix, I used to have an extetrminating businiss a long time ago when Chloradane was used for termites. We used a 1% mix injected into the ground evey 18" around the entire house. Be careful with that stuff as it is nasty.

[woodturner]

I have about ¾ gal of 75% chlordane that I plan to use

I'm assuming you know that all use of Chlordane is banned in the US. These chemicals fall under EPA jurisdiction, and they can be rather not nice folks when they are crossed.

I'd just hate to see you end up in jail or with a $5M fine over this. As a practical matter, there are far better, safer alternatives. Thankfully termites are relatively easy to deal with in non-people-toxic ways.

Often simply opening the infested area to the outside a little bit will solve the problem. Ants and termites are natural enemies - and the termites don't stand a chance. Give the ants a small opening (1/8" is plenty) and they will find the termites within a few days, invade the nest, haul off all the termite bodies, and then leave. Pretty amazing, IMHO, and often more effective, because the ants can get in where it is impractical or unsafe to use chemicals, such as deep into a large sill.

FWIW, this is one of the cases where they really did have some basis for banning the chemical. If you decide to proceed, at least wear a full body suit, respirator, and goggles, and dispose of them after use in an approved manner.

It doesn't take much Chlordane on your skin or in your eye to really, really, ruin your day.

[pelligrini]

There is a stretch of the trinity river here in Fort Worth that used to be closed to harvesting fish, mainly due to the high Chlordane content of the fish. I don't know if the ban has been lifted or not now.

[master53yoda]

http://www.chem-tox.com/chlordane/

I would not use chlordane on my own house because of the contamination of the concrete and off gassing over extended times puts those living in the house in a long term toxic environment. The reason that it worked so well on the termites is that it does not break down over time, it is a contact toxin, and all chemicals will off gas as the barometric pressure changes due to the weather.

There are some poisons that are no longer allowed for very good reason because they shorten the life span of those using them or those living in the homes after they where installed.

I have been involved with none breakdown chemicals in concrete and designing systems to reduce the concentration of those chemicals in the structures of the houses. In one area that I worked on the concrete for the homes had been made from the cinders from a coal fired steel plant. You would thing that this stone would be inert but it had levels of uranium in it that did not show up on a Geiger, counter but did off gas Radon. the basements of these houses had substantial work performed to seal the the inside of the walls trenches dug around the outside with gravel and french drains installed with vacuum piped to the french drains and the houses pressurized to force the off gassing to go out instead of in the structure.

The costs where in the 35000.00 per house range 15 years ago.

the option was tear down the house and start over, This could be what you are faced with if you use the chloridane beyond what the EPA and the doctors might do to you. By the way this thread is all that the EPA would need to hang all those involved up very high.