Spot Treatments for Termites, A Real Solution?

SPOT TREATMENTS are defined as any treatments which concern a limited, defined area less than ten (10) linear or square feet that is intended to protect a specific location or “spot.” There are often adjacent areas, to the infested spot, that are susceptible to future, termite infestation.

Spot treatments can be effective against drywood termite infestations, but there is an important factor needed for them to work. The termite problem needs to be isolated. … If you can inject the termiticide into the galleries (the “tunnels” termites form to travel inside wood) and onto the termites, it should provide an effective solution to the immediate termite problem.   The effectiveness of spot treatments diminishes as the number of spots of infestation increase.

While a spot treatment might seem like a viable and cost effective (and possibly DIY) option, tent fumigation is generally the better choice.  With spot treatments you may be gambling with the future stability, structurally, of the home or building, not to mention your hard earned cash.  When spot treating for termites it is virtually impossible to know how many termites were treated, how many may remain unscathed, and where exactly those termites are living. Termites are known as the hidden enemy for a reason. If even a couple of dozen termites survive a treatment the colony will easily continue to thrive inside hidden, untreated areas.

The primary chemicals used to eliminate termites during a spot treatment, takes advantage of their social behaviors. Termites are social insects. They feed each other, by passing food from mouth to mouth and they groom each other. They also make physical contact with each other as they forage for food. The combination of, ingestion, contact and “transfer effect”, routinely provides termite control.

Why might fumigation be a better option to get rid of drywood termites?

During the tent fumigation process, the entire home is covered, being tightly enclosed within tarps (including any attached decking) and all at the same time treated with a fumigant (gas). Because of this all-at-once approach, all termites are eliminated from the structure.  The fumigant penetrates all parts of the structure including structural wood members. There is no place left for termites to hide.

In the end, the choice is yours.  Spot Treatments are an effective way to treat a limited number of areas of infestation and they are a way to treat newly discovered spots of drywood termite activity but when damage is old, widespread and the extent is unknowable inside wall voids, fumigation is a sure solution.

Corky’s Pest Control provides both Spot Treatments and Fumigation.  We also give you a third choice with our special no tent, no moving out, “No Tent Heat and Radar Treatment”.

Give Corky’s a call, 1-800-901-1102 or find your termite treatment options at corkyspest.com.

Protect your home, after a termite treatment, from future termite infestations, with Corky’s “Termite Protection Plan“. It’s a year round service that provides detection of and treatments for termite infestations by licensed professionals. Stop termites before they start damageing  your home again!   Corky”s Termite Protection Plan includes our famous “Corkys Ultimate Pest Control Service” that gets rid of Ants and Spiders and control ticks, whiteflys/aphids and Mosquitoes on your property too!