When you find out that termites have invaded your home, you basically have two termite treatment options: you can either get professional help from a pest control company or you can do it yourself. Generally speaking, getting professional help is a much wiser option than taking the diy route, mainly because there are lots of factors in the equation. Also, the stage in which your home’s development is in (either pre construction or post construction), makes a great difference.

Termite treatment cost

First of all, let’s talk about the cost of termite extermination. Like in almost any other market, there are services for all pockets and unfortunately sometimes, in the case of cheaper options, the quality is directly proportional to the price. There are a few basic things that are taken into consideration when the company draws the line at the end, things like: equipment, the chemicals or the bait, labor, staff expenses, insurance, license, their own commission, etc. The pricing is also based on the linear feet (Ln. Ft.), which is the circumference of the foundation of your home measured in feet. The average cost per ln. ft. usually varies somewhere in between $4 and $7, but it can also go lower or higher. The final cost of termite treatment can also vary depending on the type of treatment that’s used and on the company that you decide to hire.

Termite treatment chemicals

A liquid pesticide also known as a termiticide was for a long time the conventional anti termite treatment. It worked like this: it was applied into the soil, and thus formed a chemical barrier which blocked the termites from entering. The obvious downside to this is that you might easily miss hidden points of entry for the termites. The better alternative to this is represented by the bait systems.

Termite treatment options

There are a few important methods of getting rid of termites.

• Liquid termite treatments

The repellent liquid treatment was the most popular method until the middle of the 90s. It consists of placing chemicals in entry points, chemicals which repel the termites. This was the best solution at the time, although it can not stop the insects if the structural damage done to the building by the termite infestation is critical.

Termidor termite treatment: Let’s go back for a second to 1995, when the bait systems enter the market. This is when the first non-repellent treatments were used. Then, in 2000, Termidor enters the stage. It was released after it had passed every test with flying colors. If it’s used in clean tanks or in tanks that are only used for Termidor, it rarely fails. This is why it has become the number one weapon of choice for 99% of the termite treatment companies and it is considered to be one of the most effective tools.

• Bait stations

How they work: They get placed in the ground at specific intervals, in order to monitor the activity of the termites. If there are traces of termite activity, an active ingredient gets added to the station. This is the way in which colonies of subterranean termites are eradicated.

There are two important downsides to the bait systems though: they work slower and they are usually more expensive than liquid treatments. It is also more expensive to maintain. Also, it usually takes from 6 months to one full year until bait systems completely eliminate the insects. The most sensible thing to do is to install a bait system before having an actual infestation, as to prevent it from ever happening.  Bait systems are a more efficient alternative to barrier chemical treatments.

• Fumigation

This is the case of an infestation with drywood termites. The whole building gets covered with a fumigation cover, after which either a sulfuryl fluoride(Vikane) or methyl bromide gas is fumigated.

Diy termite treatment

Applying termite chemicals can be a pretty difficult task, so we must tell you right from the start that the most advisable thing to do in most of the situations is to call a termite control companies. Having said that, here are a couple of instances in which you could do it yourself:
•    The sheds, wood posts and any other items which are subject to infestation can be treated in the yard;
•    In the event that the house has already been treated, the baiting system could be installed and maintained by yourself.

We DO NOT advise you to do the treatment yourself if:
•    Drilling is required (either because your home is on slabs or it has a basement);
•    Proof of termite treatment is needed.