Another great video. The "over the shoulder" questions add so much to the content. For anyone else looking at this video, I did the granules around my home. I do not have termites but after watching Guy's granule video a few months ago, I did the granules as a preventive. It was so easy to do and provides peace of mind. Guy's videos are the best.
Thank you so much. You are always so kind to me. I appreciate the confidence you have in me. We named the character on the bookshelf, "Little Guy." I'm glad you like him. Be well Chris.
Hi Guy! Your videos are incredible, and you are a wealth of knowledge! We live in Carlsbad, California, and unfortunately have evidence of both wood termites and subterranean. The subterranean burrowed up through our slab, and we are seeing some borings in a floorboard where they are dropping dirt. We had an inspector come out and recommend bait stations and fumigation. We will be pursuing the fumigation for the wood termites, but I am equally concerned about the subterranean termites. The main issue I see for all of the treatments you mention (trenching, bait stations and termite granules) is that we have pavers and hardscaping that abuts most of the perimeter of the house. I would say we only have dirt immediately adjacent to the house for about 25% of the perimeter. There is crawl space access for a portion of the house as a part of the house has a raised foundation. I'd love to hear what you would suggest for a situation like ours.
I am so sorry that you are having this problem and I would love to help. First of all, please do not sign any contracts just yet. Drywood termites are very slow eaters and it can take years for them to do any structural damage. So, you have some time to get this right. You will need to fumigate, but when you do it is important because of the subterranean termites. Since you have a somewhat more complex case than most, I would like you to email me at guyspestsolutions@gmail.com and I will provide you with very detailed guidance. I will stay with you every step of the way to make sure that you don't get ripped off and what gets done is 100% effective. Just so you know, baiting may not be a good idea in your case. I really need to look at photos of all sides of the property, from the property line to the house, so it would be great if you could take photos and email them to me. I am more concerned about the subterranean termites than the drywood termites. You live in an area where there are a couple of aggressive species, so I need to look at that situation. I generally do not recommend baiting for termites, especially for an aggressive species. When you email, please remind me what is going on and give me your TH-cam name. As you can imagine, I get a lot of email and most of it is about termites. The most important thing you can do right now is don't worry. I will show you how to get this handled correctly and at the lowest cost. Be well my friend.
Thanks Guy for another great video to help those in need of expert advice. Great suggestions and options. Your video is both educational and entertaining. I appreciate your ability to break methods of treatment down so all can understand. Keep up your good works.
I just bought a house and the pesticide company took the bait stations from my home without notice. I called them and they wanted over $700 to redo the job not including monitoring. Im going to DIY, thanks for the videos.
Smart man. Those termite bait stations don't work all that well anyway. You can save a lot of money by installing monitoring stations yourself and by using termite granules. It works better and you save a lot of cash. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy thank you for the information. I have a new construction home in northern Florida and have lived here for 2 yrs. I have a Pest control company using bait stations and Taex spray. I am also DIY with your methods now. I am still scared to cancel them! Hopefully with more confidence I will!!
You are a gem! Great video!! So to be absolutely clear, If I discovered an ACTIVE infetation. I can substitute the granules for the trenching... correct? Also, are you absolutely sure about the Termadore being only 7-10 year treatment as I am pretty sure that I read somewhere that it lasts for 20 years.
Thank you for those kind words. Very much appreciated. I think what I said in the video is that Termidor will last 5 to 10 years, with 7 being about the average. How long you will be protected is going to depend on factors such as soil density, environmental conditions, species, and so forth. Pest controllers will usually claim that it will last 10 years, but most of the time you'll only get a one year warranty. Some companies may give you a better warranty than that, but nobody's giving you 10 years. Five years used to be the standard, because we know that it will last at least that long, but more and more, companies aren't even giving you that anymore. I have seen a few pest controllers that will claim 20 years, but it isn't true. There have been many instances of a termite treatment that lasted over 20 years, but that was not because the termiticide was still working. The treatment may have stopped working after 5 years, but there were just no colonies close enough to infest the house again. Some homeowners can own a house for their entire life and never be bothered by termites. At the same time, other people may get infested by termites the day after the closing. The truth is that most people just take their chances. Naturally, this is great news for both the termites and the pest controllers. The granules do not work in all cases. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termites granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Dear Guy I hope you are well and I sincerely thank you for the great information you continue to put out on youtube. I am renovating a small house in south carolina and need some termite advice There was severe termite damage to about 5% of the studs in the house and 20% of the floor joists. Other wood members have some amount of damage while the vast majority of the house is unaffected. I am almost certain that termites are still in the wood although I cannot see any of them. I see some evidence in the presence of their droppings. Unfortunately I found your videos too late to evaluate the mud tubes. There were several of what I believe were mud tubes running up the inside of the crawlspace wall. However as I was cleaning out the crawlspace I scraped off every bit of these mud tubes. So instead of breaking off a small portion to see if the termites rebuilt it, I removed them entirely. My worry is the following: If I trench around the house, will the lack of mud tube mean that the termites will not be able to travel between the house and the ground and therefore won’t be able to spread the termiticide? The approach I have come up with is to trench or pellet around the perimeter (and inside the crawlspace if I can) and also apply termite foam to all the effected areas inside the house. I’m hoping this just spreads enough poison the keep them away forever. Please share any thoughts if you have the time. Thank you for your great work!
I am so sorry that you're having this problem. You live in an area when you may encounter Formosan termites. Therefore, you need to dig a little deeper to figure out if this is the species you were dealing with. The reason for that is Formosan termites are the only species where you live that is capable of colonizing and a building. Other species do not have this ability, and they must colonize in the ground. Therefore, to give you the best course of action possible, it would be a good idea to investigate a little bit. To do this, go to a damaged stud or floor joist, and dig into the damaged area with a flathead screwdriver. If there's activity in the wood, try to obtain a specimen with a red head. If you can get one, then do not kill it. Just put it in a jar and let it die in natural death. It won't take long either because termites do not survive long when they are exposed to the air. After you have a specimen, then we can easily identify it. Meanwhile, virtually all species of subterranean termites in South Carolina can be successfully treated by trenching around the house. The only exception to this is that Formosan termites may also need some interior treatment as well. We will get to that after you identify the species. For now, regardless of the species, you need to start by trenching. With most species of subterranean termites you can often get away with using granules, but they are not recommended for Formosan termites. Since you do not know the species, and since the damage seems to be consistent with Formosan termites, then I would recommend that you trench instead of using the granules. I will give you a link to my video on how to do that. The only problem you are going to have is that it is illegal to ship the product you need to South Carolina. Normally I recommend using Taurus SC, but since you live in South Carolina, I am going to recommend that you use Dominion 2L. For most species of termites you can mix it at 0.3 oz per gallon of water, but I am recommending that you double that and mix it at 0.6 oz per gallon of water because Formosan termites are kind of hard to kill. The label does allow you to mix it at this dilution rate, so I would not take any chances. Just like Taurus SC, you need to dig the trench 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep and apply four gallons of finished product for every 10 feet of trench. You also need to treat the backfill as I describe in the video. Treating the backfill is very important when you are dealing with Formosan termites. You did not tell me the linear feet around your house, but my guess is that you will probably need about three 27.5 ounce bottles if you were using the 0.6 oz per gallon dilution. The product costs about $42 per bottle, so you can probably do the entire job for about $126. With regard to your concern about the termites not being able to travel back to the colony that is under the ground, you do not need to worry about that. The vast majority of the termites must return to the ground to bring food back to the underground colony. Even if these are Formosan termites, only some of them can remain in the building. Most of them are going to need to return to the ground. Don't worry. Dominion 2L is what we call a non-repellent pesticide. That means the termites do not realize that this is a poison and they will happily travel right through it. This is also a slow kill product, which is what you want with subterranean termites. You want them to live long enough so they can bring the pesticide back to the colony and share it with the other termites. With regard to the crawl space, the only time you need to trench under the crawl space is if there are mud tubes that are in direct contact with ground. If this is not the case, then you only need to trench around the outside. However, if you do encounter mud tubes that are in direct contact with the ground under the house, then it is recommended to trench around the perimeter of the foundation under there and around all piers that may be under the house as well. This would also be a 6-inch by 6-inch trench and you would mix the Dominion 2L at the same rate of 0.6 ounces per gallon. Of course, if you need to trench under the house, you will need twice as much of the Dominion 2L. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you can obtain a specimen with a red head. Obtaining one makes this easy, but if you are unable to obtain one, then we will just assume that they are Formosan termites and I will explain how to look for them in the house. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html Dominion 2L: www.domyown.com/dominion-2l-termiticide-concentrate-p-1223.html?co_var=3&sub_id=3882
Hi Guy, my Mom's house was trenched and treated one year ago. In addition, we purchased the "correct" granules and did our own treatment last year and again recently. Should we be concerned if we found a single swarmer on our patio recently?
Not necessarily. I would not be overly concerned about one swarmer that is outside. Inside is another story. I think it is worth identifying it though. If it was black, then you are fine. If it was red, orange, or brown, then it could be a drywood termite. Ground treatment does not work for these guys. Please have a look at my video on how to identify termite species. There is a map in that video that shows where drywood termites are a problem. If you are in the red area and the termite was not black, then you may have some cause for concern. Otherwise, don't worry about it. One black swarmer is not a problem. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for your response to our previous question. We are getting ready to do the Taurus SC pour around our property as your video demonstrated, however we did have some questions. We live in the south part of North Carolina (South Charlotte) area and here we have red clay. We were digging our trenches and found a ton of red clay and read that clay can affect the absorption of the Taurus SC but we couldn't find any answers on how to address this...? Do you have any advice? We did find carpenter ants and evidence of tubes (not exploratory) on the inside of our foundation near the basement ceiling. This is in and around/near the clay areas which also have pockets of mixed soil/sandy dirt. We recently cut down on a lot of the trees and shrubbery around our property to cut down on all the bugs and ants. The other question we had is on how we also treat weeds and grass on our gravel driveways. Some of these driveways butt up to our home's/garage's foundation. We have been treating these gravel driveways with a healthy dose of water + baking soda to kill all grass and weeds trying to grow in it. We are a disabled couple with back problems and one with a prosthetic limb... so manually weeding has not been sustainable. We also have lots of animals on the property so we don't want to poison them with too much grass/weed killer, and we are worried about all the lawsuits we keep hearing about cancer causing agents in those chemicals. We were reading about how the pH levels can adversely affect the effects of insecticides, including Taurus SC. Since baking soda affects the pH levels...is our approach to weed/grass killing going to conflict with our use of Taurus SC? Is it only affected for the pour or even as a spray we plan on doing once every 3 months? Do you have any ideas on how we might resolve this? Note: We have also explored the salt and vinegar option to weed/grass killing naturally but it also destroys concrete, especially concrete foundations. So we have avoided this. Thank you again for all your helpful videos. We have watched several of them and have saved lots of money avoiding scammers trying to sell us thousands of dollars worth of insect/termite treatments that we could do ourselves. Bless you, sir!
Thank you so much for your question. Please do not worry about the red clay. I do trenching differently than most people, for the very reason you are talking about. If you soak the back fill dirt with Taurus SC, then it does not matter how dense it may be because it is still going to create the barrier that you need. Just make sure you treat the back fill dirt exactly as I show you in the video and you will be just fine. Carpenter ants are very common when you have termites. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood, so they need to forge a food. One of their favorite foods happens to be termites. So, not only do these termites provide a good food source, but they also do a lot of the wood excavation for the ants. This is a pretty sweet deal for the ants. After you eliminate the termite infestation, then you can go ahead and eliminate the carpenter ants. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it. The only time you need to be concerned about mud tubes in the basement is if they are in direct contact with the ground. If you have any mud tubes that are coming up from the floor, then you need to tell me about it, and I will advise you further. If that is not the case, then trenching around the outside of the building should get it done. That being said, you need to be aware that you have Formosan termites where you live. I am not saying that you have this species, but it would be a good idea to make sure that you don't. This species needs to be treated a little bit differently. You still need to trench, so no difference there, but you may require additional interior treatment as well. Please dig into a damaged area with a flat head screwdriver or break open a 2-inch section of a mud tube and try to obtain a specimen with a red head. Put it in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then watch my video on how to identify termite species. You will quickly know if this is a Formosan termite. If it is, then you need to get back to me for further instructions. Otherwise, the trenching alone should get it done. If you have a gravel driveway that runs up to the building, then you need to trench right across it. The best way to treat the weeds is to use a weed killer. This is not going to harm anybody. Just make sure that you wear rubber gloves while you are handling this material. I will give you a link to the weed killer that I use. You mix this product 3 oz per gallon of water. Do not expect to see overnight results. It usually takes a couple of weeks to start to see the weeds die. I promise you that nobody is going to get sick if you use this product. You only get cancer from this material if you are handling it without wearing any protective equipment. After it is applied to the ground, it is perfectly safe. You can apply it with a pump-up garden sprayer, but it is a lot faster if you purchase a battery-operated tank sprayer. Which one you select will depend upon how many weeds you need to treat. This product is a lot cheaper if you buy it in bulk. I always buy the 2.5-gallon container to save money. I think one gallon is $48, but 2.5 gallons is only about $78. That's a much better deal. I have been handling pesticides and weed killer since 1981, and I am still here talking about it. In fact, I have never met a pest controller that got ill from pesticides. Also, all of the really bad pesticides have been banned. That happened in the late 1990s. Today's pesticides are much safer, and the EPA requires that they be safe enough for children to play on after they dry. Taurus SC and other pesticides today are kind of like paint. You would not want children playing on wet paint, but after it dries, it is perfectly safe for them to play on. It is no different with pesticides. We are a quarter of the way through the 21st century now, and we now have 21st century pesticides. If you wear the protective equipment, then you are going to be perfectly fine, and nobody is going to get sick after this material dries. By the way, I just launched a new website that lists all of my videos, written treatment plans for pests for which I do not have a video, frequently asked questions about videos that I posted, and other information as well. I think this is a good resource for anybody who is looking for pest control information. In fact, I think it is a great place to start your search for information. The website is still very new, and it is not finished yet, so it is a little rough around the edges, but there's still lots of useful information on it. I add more information every day, and the website is getting better and better all the time. Please let me know if you have any suggestions to make the website better. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to eliminate carpenter ants: th-cam.com/video/Te9BUCaIQZY/w-d-xo.html Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html Guy's Pest Solutions website: www.guyspestsolutions.com/ Weed killer: www.amazon.com/Compare-N-Save-Concentrate-41-Percent-Glyphosate-2-5-Gallon/dp/B00ARKS11I/ref=sr_1_24?crid=9VJU4N5N7V42&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.W44fSvYN0NUEPlZcQglQywoqSAiariIDI7at9LQwcFO7NI0PHlRW2WfammYRnks8kXZ1hN7r4d1UONRvqeDZtinPPR8MQXSTTB1CL8PebS4rcCwEVQPRlZwBS4D9qm23mHn6p-9cAUYroFUrllBsaYt7CHfx5tV654xjxV4gHubV9mFDmqehUJpc_XjCm8BUt6Nj4eh1WPQfMqAhEH5zuQ0jrKc8siAICIsd00zq4qCDtbTy-OgR-lDC00n2xx9Lxr-reVIC1x8D097Yj44kLZFlwsUdfwYmWq8eUotq_Sg.u6r_SOKFGsqUMCdjcQQN8k8S4elpH2cjJu2np5VhsG8&dib_tag=se&keywords=large+container+of+weed+killer&qid=1732460516&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=large+container+of+weed+killer%2Clawngarden%2C111&sr=1-24
Hi Guy! Your videos are invaluable! Quick question. I had termites back in April and had a company come out and trench the house and guest house along with spot treatment. (It was covered through a warranty) tonight in the guest house I saw one winged termite crawling up the wall. Should that be a cause for concern or not? The treatment came with a one year warranty on the work. To summarize he trenched the house and guest house along with drilling and treating the concrete surrounding the property. Four months later (today) I found one winged termite crawling up the wall in the guest house. Should I have the company come back out or no?
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. If the trenching was done four months ago, then I think there is cause for concern. It normally takes up to 12 weeks to eliminate a subterranean termite colony by means of trenching. So, you were about 4 weeks past that schedule. That being said, I have learned in this business that the termites do not always get the memo about how they are supposed to behave. I wasn't there when the trenching was done, so I really don't know if it was done correctly or not. At the same time, I think it is possible that it could take 16 weeks to eliminate the colony, if it was really bad. Of course, this is definitely the outside of the envelope, so I think this would warrant and inspection of the property to see if there is still activity. You did not tell me where you live, and that is very important. In certain areas of the country, there are Formosan termites, and these guys have the ability to colonize in your walls. Therefore, if you live in an area where Formosan termites are known to exist, it is also possible that the pest control company did not properly identify the species. If that is the case, then you may have what we call "cartons" in your walls or in the ceilings. I recommend that you watch my video on how to identify termites species. There is a map in that video that will show you where Formosan termites are a problem. If you live in either the red or orange areas on the map, then I think it would be wise to try and identify that swarmer that you saw. If these are not Formosan termites, then you may want to give it just a couple more weeks to see if the treatment was effective. I think at that time, you would definitely be outside the envelope where the treatment should have taken out the entire colony. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy, thank you for sharing your pest control knowledge. We discovered evidence of subterranean termites about 4 years ago in our home in NH. Through our local pest control company we had them install monitoring stations (confirmed they are there). We have a SIPS house (structural insulated panels) on top of an ICF (insulated concrete form) foundation. The evidence we found was on the inside of the house in the basement. It appears that they are using the foam insulation to tunnel through looking for wood sources. Obviously this is a major concern for us. I like the idea of trenching but there are some places like under entry stairs and porches that would be very hard to get to. Is it necessary to trench the entire perimeter? Also, we have vey sandy soil conditions. Will the termacide dissipate more quickly over time due to this? Thank you!
If you have very sandy soil you may be able to get away with just using termite granules. They work about 95% of the time. I will give you a link to my video on how to do that. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. They cost about $50. You can also trench, which is almost a sure thing. You can trench around the stairs and porches. Please watch my video on how to trench properly. It doesn't work well if you do not do it correctly. Trenching is harder than granules, but it lasts 5 to 10 years. Granules should be applied every year. Trenching costs about $100 to do yourself. If you do it correctly, then sandy soil if fine. In fact, it's the best way to do it. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to use termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy, you've answered so many questions for us so far regarding termites, thank you! We have not been able to apply the Taurus SC because of rain, but would the Taurus help at all with spiders? We have a bedroom in our basement and was wondering what would the best thing to try and eliminate extra roommates in that bedroom :)
Hi Guy! Great helpful content. I have subterranean termites in my crawlspace with evidence of mud tubes. Surrounding the house is concrete. I cannot stand up in my crawlspace and can only crawl. What solution do you recommend when trenching around the house is not an option? Right now, I would prefer to do it myself if there is a strong solution that could eliminate the termites in my crawlspace. Thanks so much for your kind help.
Please take photos of all sides of your house from the side of the house to the property line. I need to see what you have going on. Please let me know if the mud tubes in the crawlspace are in direct contact with the ground. My email is guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Please give me your TH-cam name when you email. Be well my friend.
Guy - Great video as always. I have a slightly different question regarding subterranean termites. A contractor recently installed two 6x6 pressure treated posts to support a roof extension over a patio. He set the posts about 2-3 ft. In the ground and set them in concrete; however, they are not completely encased in cement. I am wondering if I should take any steps to prevent future termite damage. I live in the New Orleans area.
I am not a licensed contractor in New Orleans, but I would be very surprised if those post installations would pass building codes. In my opinion, the way that job should be done is that a concrete pier should be installed in the ground under the post and that pier should extend above the ground level by a few inches. This is usually accomplished by digging a hole and inserting a hollow cardboard tube into the hole and then filling it with concrete and perhaps some rebar. When it dries, the post should be placed on top of the concrete. The reason it is done this way has nothing to do with termites. The way those posts are installed, they will withstand sideloads pretty well, but I would have a problem with the vertical loads. That is to say, it is possible that the posts may settle and sink because of the way they were installed. Again, I'm not a contractor, but I have done a lot of this work, and that is the way I would do it. That being said, the posts that were used were most likely rated for ground contact. Of course, I have no way of knowing if that's what the contractor used, but it would be really horrible if he didn't. Pressure treated wood that is rated for ground contact isn't entirely termite proof, but it is very unlikely that it will be attacked by termites. If the posts are not rated for ground contact, then I would treat them with Bora-Care prior to painting or sealing them in any way. This product must be applied to bare wood. Even if the posts are rated for ground contact, it still wouldn't be a bad idea to treat them with Bora-Care. I will give you a link to the product and a link to a video on how to use it. I recommend that you mix it 1 to 1 with water instead of 1 to 5. Also, it is perfectly okay to mix it with cold water. I do it all the time. For small jobs, you can mix a half a cup of product with a half a cup of water. You're supposed to mix it with a drill and a paint mixer attachment, but when I am mixing small amounts, I generally just use a mixing stick that you would use for mixing paint. Keep in mind that if the posts are not ground rated, or if they are ground rated and get attacked anyway, then if any part of those posts are not encased in concrete under the ground, then the termites can enter and tunnel their way up right up the center of the post to the roof structure above. Again, you are probably going to be okay from pest control point of view, if the posts are rated for ground contact. The only other issue would be that the posts may eventually rot and then fail. You see that all the time with fence posts that fail right at the dirt line. If water sits up against the post every time it rains, then that can make the post start to rot at ground level. I think it would take a very long time before that post would fail, but again, I think it should have been placed on top of a concrete pier. I hope that helps. We will my friend. Bora-Care: www.domyown.com/boracare-p-100.html?sub_id=554 Bora-Care video: th-cam.com/video/Rmr_aEodyhg/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for responding to my question. It’s really gratifying to see someone with your depth of experience be willing to take up so much of your personal time in sharing your experience and expertise to help complete strangers like me. Folks like you are a rarity in today’s world. Thanks again and God bless you for being so generous.
Hi, thank you for all of these amazing videos on how to control termites. So I have a question. I live in central Florida and I’ve been seeing some termites enter through small cracks upstairs and noticed a mud tunnel in a crack near the foundation of the house. I bought the bio advanced granules on Amazon and placed the granules about two days ago. Since then I haven’t saw an active termites walking as yet. However, is it too late to trench around the house? If so do I trench and then reapply the granules on top? Thanks I appreciate it
The granules should work well for you, if these are subterranean termites. You may also have Formosan termites or drywood termites. The granules do not work for those species. So, you need to find out the species. Break open that mud tube and see if you can find a specimen with a red head. Those are the soldiers and they are easy to identify. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. If you cannot obtain a specimen, you can also try asking a pest control company. Most of them will do a free inspection. Just don't hire them. Make sure they list the exact species on the estimate. Whatever you do, don't buy a baiting system like Sentricon. Total waste of money. Just get back to me and I will guide you through whatever you need to do. With a bit of luck, you already got them. It does take up to 12 weeks for the granules to work. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy! Another question came to mind. Have you looked into the use of beneficial Nematodes? I image that they could be effective in the ground area but won’t do much for termites that have penetrated the home. Since have have vey sandy soil at our home in NH we get a ton of ants. We have used Nematodes and it’s amazing how much this has helped to keep them at bay. Thanks again for sharing your insight and knowledge!
Nematodes can sometimes be used successfully to treat subterranean termites, but it's a bit of a Hail Mary Pass. The soil conditions need to be almost ideal for it to work. Nematodes need moisture to survive, so if the ground is not moist enough, they will simply die before doing their job. Personally, I don't see the logic to it when you can usually treat with termite granules for about $50. Why throw a Hair Mary Pass when all you need to do is kick and easy field goal to win the game? I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
I live in Massachusetts. Can I / should I be using the granules AND the bait/monitoring stations together? Also, should I be using the granules once per year? Or should I be using the granules for 2 years and then switch over to baits stations. I'd like to know more about the relationship between both methods. Love your videos! Many thanks.
Thanks for the question. Let's talk about the granules and bait stations. Keep in mind that the granules do not work for drywood termites, Formosan termites, or Western subterranean termites. Let me know if you are dealing with one of those species and I will guide you further. If you do not know the species, please watch my video on how to identify termite species. Also, for the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching, if you have an active infestation. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. If you do not have an active infestation already, you may want to also consider using monitoring stations around your home. I use both the granules and the monitoring stations. I will give you a link to my video on how to make them for under 50 cents each. I put them around my entire house for less than $25. You can also purchase them for about $10 to $15 each. I will give you the link to purchase them. The way they work is there is a dot on the top of the station. When the dot disappears, you have termites. The homemade stations can go off accidentally, so always pull the station out of the ground if it goes off and check it to make sure that there are actually termites and not a malfunction. If there are termites, then immediately put the station back where it was in the ground. If the station malfunctioned, then simply replace it with a new one. If a station has termites, then you would treat them by installing a bait station right next to the monitoring station that is active. I have a video on how to make the bait stations as well. Commercial bait stations are not recommended because they work too slowly. The homemade ones work way faster. You should not use bait stations to prevent termites. It is always better to use monitoring stations until you have activity because they last a lot longer. Using both the granules and the monitoring stations together provides insurance. If you pass the perk test, the granules will usually get it done, but the monitoring stations are still nice to have in place. The granules should be applied annually. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html Video on how to make bait stations: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html Commercial monitoring stations: www.solutionsstores.com/red-eye-termite-monitor
Hi Mr. Guy! So, I have constructed and installed seven homemade bait stations per your other video, and they turned out great. I had bought the Spectracide stakes and had four go off...two had termites, the others had ants. After watching your videos, I went ahead and purchased the Advance system, so now have 10 of those stations with both the bait cartridges, and the poison cartridges. My question relates to the two Spectracide stations which went off. With the first, I replaced the stake and per the included instructions installed two more of the Spectracide stakes on either side. With the other, since I already had the order for the Advance system in and was waiting on it to be delivered...I just replaced the Spectracide stake. Should I wait until these go off again before pulling them and putting the Advance station with the poison in the ground??? Or pull both the Spectracide stakes which had termites and replace 'em with the Advance system? Which leads to another question...and this may be asinine but figured I'd ask...these Advance stations have both bait wood, and a bait cartridge, and obviously the poison cartridge is separate. When using the Advance system after termites have already been detected with a different system...should I use the wood/bait cartridge combo and wait for it to become active before switching the cartridge for the one with the poison? Or just slap the Advance system with the wood/poison cartridge in the ground? :) Thanks for all you do! Again...wish I'd seen your video on the Spectracide stakes before I poured $120.00 into the ground! :)
You can leave the Spectracide stations in place and just install one of the Advance stations right next to it. You pretty much want them touching. You are correct that you should remove the wood cartridge from the advance station and replace it with the bait cartridge. The wood cartridges are only used for monitoring. That is the basically the same thing that the homemade monitoring stations do. The reason you have the problems with the Spectracide stations is because the ants will eat the bait. Therefore, the stations are going to be going off all the time because the ants will be eating the bait. The reason the Advance stations and the homemade stations use wood is because ants do not eat wood. Only the termites do. Therefore you don't waste a lot of bait on ants. You would only use the bait after you see activity. In your case, you are already seeing activity, so you would go straight to the bait. Make sure that you check the advance bait station at least once a week to make sure that there's plenty of bait in it. You may have already learned from my videos that it can take up to two years for the bait stations to be effective. Therefore, you need to keep feeding these guys. I do have some good news for you though. I am in the process of creating a bait station that will knock out an entire colony in about 12 weeks. These will not be available commercially, but I am going to do a video on how you can make them yourself very cheaply. I am hoping to have that video completed within the next couple of weeks. Since you already have the bait stations, you may as well stick with those for now, but when my video comes out, you may want to install one of those right next to the stations you already have in the ground that are showing activity. Just like the other bait stations, you would only use these when you see activity. The only difference is the one that I am developing will kill the termites in 12 weeks instead of 2 years. I like 12 weeks better because it is way more cost effective and you don't need to be constantly checking bait stations every week for 2 years. Hopefully, if you subscribe to my channel, then you should be notified when this video is available. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
@@GuysPestSolutions It does, and I have been subscribed since I ran across your first video. :) Thanks again, Mr. Guy! Definitely looking forward to the new vid.
@@GuysPestSolutionsGod bless you, I will be checking back for that video!! 😊❤ Love your channel! Thank you so much for helping us all freely. I pray God blesses you triple the amount you saved every viewer, especially those unable to afford expensive options or help. Have a beautiful season! 🏞️🏡🏕️🌳🌲🌱
Hi. I have been watching some of your videos. They are very interesting and well explained, but I need your advice for my particular situation. I live in Puerto Rico and I have a severe termite infestation in my house. It started slowly a few years ago, but now the problem has increased substantially and they are invading the second (upper) floor of my house. I suspect the colony is mainly under my house, since I can see the tunnels forming again in one or two days between the floor tiles and from the electrical outlets if I remove them. There is concrete all around the perimeter of my house, so I don't think a trench of bait stations outside would be effective, correct? I really would appreciate your advice regarding this problem. Regards, Miguel.
You have a couple of species in Puerto Rico that are very aggressive eaters, and they can do a lot of damage in a very short period of time. Also, at least one of these species has the ability to colonize inside your home. So, the first thing you need to do is identify the species that you are dealing with, because difference species may need to be treated somewhat differently. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can break open one of the mud tubes and look for a specimen that has a red head, or you can dig into some of the damaged wood and try to obtain a specimen that has a redhead. Place it in a jar and let it die a natural death. Termites do not live long when exposed to the air. Now that you can have a good look at the head, Google "termite species in Puerto Rico" and see if you can find one that has a similar head. The termites with red heads are the soldiers, and they are the easiest ones to identify. The other way you can do it is to simply call a pest controller and have them do an inspection. Ask them to list the exact species on the estimate. Since these are subterranean termites, one part of the treatment that they all have in common is that you need to trench around the building. If you have a situation where trenching is not possible, then you would need a professional to drill holes through the concrete and apply a pesticide under the concrete, under pressure. The equipment to do this is too expensive for homeowner to purchase, so it's the sort of thing that you are going to need to farm out to somebody. Keep in mind that if you are trenching, you do not need the trench to be right up against the building. For example, if you have a sidewalk going around the building and the concrete is touching the foundation, but there is dirt on the other side of the sidewalk, then you can probably get away with simply trenching along the sidewalk. The idea is that you need a trench that runs from the street, around the entire building, and then back to the street again. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it. Since there is a good chance that you may be dealing with Formosan termites, I will give you a link to my video on how to treat them as well. If this is something other than Formosan termites, or a common variety of subterranean termites, you are probably best to let a professional handle it. If you get estimates from professionals, beware of the ones that offer to use a baiting system. I think using bait to deal with an existing infestation, particularly if these guys are Formosan termites, is a very bad idea. Baiting systems can take a long time to work, and the termites will be eating that entire time. The price on baiting looks very attractive, but you will get what you pay for. If you need to hire it out, then get somebody that is going to drill that concrete or do the trenching. If these are Formosan termites, or another species that can colonize in your home, then you need to find those colonies as well, and eliminate them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html Video on how to treat Formosan termites: th-cam.com/video/xDtGUWxMrRw/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks very much for your detailed reply. I will first try to dig a trench in the side of the house that has a sidewalk and put granules in it. I checked some soldiers for id and I think they are coneheads, compared to your video. I remembered that they first appeared in an avocado tree that is about 12 ft. from my house. From there I assume they moved into the house. I have another question if you don't mind. How long it would take to erradicate them if, hypotethically, I could remove all sources of food from the house? (the house is all concrete).
I have termites coming in the front of my house. I want to DIY: Could I sprinkle granules between bait stations? Or dig a trench in the front, and stations around the rest of the house? Not sure a trench can be dug around whole house.
How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions I’m in Colorado with normal subterranean termites and some broke out of the wall flying around the house. I maybe have 6 mud holes in the wall from their exit. It is currently lightly raining here about 2 hours a day. The Terminix man said he would use bait stations and put foam in the exit holes of my wall. Should I trench the side of the house where they entered or just use stations? I also bought your suggested granules.
@@bryanutility9609 As you probably learned from watching the video, the bait stations that Terminix wants to use are going to take up to two years to solve the problem. During that time, the termites will probably go on eating your house. So, does that sound like a good idea to you? I do not think it would be my first option.
There are two options for treating subterranean termites yourself. The easiest way is to use termite granules. The application is so easy that a child can do it. The other option is to trench around the entire building, including the driveway. It takes about a day for most people to trench around an average sized building and it only costs about $100 to do the job. Trenching lasts for 5 to 10 years, but the granules should be applied every year as a preventive measure. I have videos on how to do both options and I will place links below.
For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. Make sure that you purchased the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
You can give any subterranean termite treatment a bit of a boost by doing a spot treatment. If at all possible, spot treating for subterranean termites should not be the only approach to eliminate an infestation. An additional exterior treatment should also be done with either granules or trenching, whenever possible. Spot treating alone may totally eliminate the infestation with no other treatments, but it's not a sure thing. The way the Terminix guy wants to do it is the wrong way. He's just being lazy and/or trying to reduce the cost to get the price down. To be effective, it must be done right.
To spot treat subterranean termites, you need to buy a fipronil foam. I will provide links for two products that you can choose from. I like the FiPro the best because it's a little less expensive and I like the applicator tip better, but the Termidor Foam also works very well. The FiPro is not available everywhere. If you can get one of these foams, then drill holes in all damaged areas, that are 4 inches apart, and drilled about halfway through the wood. If you are seeing exit holes in the wall, then there is most likely a stud behind the exit hole. Get a stud finder and locate the stud where it meets the ceiling and drive a small nail into the stud a couple of inches below the ceiling. Attach a weighted string to the nail and that will show you where the stud is. Then drill the holes 4 inches apart along the entire length of the stud, about 3 inches deep. Do the same thing for woodwork, except only drill the holes halfway through the wood. If you think that there is a 2 x 4 behind the woodwork, then drill a 3-inch-deep hole every 8 inches. The holes only need to be wide enough to get the applicator tip of the foam can into the hole. After the holes are drilled, then shoot the foam into each hole for about 5 seconds or until you have foam either coming back out at you or coming out the other holes that you drilled. All the holes should have foam either going into them or coming out of them. This will contaminate their food source and they will take the fipronil back in the colony and spread it around to the other termites.
Most of the time, subterranean termites are going to be building mud tubes somewhere. You will most likely find these mud tubes going up the exterior or interior of your foundation and you may find them along joists and even in the attic sometimes. If you have a slab home, then you may find them going up the outside of the house on the slab and even the side of the house. If you can find the mud tubes, then you can treat them as well. Just scrape off about a 2-inch section of each mud tube down to the bare surface. Then, shoot that foam into each side of the mud tube and also apply a little of it on the surface where you removed it. The termites will rebuild the mud tubes and bring the foam back to the colony to spread around to the other termites.
Also, if you can find the mud tubes, this is a very good way to determine when the infestation is gone. If you scrape off that 2-inch section of a mud tube, you can see if there are any live termites in the tube. Again, the termites will rebuild the tube and go about their business. Do this every two weeks after you finish all your treatments. Apply the foam to the mud tube every time you do it. At the point you are no longer seeing live termites and they stop rebuilding the mud tube, then your infestation has been eradicated.
After you use one of these methods, you may want to consider installing monitoring stations around the house. This is not necessary, but it is very easy to do, and you will know immediately if you have termites in the area. If one of the stations goes off, then you can treat the termites right at the station, before they try to attack your house. This way, you are protected by either the granules or the trenching, and you have the peace of mind knowing that there are no termites in the area. You can make these stations yourself out of used water bottles for about 50 cents each. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it. These stations have a little orange dot on the top of them. When the dock disappears you either have termites or the station has malfunctioned. Either way, you can check to see if there are active termites, and if there are, then you can treat them right there. Now, let's face it, we are making these things out of used water bottles, so it is possible that one of orange indicators can move to the side and disappear, even though there are no termites. That's not really a big deal though because these things are very fast and easy to make and install. So, just keep a few on hand should you need to replace one. After they are installed, just walk around the house every couple of months to see if there are orange dots missing. It couldn't be easier.
It typically takes several weeks for any termite treatment to be effective. That is because you are using slow kill products. If you were to kill the termites too quickly, then they would not have a chance to bring the poison back to the colony and share it with the other termites. If you don't kill off the entire colony, you will not end the infestation. Therefore, you must kill off subterranean termites very slowly. So, I would give this at least 12 weeks before I would decide that something went wrong, and the process didn't work. Hiring a professional to trench your house is pretty much going to take about the same amount of time to kill off the colony.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites the right way: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video and how to make termite monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions wonderful info. The Terminix guy said the stations work in about 2-4 months. They check them once a year and if there are shells of soldier termites it’s a clear sign colony is dead. I see why you say two years, In that they can survive that long. Why do bait stations not use the trench chemicals which work faster?
@@bryanutility9609 If you read the contract, I will bet that it will say that they do not guarantee results and they are not responsible for any damages to the building that is caused by termites. Further, it will probably state that results will take from several weeks to several months, between the time it was installed and the time the colony is eliminated. They can tell you anything, but what matters is what is in writing. I think 2 to 4 months would be overstating the effectiveness of the system and I seriously doubt that they will give you that guarantee in writing. So, you should ask them, if the termites are not gone in 4 months, do you get your money back? Would you like to guess what the answer will be? I honestly do not know why they choose to go with an IGR, other than it is felt to be a safer product. It will eventually get the job done, but I think they would have been wiser to go with a fipronil bait that will take out the colony faster. I am currently designing such a system that you can make yourself and I will do a video on it after all the bugs are worked out (Did you see the pun there?), and I have it tested. So, stay tuned. For now, I recommend the granules or trenching. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Hello Guy, Thanks for all the great videos. I have found active damage in my home and have captured picture of Formosan Termites in small tunnel om celling drywall. I want to treat outside where I have just found one mud tube so far but want to know if granular is ok or do I need to trench. any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.
Unfortunately, the granules are not a good choice for Formosan termites. I have a video on how to treat them and I will give you the link. So sorry that you are having this problem. You need to get on it fast though because these guys will do a lot of damage really fast. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to treat Formosan termites: th-cam.com/video/xDtGUWxMrRw/w-d-xo.html
@@Darren-xk2uz I wouldn't say uncommon, but for Formosan termites, you will often see several. One is all they need though and there may be others that you have not located yet. They do not need to be on the outside. The important thing is to start trenching. If you have a crawl space, then check under there to see if there are mud tubes in contact with the ground. If so, then please let me know. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Guy, thank you for all the VERY information videos!! (I will be making some monitoring stations based on your instructions.) How far apart are termite colonies? My neighbor paid dearly a professional for a Taurus SC termite treatment around his house and garage. The pest control company did not trench, but injected about 100 gallons of solution several places around the perimeter. Their house is about 200' from our detached garage and house. I have seen a couple of surface tubes by the adjoining wall, which appear old and broken down, but do not see any indication of tubes or evidence reaching into our buildings. Would his treatment eradicate the colony that I see tubes for?
You are the first person that has ever asked me how far apart termite colonies are located. That is an interesting question, but there is no answer for it. Subterranean termite colonies have the potential to be fairly close together, but they can also be quite far apart. It just depends how far the reproductives went after leaving the colony. It is very possible that the only termite colony near enough to be a problem was the same one that your neighbor had. If the pest controller did a good job, then that took out the entire colony, so it would no longer be a problem for you. However, you can still get attacked from a different colony. Therefore, using some sort of preventive measure would be a good idea. Personally, I use both termite granules and monitoring stations. The monitoring stations are cheap enough if you make them yourself, so I placed them every 4 ft apart. That way, it would be very hard for the termites to miss them. Still, I have learned to never say never in pest control, so if they do get past the monitoring stations, they will run right into the granules that I have around my house, and that will take them out. if they do set off one of the monitoring stations, then I will treat them at that location, so they never do get to the house. Keep in mind that for the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should just use monitoring stations. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the information! None of the videos online addressed a neighbor dealing with having and treating a colony. But the pest guy that did the treatment did say colonies could be large and cover an area hundreds of yards from the main colony. I had already watched the other videos, figured that granules and monitoring stations should be my minimum actions. So ordered the balsa wood, and from your referral, bought the Termite Killer Granules, which arrived today. Gulped a couple bottles of beverage and have a few to get started with. Hope the monitoring stations never show activity, but as you said in the granule video, whether I know I have termites or not, a $50 investment is peace of mind.
Thank you Guy. Am a little surprised the colony proximity question hadn't come up before. I suppose the first reaction if a neighbor has termite damage warranting treatment, then treating our house would seem required. But it confused me as to why, if the treatment is so effective, and kills a colony that could cover several hundred feet, that a building just 200' away would not be protected. I have appreciated and watched several of your videos and based on the information you give, have purchased the balsa wood sticks, the recommended termite granules, and a bottle of Taurus SC. All have arrived and am now collecting some bottles to make the monitor stations as well as a few bait stations if need be. Given that the Taurus treatment is a 12 week process, I could expect to see activity in the monitors, but also expect it to taper off and cease within a few months. Will try to come back and update as it goes. Keep up the good work.
I understand that all of this sort of thing can be somewhat confusing. Termites are a social insect. They live in colonies because they need each other to survive. Much like ants, there are termites in the colony that never leave. A good example would be the king and the Queen. So, for these things to survive, they need the other termites to bring food to them. While the workers and some of the soldiers regard your house as their favorite restaurant, there are many other termites in the colony that just prefer to get take out, that is delivered by the termites that visit your house. This is why we use a slow kill termiticide. If you place this pesticide barrier around your house, then the termites that go to and from your house are going to pass through it, and take the pesticide back to the colony, and share it with the other termites. This will kill all the termites in the colony, including the queen, regardless of how far the colony is from the house. Most of the time, the colony is located with a 300 ft radius of your house. Trenching and the granules work the exact same way. They both create this barrier around your house that the termites must pass through if they wish to eat. If there is just one colony in the area and that colony attacks your neighbor's house and your house at the same time, then if the neighbor treats for termites, then they are also treating your termites too. If your neighbor wipes out the colony, then there are no termites left to eat your house. The thing is though that there may be more than one colony in the area. So, it is possible that your house can be attacked by one colony, and your neighbor's house can be attacked by a different colony. In that case you would need to treat both houses. It is also possible that a house can be attacked by two colonies at the same time. This is not a problem though because both colonies will be taken out at the same time. The monitoring stations work because the termites are very likely to find them on their way to your house. Since there is not a lot of wood in there, the station will go off pretty quickly. That is why you need to check them at least every 30 days. Just keep in mind that these things are made from water bottles, so they are not exactly perfect. Sometimes, the stick will move a little bit so that you cannot see the orange dot, and you may think that you have termites when you don't. This can happen if you run over it with a riding mower, or if perhaps the stick was not quite long enough when you made the station, and the stick just kind of compressed to where it became a bit loose. So, if you see one of these things go off, be sure to pull it up out of the ground to make sure that there are termites in it. If there are, then put it back and treat for the termites. If the station just malfunctioned, simply replace it with another one. I've also seen people ride over these things with mowers and it caused the station to sink down into the ground to where you couldn't even see it anymore. That usually happens if you are not checking them regularly. If you start to see when sinking into the ground, they need to reset it. Other than that, the station's function very well. Most of the time, when you see the orange dot disappear, you actually do have termites. At that point you can put a bait station right next to the monitoring station and take out the entire colony. I don't know if you watched my video on how to make your own bait station, but you may want to have a look at that. My homemade bait stations will take out the colony in about 12 weeks, but the ones you buy commercially can take up the two years. That is because they do not use a poison, but rather an insect growth regulator that's simply stops the termites from reproducing. Termite workers can live up to two years, so those things can take some time to eliminate the colony. Oftentimes they work faster than that, but not always. The homemade bait stations use an actual termiticide, and that will take out the colony in the same amount of time as if you were trenching. I will give you a link to that video. I hope that explains everything. Be well my friend. Video on how to make bait stations: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy! Definitely need your advice. Just got two equal quotes to rid an area of our home from termites. One company would dig the trench around our entire home and drill holes in concrete porch and slabs. The other company is going to use foam in walls where termites are, bait stations, and drill holes in front porch near where termites are. There's no visible evidence of termites on the sides or back of our home...just in the front on both sides of the front concrete porch. Both companies quoted just over $1k. This makes it hard to decide. What would you recommend?
The correct treatment is to trench around the house and drill the concrete. That's the one I would go with. That being said, you may be able to treat this yourself for about $50 and an hour of your time, with no trenching or drilling at all. 95% of the time you can just use termite granules. I have a video on how to do it and I will give you a link to it. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider either hiring someone or doing the trenching yourself. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. It's not as hard as you may think. You don't need to drill the concrete. You can simply trench around it. The pros drill it, but personally I would not do it that way. I don't like holes in my concrete, even if they fill them in. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. Both trenching and the granules take up to 12 weeks to work because you must kill termites slowly. It's the same if the pros to it too. They use the same stuff for trenching. By the way, I will be out of town for a couple of weeks, so I may not be able to answer additional questions until after I get back. Don't worry though. If you have follow-up questions, I will answer them upon my return. I'm sure I'll have a good deal of questions waiting for me, so please be patient. I will work through them one at a time. Hopefully it will only take me a week to get caught up. I promise that I will get back to you if you have additional questions, albeit a little slower than usual. We have not been on a vacation for over 13 years and my wife has explained in her unique way that the time has come. So, go I must, and we won't be back until around June 11. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy, thank you for very insightful information. I had a swarm of termites today. I saw swarm right outside of my house wall and also I can see quite few dead (and some still crawling) inside my house, mainly the same side of the house where I saw the swarm of termites. I called a professional pest control and he recommended to do liquid treatment (termidor) only the section of the house (about 1/3) and bait system all around the house. Now I understand how unreliable bait system is, should I do liquid treatment ALL around the house or just the section of the house where termite activity is seen. I asked the same question to the guy and he said it would be overkill and enough to do around where potential colony is. just some more information, I have a side of house paved leading to garages and a large deck behind the house too, which make it hard to reach for liquid treatment.
How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy, and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. I almost never recommend baiting. Depending upon where you live, these may not even be subterranean termites, so we need to know the species to get this right the first time. For now, I recommend doing nothing at all until. Don't worry. I will assist you with this and it's going to be okay. Please note that I am on vacation, and I will not be home until after June 11, so I may not be able to answer follow-up questions until I get home. So, please be patient, I will get caught up as quickly as possible. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for prompt response even you’re on vacation (you’re just amazing). I watched your video about species and as I live well above the red/orange line, central NJ, so I think it is subterranean one. I have multiple pros come out and inspect/estimate. No one found visible evidence of damage inside of my house. There are dead bodies of 100 or so termites found inside my house close to where I saw swarming. All except one suggested bait method (one said he doesn’t do bait at all). I am inclining to do liquid method as that is the sure way to protect and bait method sounds like a lottery. Am going right direction? Look forward to your insights and guidance. Thank you very much!!
@@henrykim1409 I am still on vacation, but I'm at sea today, so I am taking some time to answer questions. You are definitely going in the right direction. I never recommend baiting, unless there are absolutely no other options. That does happen sometimes, but not very often. The best way to handle your problem is to trench around the entire house. If you like, you can do this yourself and it's not all that hard. The product you need only costs about $100, and you can do just 10 feet at a time if you want, and you can take up to a month to get it done. I worked with a single mom in NJ who did it with her teenage daughter. They did just 10 feet every day after work and school, and they were totally successful. Please watch my video on how to trench for subterranean termites and see if you think this is something you think you can do yourself. It will save you a lot of money. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Guy, I have sub eastern termites which I identified with the help of your video. My renters failed to tell me that the septic tank lines were very not working which caused moisture near the house and possibly under the house. Septic tank is two feet away from the house. The home has been vacant for two months and the septic lines where re done last week. We discovered the termites while pulling up a wood and tung floor. My thoughts are that the termites are not under the house anymore since the lines are fixed and there is nothing else under the house causing moisture. I hope this thought is on spot. We plan to trench and use the foam for the joist that the termites seem to have run into after exposing them. The joist is still solid. Any thoughts on our chosen termite journey to get rid of them?
The termites were probably not colonizing under the house or even near the septic tank. The colony is most likely within a 300 foot radius of the house. They travel just a few inches below the ground and that's how they got to your house. If you removed their food source, which was the floor, they they will most likely find another food source, which may be another part of your house. Therefore, treating around the house is a good idea. You may want to try granules. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy! Thank you so much for helping save money and damage with all your video's. My question, towards the end of this one, you say if your house are on pilings you can trench around the whole house. My situation is: 2 layers of siding, the outside layer is 3/4 cypress, on regular plank board. Before I knew I had both termites and carpenter ants, had someone take the bottom boards touching the dirt off as they were damp and rotted before I had a terrible problem. The other problem is I have 2 driveways and poured concrete in the back along with a garden shed with concrete in other words more concrete than grass. Of coarse I have deep holes here and there around where the concrete is..AND out by the asphalt street and curb. I have about 1 ft between house and driveway, 1ft by pool deck and metal fence. The distance between metal building( which has damage on inside 2x4's ) 20 inches between the other side of the house and garden shed which is on a concrete pad and driveway. My questions are Can I just dig a trench between house and shed .. A trench between the house on the other side and the driveway and the pool deck and fence? I do see tunnels on the back of the house that has a add on with T111 wood siding again on concrete and pilings. Which I will use the filpro on.. One more question after I trench around all the concrete, driveways and the house that has only between a foot and 20 inches. on pilings, except the 4x4's going into the ground for the house, stairs, porches ect. Would it be too much to spray the Taurus SC around eves windows ect or should I use the Talstar P . Thank you!
Sorry, it wasn't this video it was Trench the correct way.. BTW- The carpenter Ants are mostly under the concrete..which is alot! Do they tunnel the outside of blocks, or just crawl, then into cracks spaces between trim wood into the wood, and then cause tunneling on lets say T11 wood siding? Thanks again!!!
Do you suppose you could send me photos of all of this? I need to really see it to fully understand it. You know. A picture is worth a thousand words. I don't want to give you bad advice because I have the wrong idea of what it looks like. You can send the photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Be well my friend.
Oh Thank you so much.. I will, in a few days, while doing yardwork as we are due for rain tomorrow, I'm in the middle of doing the inside first with dust and filpro, and TalstarP Staying on point! :)@@GuysPestSolutions
Hi Guy, do you know how to address a sharp slope around the perimeter of my home for trenching with the termadore? The water just tends to run down fast instead of seeping into the dirt? TY!
Sure. Just dig the trench in 2 foot sections. You also need to treat the backfill dirt. Please watch my video on how to trench properly. Be well Serena. Video on how to trench properly: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
I following your trench advice for my existing infestation. Digging it now. 6” of gravel on top of soil. I removed gravel. Now dig 6” of soil. The removed soil is now mixed with the gravel outside the trench. Once I pour chemical, Is it ok to pour back in mixed soil+gravel or should I buy clean dirt to cover first? Also termite holes seen in top of wall inside finished basement. (Bottom of Basement window ~18” below ground) Does having a basement require digging trench more than 6” deep? Chemical says I need to dig 4’ if “footing is below 4’” I don’t know what that means.
How deep is the gravel? You want the dirt to be down 6 inches. It's okay to have a light covering of gravel, but you don't want to fill the trench with it. Water flow is not your friend. Don't worry about that treating to the footing thing. That does not apply to you. A 6-inch trench is all you need. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
@@GuysPestSolutions pebbles were 6”. I removed them, then dug 6-7” of trench under soil. Then poured in Chemicals, backfilled with soil & pebbles on top. Then I sprinkled granules on top for good measure. It rains almost every day but the trench is within the overhang so should be ok.
@@bryanutility9609 Sounds good. It's not a big deal, but you should know that lab tests suggest that applying the granules over the top of Taurus SC will reduce the effectiveness of the Taurus SC. I know that it does not make sense, but that was the results of the study. It was not tested in the field though. It still killed the termites, so it's all good. Apparently imidacloprid interacts somehow with fipronil to reduce the effectiveness of the fipronil. Who knew? You're still good though. It didn't make that much of a difference. Be well my friend.
What if you saturated cardboard with some pesticide, be it organic stuff or not... 🤔Then dug up a little to slap it between your foundation and the dirt, but put the dirt back? Would this work?.... 😆Crazy thoughts out loud...
You would be creating a bait. That's fine, but you need enough bait to take out the entire colony. I just posted a video on how to do that. I will give you the link. Be well my friend. Homemade bait station video: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
Hi, I have watched quite a few of your videos and they are super great! I am unsure on if I should bait or trench with Termidor SC around my house. Last summer I had a few bait stations pop around my house and another one recently. The first few popped near mulch and the other was near a piece of plywood laid beside my house. The bait station as of recent popped and is not near any source of wood etc. I am not seeing any mud tubes around my house so I am not sure if trenching would be over kill etc. Any help would be most appreciated. I can also send you video of around my house if needed.
If you are using the Spectracide Termite Stakes, then remove the bait from one of the ones that went off and see if there are actually termites in it. Most likely you will find ants instead. Termites are cream colored, with two distinct body segments. Ants are not cream colored and have three distinct body segments. Please watch my video on Spectracide Termite Stakes for more information. If you do find termites in the stations, then put the station back where it was and install a bait station right next to it. Do this for all the stations that contain termites. You can make your own bait stations, or you can buy them commercially. The Spectracide Termite Stakes do not contain enough bait to get the job done. Please watch my video on how to make bait stations. I will also give you a link to the ones you can buy. Very important! If these are termites, please watch my video on how to identify termite species. There is a map in that video. If you live in the red or orange areas on the map, then go ahead and trench because these could be Formosan termites. Do not play around with Formosan termites. If they are Formosan termites, then I would trench and use the bait stations as well. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on Spectracide Termite Stakes: th-cam.com/video/UDzg-1lpynA/w-d-xo.html Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html Video on how to make bait stations: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html Commercial bait stations: www.domyown.com/advance-termite-bait-station-p-148.html?co_var=3 Commercial bait: www.domyown.com/trelona-compressed-termite-bait-box-cartridges-p-17220.html?co_var=3
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks for all the information! You are correct these are the Spectracide stakes. I was only able to find 1 insect and it was white/cream etc. I live in the red areas you mentioned from your other videos. I have not seen any mud tubes leading up past our concrete foundation. I will be trenching.... ugh I will get the Termidor SC and go to work on this soon.
watched your video on trenching (excellent), and I have a question about termites in the garage. The termites appear to be coming in where the cement block and cement floor meet. First time they came in on the south side and started eating a wood bookcase and landscape bags under the bookcase on the floor. The next year they came in on the north side and started eating a bookcase and storage boxes. Are they under the garage floor? I sealed the Crack with cement and used a spray that lasts six months. Should I apply Taurus SC? And how would you do this?
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. My guess is that this is nothing more than a common species of subterranean termites, but it is best to be sure before we treat. If I am correct, then this can be fairly easily treated. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy! Really like your videos, very detail and right to the point. I need your advice anyway. I found swarming inside the house next to the house side storm door a few years ago. I research and it was subterranean termites. I bought BioAdvanced Terminate on-contact killer and sprayed on a ground next to the house wall. After that I still have swarming once a year about this time. I found that swarming termites get out in a house from some crack in a frame of storm door (on a outside I found swarming termites under the light base when I took it off the sliding vinyl. It was a gap and rain probably wet the space there). I sprayed there whatever I have left of that termites killer. Now I want to install baits and also use granules around the house. Problem is that I cannot buy granules in New York and it cannot be shipped to New York. What are my options? I saw your other video and you said that bait stations for preventing termites coming into the house. So am I right that my option is do a trench or granules? I wanted to do both, trench and stations just in case. Also, what do you think about "Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes, Kills Foraging Termites, Detects Termite Activity"? Thank you for your advice.
Please watch my video about the Spectracide Termite Stakes. Do not use the liquid termite killer. That will make the infestation worse. The termites will just move to another area of your home. That product it total garbage. Some New Yorkers tell me that Amazon has shipped the granules to them. Sometimes you can simply drive to NJ and get them. Just have them shipped to a friend or family member. NY is hard when it comes to pest control. NJ doesn't care at all what you buy, but NY wants you to only use licensed pest controllers, so they regulate everything, no matter has safe it is. I wish I had a better answer for you, but all they will sell you in NY is stuff that either won't work at all or it just makes the problem worse. I am so sorry. Be well my friend. Video about the Spectracide Termite Stakes: th-cam.com/video/UDzg-1lpynA/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thank you very much for your help, I really appreciate it. NJ is also restricted, but I will find a ways to get the product and stations. I was surprised do not see CA in a list :)
@@tesladude2822 You are correct. NJ must have just been added to the list. That's weird because you can still get Taurus SC in NJ. I will give you a link to it. With Taurus SC you need to trench, but it's a better way to do it anyway. Trenching lasts 5 to 10 years. I will give you a link to my video on how to trench correctly for termites. So, if you can find someone in NJ to get it shipped to, then you have a great alternative. Be well my friend. Taurus SC: www.domyown.com/taurus-sc-termiticide-p-1816.html?sub_id=1817 Video on how to trench correctly for termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
We live in a middle townhouse and was told we have shelter tubes on a deck post and raised plant bed but nothing inside the home. I had to squint because I didn’t see anything. Anyways the front of the townhouse we could easily do the trench method but the back of the townhouse we have a slab of concrete, raised plant bed with wood edging and another area with just rocks…How could we treat the back area since we can’t dig the trench? Do we dig a trench in the raised garden that surrounds the fence but doesn’t touch the house? We were quoted $2899 for bait stations.
Whatever you do, please do not sign a contract for bait stations. That's a total rip-off. Please send me photos of the front and back of the building. I need to see from the townhouse to the property line or street. Also, shoot a few photos of the deck and one where the termites were found, as well as some photos of the concrete slab, plant bed, and so forth. After I have a look at it, I can tell you the best way to treat it. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters a lot with termites. You can send the photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. When you email, please remind me of the situation. You can simply copy and paste your original question into the email. Please allow a couple of days for me to respond. I just came down with Covid and I'm a bit under the weather at the moment. I'm still going, albeit somewhat slower than usual. I get a lot of termite questions this time of year because it is swarming season, but I will definitely answer your email. I recommend that you do nothing until you hear from me after I see the photos. I may be able to save you a lot of money. My service is always free, so you have nothing to lose by listening to my advice. I have saved people over 100 million dollars already, and I can most likely save you money too. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Hello, We have subterranean. termites; found them in a small section of baseboard in the add-on to our home. We think it was an early detection. Extermination Co. quoted $1700 to dig U-shaped trench (about 30 ft.) and then use bait stations around rest of the house. Such a lot of money!! If we DIY, we'll trench the 30-ft. U shape and treat it with T. SC. Then for the remaining perimeter, we'll apply Bio Advanced Termite Granules. Would this 2-type approach be wise to do? What would you recommend? Thank you!
You didn't say where you live. Location matters because not all species of subterranean termites are the same. If you have a common species of subterranean termites, then you may get away with using just the granules. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. Don't worry. It is not as hard as you may think. There is a map in that video that will show you where Formosan termites are a problem. If you live in an area where these guys are present, then you need to make a positive identification prior to treatment. If these are not Formosan termites, then you may be able to get away with just using the granules and not trenching at all. Your plan may work, but why trench if you don't need to? For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. I would not just do 30 feet. The proper way to do it is to go around the entire house and both sides of the driveway. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
I live in VA, and found a swarmer on deck, called termite control companies, and they told me to install baiting station, they told me that liquid won't work, because our house has sunroom and screened decking additions ( not on concrete, so foundation side is inside ), after watching your video, if I do trench around the additions, it supposed still work, or it will leave holes, one side of house will have gap since it is not directly against foundation. For the addition side, should I use better Bioadvanced Termite killer? will Termidor still will work if I trench it around the addition and deck area?
Pest control companies love to sell baiting systems because they are cheap and easy to install, and they can rip you off for years on them. Baiting is almost never the way to go. You are just making the pest controllers rich, and the bait stations don't always work. Please send me a photo of the deck. I would like to see all sides of it, from the deck to the ground. I can then tell you exactly how to treat it. Most likely you can trench right around it. If you want to use a baiting system, don't waste your money on a pro. You can install the same thing for about $300 yourself and each station takes about 5 minutes to install. That's why companies like them. It's fast, easy money for them. You can send photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. You should also do a termite inspection yourself. You should do this every year. I will give you a link to my video on how to do it. It's very easy. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to inspect for termites: th-cam.com/video/oGyAVT7Zyro/w-d-xo.html
When I bought this dump in Florida I found that I had a very active infestation. I panicked and called the M guys in town. I was given a line of crap, then they installed the bait stations and did some treatment inside where I tore out the walls ($1600 !!). Before they did any work however, I asked if they would drill and treat the 30' back patio (where most of the bugs were at) and they said no. I then told them to get off my property if they didn't drill and treat. They drilled and treated.
I'm so sorry you had that experience. A lot of companies today only use baits. The bait stations are cheap to purchase, very fast to install, and they can charge a lot of money for them. So, they don't want to waste their time drilling concrete or trenching around your house, the way they are supposed to do it. I am happy to hear that you made them drill the concrete. You are correct that there is a very good chance this is where they came into your home. I just hope that the treatment actually worked. I recommend that you inspect for termites every couple of months to make sure that they are gone. If the infestation is still active after 6 months, then you may want to consider trying a different treatment method. In most cases, if you live in Florida, you can treat a termite problem for about $50 and 1 hour of your time. If they sold you a baiting contract, then I'm sure there is a monthly or annual fee that kicks in at some point. This fee typically goes on year after year and never stops. That is one of the reasons why the pest control companies love to use bait. They can go on charging you forever for doing almost nothing. My advice is to cancel this contract just as soon as it expires. I would not renew it, or go on paying it after the termination date passes. I would let them take their bait stations back and then I would just treat with granules every year. I also live in Florida, and that is exactly what I do. I will give you a link to that video, so you can see how it's done. You can also install your own bait stations for about $300. They do the exact same thing as the ones that the pest control company installed. I hope that helps. We will my friend. Video on how to use termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Thank You Guy, Ill check out the link. The drilling/treatment got rid of the termites that were all around the patio seam at the side of the house. I've since canceled the pest contract for a few reasons. 1) It included a worthless guarantee that the termites wouldn't come back, but it was ONLY for specific areas treated and they would have to tear the walls open to verify such. 2) They were supposed to come check the bait stations each year and inspect the house, but it was up to ME to call them and twist their arm to come out here to do their job. 3) When they sent a kid by to check the stations (22 of them) they couldn't find some of them. The accused me of having moved them for some reason and couldn't locate them. I went down to their office and chewed them out, then terminated the contract. Of course I didn't get a dime back. Yes they wanted to come pull up their stations (even though they couldn't find some) but I was so angry with them I told them to stay off my property and if they wanted the stations they needed to bring a sheriff with them. They didn't come get them and they're still sitting in the ground doing nothing. @@GuysPestSolutions
I'm so sorry that you had that experience. The good news is that you are a smart person and realized that you were being taken advantage of. Your story is very common in the industry. I know it sounds crazy, but it is not all that unusual for the stations to disappear. They are still there, but if they are located in the lawn, then it is possible that they were pushed down under the surface of the ground and the grass grew over them. I have seen this happen when a riding lawn mower routinely goes over the top of them. When that happens, they are almost impossible to find. Of course, the company should be aware that this sort of thing happens. The good news is that the termites are gone, and you are no longer paying for service that you don't need. Be well my friend.
Hey guy, im buying a house this month that has a small infestation in-between the garage wall and the house but not coming from the crawl space. Would it be effective to pour the liquid into the crack to try and treat them? Also can you over treat by having the trench and bait stations installed if you doit yourself.
How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. It is unlikely that just pouring a pesticide into the crack would be effective. Sometimes you need to trench and sometimes that will not work. Sometimes you can use bait and sometimes it is not recommended. So please get back to me regarding the species and where you live. I will help you figure it out. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Hello Guy, I've recently found some termites underneath a few pieces of log in my yard. I removed and threw away the wood. There's also some swarmers flying around every now and then at night. Also, I spray a ton of tarus sc down into the hole where I found the termite. I trenches and apply tarus sc around my entire house but just need to drill through some slabs left. I don't see any signs inside the house but what are the chances they make it inside now? Thanks.
If these are subterranean termites, then trenching should take care of it. Most of the time you don't need to drill concrete. I just trench around it, unless the concrete goes right to the property line. If you have not done so already, please watch my video on how to trench properly to make sure that you did it correctly. If you did, then you should be fine. The next time you see termites in the yard under some wood, don't throw the wood away. Move it to one side and dig a 6 inch deep hole around where it was that is 6 inches wider on all sides than the wood. Treat this the same way as if you were trenching the house, and then put the wood back where it was. This may take out the entire colony. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
An Orkin termite inspector came out to my house in Gainesville, Fl. I already have their bug service due to scorpions with a free termite inspection. He found nothing in the house or around it, but I have a shed that was at the edge of the property line where forest is and there were some old 2x4 boards on the ground left by the former owner of the house. Five of the pieces had nothing on them, but another had Asian termites. I have since removed all pieces of wood that were around the sheds. I’m assuming leftover from when they were installed the sheds. So now I’m being quoted $1700.00 there’s no way I could afford something like that and of course they were trying to terrorize me into it saying that it would eventually make its way to my house. Is there a product I can put on the ground to help kill off anything that may be left over by the sheds? I have aggressively inspected my house, which is a block home on a concrete slab looking for the mud tunnels, and any indication of potential termites and have found nothing thus far, the house has been inspected twice within 12 months for termites. I do not have any trees near my house or over the top of it, no rain gutters, but there are landscaping small rocks around the house. Can you help me with some suggestions to prevent termites?
If you get this, please email me at guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. I did respond to this question, but it looks like TH-cam deleted it. They do that sometimes and I don’t know why. So sorry. Just copy your original comment and past it into the email. Reference Case Number 082220241 in the subject line. Also, please give me your TH-cam name. Be well my friend.
Would it be okay to fill the trench with sand or gravel ...instead of the removed dirt...so it doesn't have to be trenches ever again for retreatment...im thinking the treatment would soak into the sand or gravel...I could be wrong...thanks....great video's!
I understand your thinking, but this would not be a good idea. Termites have a hard time traveling through sand and gravel and gravel will not do a good job holding the pesticide. You may think it is a good thing if termites have a hard time traveling through this material, but it's not. If they encounter sand or gravel, they may simply go under it and then up into your house, past the exterior walls. So, they may find a crack or crevice under the house and enter that way. That is why the pros do not fill in the trench with sand or gravel. We want the termites to come and go easily, so they will pass through the pesticide. This will take out the entire colony. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Hi Guy, you are just amazing my dear. I learned a lot from you. I have couple of questions here. I live in Half Moon Bay, CA (Pacific Ocean and a foggy city usually) in a new house (5 years old). I usually see the wings of subterranean termites captured by spider webs on the outside of my house (because we live very close to the woods. I never ever saw any activity in my house. Only last week my general pest control guy came and sprayed the perimeter of the house (like I do every quarter) but this time he did around around the windows n the lower floor. Also that night it rained heavily. One or Two days later, I saw 20 or 30 ants which were very drowsy in my first and second floors. They almost died easily. I easily spotted them because the house has light color hardwood floors. It turned that these are subterranean termite ants. I got very scared and called my pest control company. They came and did a free termite inspection. He went through the crawl space (btw mine is very clean as it is cemented, no dirt), he also went through attics. The good news he didn't find any signs of infestation but he said they might be inside walls. Anyway he offered me a protection plan which is very expensive for me (I'm retired snd like to save every dime if I can). Can I Do it myself (I'm relatively a good handy guy. Appreciate your help and reply
You live in an area where drywood termites and western subterranean termites are very common. I cannot say for sure that is what you have, but the information you just gave me would be consistent with these species. If this is the case, the kind of preventive treatment that a pest control would do is not going to be helpful, and it will do nothing to eliminate the infestation. Therefore it would be a total waste of money. You can easily do preventive treatments yourself and make your wallet very happy. Before we get into preventive treatments though, I think it makes sense to identify the species. These species are very different and get treated very differently. The good news is that it is fairly easy to identify these guys. Since you are getting swarmers, all you need to do is put one in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then you can take a good look at it, and it should be fairly easy to identify. If it is fairly small in size and is a reddish or brown color, then it is almost certainly a drywood termite. However, if it is solid black, then it is most likely a western subterranean termite. I do not think it's a Formosan termite, because you would be seeing mud tubes over the place. I know that the pest controller did not find mud tubes, and I don't know how they do it, but western subterranean termites have a way of invading your house without making their mud tubes very obvious. I'm pretty sure the pest controller would have found obvious mud tubes if he was even the slightest bit competent. Therefore, I think it's a fairly safe bet that you are looking at either drywood termites or western subterranean termites. Again, these guys get treated much differently, so it is imperative to identify the species. So, if the swarms are red or brown, then you are most likely looking at drywood termites. If the swarms are all black, then you are most likely looking at western subterranean termites. I think it is very likely that you have an existing infestation of one of these species, and since the western subterranean termites can be very aggressive, and do a lot of damage, I recommend that you make the identification as soon as possible. Please get back to me as soon as you do that, and I will guide you further. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Not sure how I can thank you my friend. Unfortunately I have the majority of swarmers captured by spider webs on the wooden shingles outside of the house looking like the western subterranean ones and also I saw a few less than 4 or five of the dry wood ones (smaller orange body). I have pictures for both I captured. The problem I’m really worried about is 4 days ago, I saw inside the house (after general pest control spraying around the perimeter outside my house) around 10 or 15 black ants walking on the hardwood floors with no wings in different areas of the house first and second floors. I only saw them that day and didn’t see them again (never had any ants before in my house ever for 5 years). Do you believe I have an infestation of western subterranean and the inspector didn’t see it in my crawl space and the 2 attics? I’m also sure there are no mud tunnels around the house. I was hoping that the general pest control and rain that night disturbed these black western subterranean and pushed them to go in my house but there is no infestation. What do you think? I also want to stress that the swarmers I see are all dead ones in the webs on the wooden shingles of my the outside walls of the house. I don't see them live and flying. I just wanted to be accurate and give you the full picture
@@TarekAnis-r4l The first thing you need to understand about termites swarmers is that they do not live long. These guys are what we call reproductives. There are basically kings and queens that are looking to start a new colony. They have a very short lifespan if they do not find a place to start the colony. In the case of drywood termites, they need to start that colony in wood. In the case of Western subterranean termites, they need to start the colony in the ground. In either case, you can see the dead bodies of the swarmers that didn't make it. I cannot say for sure if you have an infestation of either these species because I would need to inspect to confirm that. However, I think it is very likely that you do. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I have never run into Western subterranean termites because they only exist in several western states. I have never operated that far west. However, I do know that they have the ability to infest your home without visible signs of mud tubes. I have no idea how they do that, but I do know they have that ability. That means you cannot simply look for mud tubes to figure out if you have a Western subterranean termite infestation. One of the ways that you can tell if you have an infestation is if you see the swarmers inside the house. They almost never fly in from the outside. You may see one flying in from the outside every now and then, but if you see more than one inside, then it is a pretty safe bet that you have an infestation. If you look at the woodwork and the drywall, you may find an exit hole where they came out. These exit holes may now be filled with mud, and they are very small, so you need to look carefully. It is important to move furniture to inspect all the walls, and all the woodwork. If you see any tiny holes anywhere in the walls, then you have your answer. While you're at it, also look for frass. If you see a pile of frass anywhere, then you probably also have drywood termites as well. Seeing these guys outside the house is very concerning, and does require further investigation, but seeing them inside is a dead giveaway that you are probably experiencing an infestation. Drywood termites are very slow eaters, and it can take years for them to do a lot of damage. Therefore, you have a lot of time to figure it out with them. Western subterranean termites are different. These guys are very aggressive and can destroy a house pretty quickly. Therefore, if you have them, you need to figure it out as soon as you can. So, start by doing a thorough inspection of all the woodwork and drywall. This would also include the ceilings. If you cannot find anything, then the only thing you can do is take a wait and see approach, or call another couple of pest control companies to get another opinion. Like I said, I would not be worried about the drywood termites, but I would be very concerned about the Western subterranean termites.
If I dont put enough chemical due to measurement error less than 10 lineal feet should I be concerned? With Taurus Sc and trenching. .8 + .4 for 7 lineal feet.
It is important to use the correct concentration. Using too much will do no harm, but using too little may render it less effective. You may be okay if you treated the backfill dirt. Please watch my video on how to correctly trench for subterranean termites. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to correctly trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
More info. The bait stations have 2 trelona bait cartridges in each station. Shouldn’t there be a wood bait cartridge in each station with the Trelona?
You can buy them with the bait or wood installed. You may have purchased the Trelona ATBS Annual Monitoring Stations. These come with bait and the idea is that you only need to check them once a year. If the termites find them, then there is supposed to be enough bait in the station to eliminate the colony. Of course, that is "if" the termites find them. They don't always find them. The further away they are from each other, the harder it is for the termites to find them. These things are expensive, which is why I don't use them. You can make your own monitoring stations for about 50 cents each and place them at 4-foot intervals, thereby greatly increasing the chances that the termites will find them. I have a video on how to make them. There is a dot at the top of the station. When the dot disappears you probably have termites. I say probably because the stations can malfunction, so you always need to check them to make sure that there are actually termites in them. If there are, then put it back in the ground immediately and install a bait station next to it. If it went off by accident, just replace the station. The dots at the top make them super-fast to check. Just walk around the house once a month. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
If I am going to build a trench and pour the treatment around my house, what do I do if there are spots I can dig a trench and access for example a brick walk into the house. Do I just skip those section with the trench?
I would need to see photos of it. Please send them to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. When you email, please ask the question again. I get a lot of email, so I don't want to confuse you with someone else. Be well my friend.
Quick question about trenching. I live in an area where the ground is denser with clay and the pest control person said that they do not do trenching anymore around here, especially since there is a little bit of a slope on the side that runs off into the woods below for my townhouse. Now the slope itself is not that steep near the house and does get a little bit of a hill 10 feet away. Should I be worried about the use of the Termidor if it could run off down into the woods below? They recommended a bait station. Any advise would be welcome!
The pest controller is not telling you the truth. They like to sell the bait stations because they make good money on them for very little work. The problem is that the bait stations can take up to two years to work and they may never work at all. All that time the termites is still eating your house. You will see this all explained in the video. The Taurus SC or Termidor SC is designed to stay where you put it. So, after the trench is filled in, the pesticide isn't going anywhere. If you are trenching a slope, just dig a shorter length. It is perfectly fine to trench one or two feet at a time. If you treat the back fill dirt, then it doesn't matter how dense the soil is. Please watch my video on how to trench properly. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench properly: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks for the insight. I had another guy today actually come out just to do an inspection just so I had 2 company assessments. I do not currently have termites at the moment, but just want a preventive way incase it does become an issue down the road since my new construction soil treatment is gone. This other company also recommended the bait station and when I mentioned trenching, they also said they do not do that.... that it is chemical and not good for the environment so they use the bait stations instead. Is the Taurus SC and Termidor SC chemical? Would it effect environmentally around it such as bushes, fruit bearing bushes, etc.? My main concern is that I have fruit bearing bushes and trees around the area and do not want to be consuming any fruit that may be absorbing chemical pesticide. I appreciate any advise. Thanks!
Of course Taurus SC and Termidor SC are chemicals, but so is your laundry detergent and so is the bait that they put in the bait stations. That doesn't mean that the Taurus SC or Termidor SC particularly hazardous though. Modern day pesticides are designed to stay we put them, so trenching is not going to contaminate the environment in any way. This is also perfectly safe do your bushes and it will not bother your fruit bushes is either, unless they are within a couple of feet of the house. The truth is that these termite companies us selling you a bill of goods. It's a bunch of malarkey. I would like you to watch my video that explains the truth about using pesticides. You should re-watch the video that compares bait stations to trenching. Both of these videos are real eye openers, and every word in these videos it's the absolute truth. The only reason pest control companies want to sell you bait stations, is because they are very easy to install and you will end up paying them a fortune for them over time. If you read their contract, you will find a clause in there that will tell you that it may take up to two years for the bait stations to be effective in killing a colony, and that the bait stations may not even work at all. In other words, when you sign the contract, you are agreeing that you understand that the bait stations may not work, and you are not holding the company liable for any damage that is caused by termites. It is sometimes written and legalese, but I bet you it will be there. Trenching on the other hand, is almost a sure thing. However, if you do not have termites, then the easiest thing would be to use termite granules around your house and install monitoring stations. You can do the granules yourself for about $50 a year, in less than an hour. You can make monitoring stations yourself out of used water bottles for less than 50 cents each. I have videos on how to do all of this stuff, and it will save you a fortune. Just let me know if you are interested in those options, and I will provide you with more information on them. I can tell you that is exactly what I do. I use the granules every year and I have the homemade monitoring stations around my entire house. The monitoring stations are pretty cool too. There is an orange dot on the top of the station. When the dot disappears, you have termites. Then, you can treat them right at the monitoring station, before they get to your house. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video explaining the truth about using pesticides: th-cam.com/video/i7nLO6Js_3Q/w-d-xo.html
Guy, Hi. I’ve communicated with you regarding termites and bait stations and the use of your recommended Bayer Bio-Advanced termite killer. I just checked all of the bait stations ( which were installed approx. 6 months ago) and there is one which has termites within it. ( back corner of the house) It is a slab. I put down the bayer granular product about 2-3 months ago. How should I proceed?
If the dirt around your home passed the perk test, then the granules should protect your house, but I would still bait the termites at the monitoring station. First, make sure that the station actually has termites. Pull it out of the ground and check. If it has termites, then put it right back in the ground. The termites won't live long if you keep it out of the ground for more than a few minutes and you don't want them to die. At least, not yet. Have your drill and garden auger bit ready to clean up the hole. After it's back in the ground, lay a 6-inch piece of 2X4 on top of the station to give the termites something to munch on. Next, make a bait station and install it next to the monitoring station. It is helpful to take a few live termites and place them in the bait station after you install it. This will seed the station, and those termites will give off pheromones that will attract other termites. Just keep replacing the bait as needed. Never remove partially eaten bait. Just keep adding new bait. This should kill the entire colony in about 12 weeks. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to make a termite bait station: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
80% of my house has a 12" to 18" rock bed (average size, 4") the entire way around it. can I water in granules? we have no sign of termites, last treatment was 2018 and trying to determine the proactive way to move forward?
Would you mind sending me photos of this? I really need to see it to give you the best recommendation. Send photos off all sides of the house. I need to see where the outside walls meet the ground and from the sides of the house to the property lines. Also, from the front of the house to the street. Photos of the driveway would be useful as well. Please copy and paste your question in the email to refresh my memory on your situation. My email is guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Please allow a few days for a response. I am busy cleaning up from hurricane Milton. We got a direct hit as a cat 2. It made quite a mess. We are all okay, but there is a lot of cleanup left to do. So, I am running a bit behind with emails. I promise that I will get back to you as soon as I can. Be well my friend.
Is it good to do a trench with Termidor or Taurus and also have a sentricon bait system installed? Using them in together? My property seems to be very conducive to termites, due to the sandy soil . I left a raw piece of wood on the ground for 10 days and came back and it was filled with termites.
Trenching is the best way to eliminate subterranean termites. The Sentricon system is pretty much a rip off. You are paying for nothing after you trench. It is usually the national companies that try to take advantage of you by selling you both trenching and Sentricon. They know that the trenching will get it done. Please tell me where you live. If you are lucky, you may be able to get away with using termite granules for about $50 and an hour of your time. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Guy, I am in Tallahasee Florida. I was gonna have a company install the sentricon. And I was gonna do the termidor SC trench myself just to quickly get the population that has eaten the back of my garage . Should I just do the trenching myself and forget the sentricon with the company?
@@TheMubby You have two species where you live. One of them is very easy to treat, but the other is a serious problem. If you can obtain a specimen with a red head, you can tell one from the other. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. Don't worry. It's not that hard. Let me know if they are Formosan termites. Those are the bad ones. You can trench for either species, but you don't need to for Eastern subterranean termites. Please watch my video on how to trench for subterranean termites if you decide to trench. You need to do this correctly, and most videos do not show you how to do it right. So, please watch mine. If you identify the species before you trench, and if they are not Formosan, then you can treat them with granules for about $50 and an hour of your time. No trenching at all. So, it may pay to find out what they are. If you have an estimate, the species may be listed on it. However, I never trust pest control companies to get it right. If you have damage, dig into it with a screwdriver to see if you can get a specimen with a red head. You can also break open a mud tube. This may save you a lot of time and work. Please let me know. I hope that helps. Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
That depends upon how you use it. If you are treating around all the windows, doors, fascia boards, soffits, and all other penetrations in the side of the building, then it should provide protection from drywood termites. Keep in mind that the product can last up to 90 days, but that does not mean that you will get 90 days of protection. Climate conditions can shorten the lifespan of the pesticide. Moreover, the last 30 days of protection is not going to be as good as the first 30 days. Therefore, I have now started treating my house every 60 days to prevent drywood termites. Please watch my video on how to prevent drywood termites. I tell you to treat every 90 days in the video because that is what the manufacturers are claiming will work, but that is no longer what I do. Treating every 60 days reduces the risk of an infestation. Drywood termites are expensive to treat, so I no longer take any chances. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to prevent drywood termites: th-cam.com/video/neNsmVbj8Pc/w-d-xo.html
I'm going to be trenching my place in about a week. I know I have or have recently had termites. Should the Taurus sc work or do you recomend something stronger?
Taurus SC works on all subterranean termites, so go with that. However, if you have Formosan termites, then additional treatment may be necessary. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species to make sure that you don't have Formosan termites. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks. I'm pretty sure they are subterranean by the color of the flyers. You have helped me a lot figuring out how to handle this. Love the informative videos.
Good question. I like fipronil the best, but imidacloprid works well too. The product I like to use is Taurus SC. Please watch my video on how to trench for termites. Keep in mind that trenching only works for subterranean termites. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench for termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Help? 😭 We had two companies come out, Orkin & Terminix after finding live termites in our home. Damage down to the basement. They both only offer the Sentricon and no trenching. We agreed to have the Sentricon installed on Saturday but still want to trench the home ourselves for extra protection. My assumption is that, you can’t do both?? If the bait system is installed will trenching it later ruin it? Please help if you have an answer! 😭 thank you so much
I think baiting for termites is almost always a bad idea and a waste of money. More and more pest controllers are starting to agree with me. The Sentricon people way oversold that system and it does not work as well as they claim. If you read the contract carefully, you will most likely find a clause that releases them from liability if the system fails. That is because it does fail sometimes. Even when it works, which it usually does, it works very slowly. Meanwhile the termites are eating your house. The Sentricon system should never be used to treat Formosan termites. If you have an opportunity, you should cancel that contract. Most states give you a 3-day grace period to cancel most contracts like that. If you are stuck for a year, then cancel the contact at the earliest possible moment. Going forward, always adopt my number one rule when a salesperson is in your home. You should never sign anything in the presence of the salesperson. Always wait at least 24 hours to decide if it makes sense. If they tell you that the price is only good for today because their sale ends today, then show them the door. They are just a high pressure rip off company that you need to avoid at all costs. Also, never hire any company that advertises on TV. Those ads cost money and you are the one paying for those advertisements. Most of the time, the worst companies are the ones who advertise the most. A good, reputable company has all the work they can handle just by recommendations from other customers. The locally owned mom and pop companies are almost always your best bet. The person who comes to your house is often the same person who will do the treatment and they are an actual pest controller and not a trained salesperson. They rely on positive feedback and recommendations and will usually bend over backwards to provide good customer service. You did not indicate where you live, so I do not know what species are in your area. It is possible that you do have Formosan termites. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. There is a map in that video that will show you where Formosan termites are a problem. The contract should list the species, but national companies often send out salespeople instead of actual pest controllers, so they often get the species wrong. I have seen these guys sell bait stations for drywood termites and that species does not even attack from the ground. All they want to do is sell you as much as they can. About 95% of the time all you actually needed to do was sprinkle termite granules around your house and water them in with a garden hose. It costs $50 and takes about an hour to do. No trenching at all. The granules work so well that states are starting to ban them because they are taking too much business away from pest control companies. This is still something you can do, and it will not bother the bait system at all. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. Trenching will not bother the bait system either. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. Keep in mind that the granules do not work on Formosan termites. That species requires trenching and some additional treatment inside the house. Please let me know if you are in an area where these guys are known to exist. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well Kaylee. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
If you can get under the deck and treat alongside the house, you definitely should do that. At the same time, you also need to treat the deck. The best way to do that is to treat around each one of the deck supports. If you have stairs leading down to the ground, then I would treat around those as well. Don't worry if you cannot get too close to the underside of the stairs where they meet the ground. Just get as close as you can. If you have a situation where you cannot get under the deck, then the next best thing is to treat around the deck. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Thank you again. I wasn't familiär with the granules, might give them a try. I had bait stations put in as a preventative, but the company was unscrupulous, took my money and I never saw him again, $1100. Elderly women are bait for predators. Still, I try. Any particular type of granule?
I am so sorry that you had that experience. The granules are often a good choice because they are cheap and easy to apply. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. If you do not have an active infestation already, you may want to also consider using monitoring stations around your home. I use both the granules and the monitoring stations. I will give you a link to my video on how to make them for under 50 cents each. I put them around my entire house for less than $25. I hope that helps. Be well Dorothy. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
for an active infestation, if you have a vegetable garden nearby, (2-3 meters from the perimeter of the house) what would be the best solution? Bait stations will take too long but will the termicide granules or thermodor leech into the soil and into the vegetables, making it unsafe or at least not a good idea in the long term to eat? Do we have to choose between our vegetable garden or our poor house 😫
Your garden is a safe distance away from the house so that you do not need to worry about your vegetables being contaminated by the termiticide. Modern day pesticides are formulated to stay where you put them. So you can either use the granule or trench. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. Please make sure that you buy the correct granules. There are two kinds of granules now and one of them does not work. They are both manufactured by Bayer, but they really screwed up on one of these products. Make sure that you get the granules that use imidacloprid as the active ingredient. The correct granules are no longer available at a lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores. However, they are still available on Amazon and I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
@@johncovino1155 Unless the garden is right next to the house, then you would be okay to trench. This stuff depends upon soil conditions and such as that, but if the garden is at least 24 inches away from the house, then you should be okay. The termiticide does not travel that far through the ground. Usually only a couple of inches. 21st century pesticides are designed to stay where you put them. They bond with the soil. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Hi! I came downstairs one day and found termites flying in my kitchen, I trenched around the perimeter of the house and used Taurus SC. Will this kill the colony? Will trenching the perimeter kill the infestation if it is in the middle of the crawlspace? Thank you for your videos.
I am so sorry that you are having this problem. A lot depends on the species and how you did the trenching. Please tell me where you live. Also, when you trenched, did you dig a 6 inch deep and 6 inch wide trench, and did you treat the backfill dirt? Did you dig the trench starting from the road and going along the driveway to the house, and then around the entire home, and back to the road? Please watch my video on how to trench for subterranean termites to see what I am talking about. If you did it correctly, that should eliminate all species of subterranean termites, except if the colony is under the house. Please tell me why you think the colony is under the house. Are you seeing mud tubes that are in direct contact with the ground anywhere? If so, then I will explain how to treat under the crawl space. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks for your response. We are in Kennesaw (Atlanta) GA. Yes, 6" x 6", poured the solutions, sprayed the dirt alongside the trench, filled the trench, and sprayed the top of the backfill again. Is that enough "treating"? Guess we could go back and pour some more on the backfill if needed. We did not trench around the driveway, because the driveway is separate from the house and does not touch the foundation at any point, so we were able to completely encircle the house. I am just asking about under the house because we have a 120-year-old house, and the room where the termites were flying is half over a 12" crawlspace that is mostly inaccessible due to HVAC ductwork and half on slab, so I was hoping you would say, "Oh, no, you got them." I think a close inspection of the brick piers in the crawlspace is now required and we may have to remove some ductwork to try and gain access all the way into that corner. Should we remove some baseboard and drywall at the bottom of the perimeter of the room and look for any damage? Thank you again!
Oh, we also put out bait staitions. It is time to inspect them now. And, we have no gutters on the house and 4" of mulch on the outside, If any of that matters.
@@gurdoncounts3450 Thank you so much for sharing that information. I'm very familiar with Kennesaw Georgia. The home of the General. There is an old Disney movie that was done on it. Your town is steeped in history. It doesn't sound like you did the trenching exactly right, but I think what you did is probably sufficient to get the job done. You do live in an area where Formosan termites are active and they are a very aggressive species. You most likely do not have them, but it would be wonderful if you could show me one of those swarmers that you saw. I'm guessing that you no longer have a specimen, but if you see these guys again, then please put one in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then please send me a photograph of it. The photograph needs to be taken a certain way, so please watch my video on how to properly photograph a bug. If you kind of remember what it looked like, then please watch my video on how to identify termite species. You most likely do not have a colony under the house, but you can never rule it out when you have a dirt floor in a crawl space. The way subterranean termites work is the reproductives will fly to a new area of ground and borrow down into the dirt to start a new colony. If they find an opening where they can get into a crawl space, sometimes they will fly in there and borrow into the ground under the house, thereby creating a colony directly under the building. This does not happen a lot, but it does happen. I do not think I would start removing ductwork just to inspect, but I would try to look to see how much you can observe just by peeking into the flashlight. The trenching you did should work within about 12 weeks. So, if you start seeing swarmers again, then either the trenching didn't work or you probably have a colony under the house. If you want to give the trenching job a bit of a boost, you can apply termite granules right over the top of the trenching and just lately water it into the garden hose. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it. You must buy the correct granules and home Depot and Lowe's no longer sell them. I will give you a link to the correct ones that you can purchase on Amazon. The correct granules use imidacloprid as the active ingredient. You do not want the ones that use beta-cyfluthrin as the active ingredient. I do not think I would start removing the baseboards to do an inspection. Coincidentally, I just happen to have a new video that is posting at 7:00 this evening that shows you how to inspect for termites. I cannot give you a link to it until it posts, but if you subscribe to my channel, you will get a notification. This video will walk you through the entire process, and I think it is the most in-depth video on TH-cam on how to inspect for termites. I recommend that you do this inspection a couple of times a year until you figure out what the species is. I'm guessing that you have a very common species, like Eastern subterranean termites, because the more aggressive species like Formosan termites probably would have caused a lot more damage by now. Those guys are super fast eaters, and they do a lot of damage very quickly. The bottom line is that I think the trenching you did is probably going to do the job, and you probably do not have them under the house. I would still apply the granules around the house, just to be on the the safe side. Going forward, just do routine inspections. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to properly photograph a bug: th-cam.com/video/I8qd63hX6y8/w-d-xo.html Video on how to identify termites species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k0_1_5&=&crid=2DVU85FH5DLXK&=&sprefix=termi
@@gurdoncounts3450 Bait stations should be inspected every month. I don't think you need them though. They should be placed every 8 feet apart, but most people don't do that because the directions will tell you 10 to 20 feet sometimes. If they are too far apart, the termites can miss them. You can make monitoring stations yourself and place them between the ones you already have. I placed them every 4 feet around my house for under $25. You don't need gutters for termite prevention, but the mulch does matter. That can be termite food. You should treat the mulch every year with termite granules. I already gave you the link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to make monitoring stations out of used water bottles: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Hello, I have an area that has really thick juniper growing next to the foundation. I wouldn't be unable to dig a trench without digging up the juniper. Can I bore a hole every foot and and do the driveway style treatment in that application?
I have 30 feet of railroad tie steps that are directly beside the foundation. I was wondering if I could drill holes down through and pour it 12" apart like the driveway style treatment
@@crittergetter9071 You may want to consider using granules for this area. No trenching required. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice and you need to get back to me. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions I'm in Northeast Georgia and the ground isn't very porous. We have a lot of clay. On the steep side of the house without railroad tie steps, I dug a trench and found a drainage line that was solid not slotted. I dug down and exposed it and then I took a piece of one inch rebar with a handle on the and pound it into the ground about 10 to 12 in. The holes were approximately 6 to 8 inch apart. I used one gallon jugs to pour the solution into the holes. They slowly drained down and I used 1 gal per two-and-a-half feet. I had to keep coming back because they were slow to drain down. I don't think I'll be able to do this on the railroad steps, I'm sure it has a drainage pipe too. Also I have a gap between the driveway and the garage. I can shove a machete knife down into this crevice about 8 to 10 in. Can I funnel the solution into this crevice without drilling? Thank you for your assistance.
@@crittergetter9071 Did you apply the termiticide into the trench at a rate of 4 gallons to 10 feet, and did you treat the backfill dirt? Having a drainage pipe that does not have holes in it, wouldn't matter if you just dig next to the pipe. Creating those one inch holes at the bottom of the trench wouldn't matter either, but that treatment alone is probably not going to stop the termites. Please watch my video on how to properly trench for subterranean termites. I would need to see photos of those railroad steps to be able to tell you the best way to treat it. You can send photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. When you send the photos, please give me your TH-cam name, and remind me that you are looking to trench for termites. Be well my friend. Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Yes. Termites can make noise inside your walls. Usually, it is too faint to hear, but sometimes it can be rather loud. It sounds like kind of a clicking noise. Carpenter ants also make noise as well. I recommend inspecting your house for termites. I will give you a link to my video on how to do that. If the inspection comes up clean, then look for dead ants near the walls. If you don't see anything like that, then this could also be a mammal, such as mice, squirrels, and that sort of thing. I hope that helps. Be well Cheryl. Termite inspection video: th-cam.com/video/oGyAVT7Zyro/w-d-xo.html
Just when I think I have seen it all, someone like you comes along with something I have not seen before. Can you tell me more about the pool and can you send me photos of the pool and the area where you are seeing the termites? Also, please send me a photo of one of the termites. See if you can find one with a red head. Put in in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then it is easy to take the photo. Photos can be sent to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Please remind me of what is going on and please watch my video on how to properly photograph a bug. The photos need to be taken a certain way for me to identify the species. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters a lot with termites. After I see what is going on, there is a very high probability that I will be able to tell you how to treat the problem. The truth is that termites are not exactly rocket science. If you understand how the species in question operates, then they are usually pretty easy to treat. I hope that helps. Be well Cheryl. Video on how to properly photograph a bug: th-cam.com/video/I8qd63hX6y8/w-d-xo.html
Bait stations are usually spaced an equal distance around the house. Just measure the distance between two stations that are the closest together. Then measure that distance from one of the stations and that should be close to where the next one is located. Use a septic tank locator tool and probe into the ground to find it. They can sink into the ground and get overgrown with grass. They are usually about the same distance from the house foundation. Not always exact measurements, but you should be in the correct area. Depending upon who did the job, they can be located anywhere from 8 to about 20 feet apart. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Septic tank locator tool: www.amazon.com/Kanayu-Stainless-Adjustable-Locating-Underground/dp/B0C2YTWHTV/ref=sr_1_3?crid=24382SXAA8UDL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NEK_nWUaDTtHyCIJ7H_nQ4JZsad2ywHSovBCmf7GBT0OppXUY_4a2pMTwpQlgFgcjCWInHE-Lv6QxjmK6MDLKpGpVQ5_31n6DHE5IRM574FWj_fMy72fzky-2kddONQSNMoZ6JydJpU_8AD6FIJxdlXQS_VaNPXSI0azAW8X0FHMjWevyfc9Q9hGCaZscJlosciseBxiu6Xo1KHPSS_bM2yCg-g7-usNUYZvBmVhQuzSHnaVVsFwA2-E1SJ1iwwRGH65LZR7ZDCtsHCi2Ow7goQ6W-KYhaRzazqmFW6rgHw.1bnHyc0IKjBsBJdCSJPdsRoUPyQK5P1GaBh5Z8q_BbI&dib_tag=se&keywords=septic+tank+locator+tool&qid=1715626634&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=septic+tank+locator%2Clawngarden%2C112&sr=1-3
You missed 2 very big points about bait stations 1. In my state your termite coverage is not activated unless live termites are found. Any damage caused by a colony that was taken out by a bait station is considered previous damage, not required to be covered. In other words, the more effective the bait station, the less coverage you end up having 2. The remedy for infestation which occurs after a bait station system is installed is to do with liquid treatment in the area of infestation. In other words bait stations are so great they indemnify them with liquid treatments
This comment is from months ago but if you see this- I saw on one of your points you can do the trenching after the bait system is installed. Someone else told me we can’t because it’ll disrupt/ruin the bait system. Can we trench after having it installed? We don’t know what to do but already signed to have it installed this Saturday!
The main affected area with live termites is our French door which is surrounded by our cement patio and no way to trench by it. We can trench the rest of the perimeter of the house though. As long as it won’t ruin the bait stations… what do you think? Can you do both?
If you see flying termites in the attic, then you most likely have an existing infestation. The flying termites are reproductives looking to start new colonies. They swarm for a short period of time and then seem to go away until next year, but even though you are no longer seeing the swarmers, the termites are still there. How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
@@Southern195 Mr. Guy does a great job answering questions. I asked him a million questions and he answered all of them. Saved me money. Blessings to you and him and good luck.
@@tymartin2293 I’m not sure! We have had a contract with them for years so it made no sense. I have asked this guy so many questions and he has always answered them and he’s why I knew the pest control shorted me. Lol Thank you and hopefully our problem is solved. I did order the stuff to do ourselves though.
@@Southern195 yes, do it yourself. I worked for a pest control company and we only did commercial properties. They had a special unit for termites and I would have to work my way up to get certified on termites. I wanted to trench my house bc we're in termite season down south. Watching the videos helped me out a lot.
@@ITS_TWILIGHT_ You can buy almost any pesticide you want from Solutions Pest and Lawn. Just click on the hourglass on the top right of their webpage. You don't need to register with them. If you want to trench your house for subterranean termites, then please watch my video on how to do it correctly. Most of the videos out there show you the wrong way to do it. Taurus SC is the same thing as Termidor SC, but less expensive. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Taurus SC: www.solutionsstores.com/taurus-sc-termiticide Video on how to properly trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Fire ants are very easy. Just watch my fire ant video. It costs about $10 to do your entire yard and the fire ants are gone overnight. I will give you the link. Be well my friend. Fire ant video: th-cam.com/video/VReLWuT-jcQ/w-d-xo.html
The granules will not bother the well, unless it is really close to the house. If you ask Bayer, they will probably tell you 10 feet is fine, but you can get much closer than that. So, unless the well is really close to the house, you do not need to be concerned about it. The granules leach into the ground and bond with the soil, so it does not travel further than a few inches from where it was applied. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching, if you have an active infestation. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. As with granules, the product I use does not travel more than a few inches from where it was applied. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. You may have been looking at the wrong ones. I just checked at they cost about $55 now. I will give you a link to them. If you do not have an active infestation already, you may want to also consider using monitoring stations around your home. I use both the granules and the monitoring stations. I will give you a link to my video on how to make them for under 50 cents each. I put them around my entire house for less than $25. I hope that helps. Be well Dana. Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Modern day pesticides are not toxic at all after they dry. We are almost on quarter of the way through the 21st century and so we now have 21st century pesticides. All of those really hazardous pesticides that scared the life out of us were totally banned in the mid 1990s. Today's pesticides stay where you put them and they are safe enough for children to play on after they dry. If you would like to learn more about the safety of pesticides, please watch my video on the subject. I will place a link below. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. th-cam.com/video/i7nLO6Js_3Q/w-d-xo.html
Sentricon is the same thing. It does not kill termites. It just prevents them from reproducing. It usually works, albeit very slowly. You should never use it for Formosan termites. Trenching is always the better way to go. Be well my friend.
Guy, thank you for taking the time to educate homeowners on this subject. You are very appreciated!
You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
Another great video. The "over the shoulder" questions add so much to the content. For anyone else looking at this video, I did the granules around my home. I do not have termites but after watching Guy's granule video a few months ago, I did the granules as a preventive. It was so easy to do and provides peace of mind. Guy's videos are the best.
Thank you so much. You are always so kind to me. I appreciate the confidence you have in me. We named the character on the bookshelf, "Little Guy." I'm glad you like him. Be well Chris.
Hi Guy! Your videos are incredible, and you are a wealth of knowledge! We live in Carlsbad, California, and unfortunately have evidence of both wood termites and subterranean. The subterranean burrowed up through our slab, and we are seeing some borings in a floorboard where they are dropping dirt. We had an inspector come out and recommend bait stations and fumigation. We will be pursuing the fumigation for the wood termites, but I am equally concerned about the subterranean termites. The main issue I see for all of the treatments you mention (trenching, bait stations and termite granules) is that we have pavers and hardscaping that abuts most of the perimeter of the house. I would say we only have dirt immediately adjacent to the house for about 25% of the perimeter. There is crawl space access for a portion of the house as a part of the house has a raised foundation. I'd love to hear what you would suggest for a situation like ours.
I am so sorry that you are having this problem and I would love to help. First of all, please do not sign any contracts just yet. Drywood termites are very slow eaters and it can take years for them to do any structural damage. So, you have some time to get this right. You will need to fumigate, but when you do it is important because of the subterranean termites. Since you have a somewhat more complex case than most, I would like you to email me at guyspestsolutions@gmail.com and I will provide you with very detailed guidance. I will stay with you every step of the way to make sure that you don't get ripped off and what gets done is 100% effective. Just so you know, baiting may not be a good idea in your case. I really need to look at photos of all sides of the property, from the property line to the house, so it would be great if you could take photos and email them to me. I am more concerned about the subterranean termites than the drywood termites. You live in an area where there are a couple of aggressive species, so I need to look at that situation. I generally do not recommend baiting for termites, especially for an aggressive species. When you email, please remind me what is going on and give me your TH-cam name. As you can imagine, I get a lot of email and most of it is about termites.
The most important thing you can do right now is don't worry. I will show you how to get this handled correctly and at the lowest cost. Be well my friend.
TYSM Guy!! I trenchedy own house w/your guidance from your excellent videos!!❤🎉❤🎉🎉😘
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
Thanks Guy for another great video to help those in need of expert advice. Great suggestions and options. Your video is both educational and entertaining. I appreciate your ability to break methods of treatment down so all can understand. Keep up your good works.
Thank you so much Tim. You are a good man. I appreciate the support. Be well.
Very informative, Thank you Guy !
You are very welcome. Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
I just bought a house and the pesticide company took the bait stations from my home without notice. I called them and they wanted over $700 to redo the job not including monitoring. Im going to DIY, thanks for the videos.
Smart man. Those termite bait stations don't work all that well anyway. You can save a lot of money by installing monitoring stations yourself and by using termite granules. It works better and you save a lot of cash.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy thank you for the information. I have a new construction home in northern Florida and have lived here for 2 yrs. I have a Pest control company using bait stations and Taex spray. I am also DIY with your methods now. I am still scared to cancel them! Hopefully with more confidence I will!!
You are a gem! Great video!! So to be absolutely clear, If I discovered an ACTIVE infetation. I can substitute the granules for the trenching... correct? Also, are you absolutely sure about the Termadore being only 7-10 year treatment as I am pretty sure that I read somewhere that it lasts for 20 years.
Thank you for those kind words. Very much appreciated.
I think what I said in the video is that Termidor will last 5 to 10 years, with 7 being about the average. How long you will be protected is going to depend on factors such as soil density, environmental conditions, species, and so forth. Pest controllers will usually claim that it will last 10 years, but most of the time you'll only get a one year warranty. Some companies may give you a better warranty than that, but nobody's giving you 10 years. Five years used to be the standard, because we know that it will last at least that long, but more and more, companies aren't even giving you that anymore. I have seen a few pest controllers that will claim 20 years, but it isn't true. There have been many instances of a termite treatment that lasted over 20 years, but that was not because the termiticide was still working. The treatment may have stopped working after 5 years, but there were just no colonies close enough to infest the house again. Some homeowners can own a house for their entire life and never be bothered by termites. At the same time, other people may get infested by termites the day after the closing. The truth is that most people just take their chances. Naturally, this is great news for both the termites and the pest controllers.
The granules do not work in all cases. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termites granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
A great topic mate. Thanks for sharing this important info
Thank you so much. You are a good friend. Be well mate.
@@GuysPestSolutions Likewise my friend ❤️
I was torn which way to go. Thank you!!
You are very welcome. I am so happy that I was able to help. Be well my friend.
Dear Guy
I hope you are well and I sincerely thank you for the great information you continue to put out on youtube. I am renovating a small house in south carolina and need some termite advice
There was severe termite damage to about 5% of the studs in the house and 20% of the floor joists. Other wood members have some amount of damage while the vast majority of the house is unaffected. I am almost certain that termites are still in the wood although I cannot see any of them. I see some evidence in the presence of their droppings.
Unfortunately I found your videos too late to evaluate the mud tubes. There were several of what I believe were mud tubes running up the inside of the crawlspace wall. However as I was cleaning out the crawlspace I scraped off every bit of these mud tubes. So instead of breaking off a small portion to see if the termites rebuilt it, I removed them entirely.
My worry is the following: If I trench around the house, will the lack of mud tube mean that the termites will not be able to travel between the house and the ground and therefore won’t be able to spread the termiticide?
The approach I have come up with is to trench or pellet around the perimeter (and inside the crawlspace if I can) and also apply termite foam to all the effected areas inside the house. I’m hoping this just spreads enough poison the keep them away forever.
Please share any thoughts if you have the time. Thank you for your great work!
I am so sorry that you're having this problem. You live in an area when you may encounter Formosan termites. Therefore, you need to dig a little deeper to figure out if this is the species you were dealing with. The reason for that is Formosan termites are the only species where you live that is capable of colonizing and a building. Other species do not have this ability, and they must colonize in the ground. Therefore, to give you the best course of action possible, it would be a good idea to investigate a little bit. To do this, go to a damaged stud or floor joist, and dig into the damaged area with a flathead screwdriver. If there's activity in the wood, try to obtain a specimen with a red head. If you can get one, then do not kill it. Just put it in a jar and let it die in natural death. It won't take long either because termites do not survive long when they are exposed to the air. After you have a specimen, then we can easily identify it.
Meanwhile, virtually all species of subterranean termites in South Carolina can be successfully treated by trenching around the house. The only exception to this is that Formosan termites may also need some interior treatment as well. We will get to that after you identify the species. For now, regardless of the species, you need to start by trenching. With most species of subterranean termites you can often get away with using granules, but they are not recommended for Formosan termites. Since you do not know the species, and since the damage seems to be consistent with Formosan termites, then I would recommend that you trench instead of using the granules. I will give you a link to my video on how to do that. The only problem you are going to have is that it is illegal to ship the product you need to South Carolina. Normally I recommend using Taurus SC, but since you live in South Carolina, I am going to recommend that you use Dominion 2L. For most species of termites you can mix it at 0.3 oz per gallon of water, but I am recommending that you double that and mix it at 0.6 oz per gallon of water because Formosan termites are kind of hard to kill. The label does allow you to mix it at this dilution rate, so I would not take any chances. Just like Taurus SC, you need to dig the trench 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep and apply four gallons of finished product for every 10 feet of trench. You also need to treat the backfill as I describe in the video. Treating the backfill is very important when you are dealing with Formosan termites. You did not tell me the linear feet around your house, but my guess is that you will probably need about three 27.5 ounce bottles if you were using the 0.6 oz per gallon dilution. The product costs about $42 per bottle, so you can probably do the entire job for about $126.
With regard to your concern about the termites not being able to travel back to the colony that is under the ground, you do not need to worry about that. The vast majority of the termites must return to the ground to bring food back to the underground colony. Even if these are Formosan termites, only some of them can remain in the building. Most of them are going to need to return to the ground. Don't worry. Dominion 2L is what we call a non-repellent pesticide. That means the termites do not realize that this is a poison and they will happily travel right through it. This is also a slow kill product, which is what you want with subterranean termites. You want them to live long enough so they can bring the pesticide back to the colony and share it with the other termites.
With regard to the crawl space, the only time you need to trench under the crawl space is if there are mud tubes that are in direct contact with ground. If this is not the case, then you only need to trench around the outside. However, if you do encounter mud tubes that are in direct contact with the ground under the house, then it is recommended to trench around the perimeter of the foundation under there and around all piers that may be under the house as well. This would also be a 6-inch by 6-inch trench and you would mix the Dominion 2L at the same rate of 0.6 ounces per gallon. Of course, if you need to trench under the house, you will need twice as much of the Dominion 2L.
I hope that helps. Please let me know if you can obtain a specimen with a red head. Obtaining one makes this easy, but if you are unable to obtain one, then we will just assume that they are Formosan termites and I will explain how to look for them in the house.
Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Dominion 2L: www.domyown.com/dominion-2l-termiticide-concentrate-p-1223.html?co_var=3&sub_id=3882
Hi Guy, my Mom's house was trenched and treated one year ago. In addition, we purchased the "correct" granules and did our own treatment last year and again recently. Should we be concerned if we found a single swarmer on our patio recently?
Not necessarily. I would not be overly concerned about one swarmer that is outside. Inside is another story. I think it is worth identifying it though. If it was black, then you are fine. If it was red, orange, or brown, then it could be a drywood termite. Ground treatment does not work for these guys. Please have a look at my video on how to identify termite species. There is a map in that video that shows where drywood termites are a problem. If you are in the red area and the termite was not black, then you may have some cause for concern. Otherwise, don't worry about it. One black swarmer is not a problem.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Excellent job Guy! Very helpful ❤
You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
Thank you for the video content you're putting out there. Very helpful! A+
You are very welcome. Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
Thank you for your response to our previous question. We are getting ready to do the Taurus SC pour around our property as your video demonstrated, however we did have some questions. We live in the south part of North Carolina (South Charlotte) area and here we have red clay. We were digging our trenches and found a ton of red clay and read that clay can affect the absorption of the Taurus SC but we couldn't find any answers on how to address this...? Do you have any advice?
We did find carpenter ants and evidence of tubes (not exploratory) on the inside of our foundation near the basement ceiling. This is in and around/near the clay areas which also have pockets of mixed soil/sandy dirt. We recently cut down on a lot of the trees and shrubbery around our property to cut down on all the bugs and ants.
The other question we had is on how we also treat weeds and grass on our gravel driveways. Some of these driveways butt up to our home's/garage's foundation. We have been treating these gravel driveways with a healthy dose of water + baking soda to kill all grass and weeds trying to grow in it. We are a disabled couple with back problems and one with a prosthetic limb... so manually weeding has not been sustainable. We also have lots of animals on the property so we don't want to poison them with too much grass/weed killer, and we are worried about all the lawsuits we keep hearing about cancer causing agents in those chemicals. We were reading about how the pH levels can adversely affect the effects of insecticides, including Taurus SC. Since baking soda affects the pH levels...is our approach to weed/grass killing going to conflict with our use of Taurus SC? Is it only affected for the pour or even as a spray we plan on doing once every 3 months? Do you have any ideas on how we might resolve this?
Note: We have also explored the salt and vinegar option to weed/grass killing naturally but it also destroys concrete, especially concrete foundations. So we have avoided this.
Thank you again for all your helpful videos. We have watched several of them and have saved lots of money avoiding scammers trying to sell us thousands of dollars worth of insect/termite treatments that we could do ourselves. Bless you, sir!
Thank you so much for your question. Please do not worry about the red clay. I do trenching differently than most people, for the very reason you are talking about. If you soak the back fill dirt with Taurus SC, then it does not matter how dense it may be because it is still going to create the barrier that you need. Just make sure you treat the back fill dirt exactly as I show you in the video and you will be just fine.
Carpenter ants are very common when you have termites. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood, so they need to forge a food. One of their favorite foods happens to be termites. So, not only do these termites provide a good food source, but they also do a lot of the wood excavation for the ants. This is a pretty sweet deal for the ants. After you eliminate the termite infestation, then you can go ahead and eliminate the carpenter ants. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it.
The only time you need to be concerned about mud tubes in the basement is if they are in direct contact with the ground. If you have any mud tubes that are coming up from the floor, then you need to tell me about it, and I will advise you further. If that is not the case, then trenching around the outside of the building should get it done. That being said, you need to be aware that you have Formosan termites where you live. I am not saying that you have this species, but it would be a good idea to make sure that you don't. This species needs to be treated a little bit differently. You still need to trench, so no difference there, but you may require additional interior treatment as well. Please dig into a damaged area with a flat head screwdriver or break open a 2-inch section of a mud tube and try to obtain a specimen with a red head. Put it in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then watch my video on how to identify termite species. You will quickly know if this is a Formosan termite. If it is, then you need to get back to me for further instructions. Otherwise, the trenching alone should get it done.
If you have a gravel driveway that runs up to the building, then you need to trench right across it. The best way to treat the weeds is to use a weed killer. This is not going to harm anybody. Just make sure that you wear rubber gloves while you are handling this material. I will give you a link to the weed killer that I use. You mix this product 3 oz per gallon of water. Do not expect to see overnight results. It usually takes a couple of weeks to start to see the weeds die. I promise you that nobody is going to get sick if you use this product. You only get cancer from this material if you are handling it without wearing any protective equipment. After it is applied to the ground, it is perfectly safe. You can apply it with a pump-up garden sprayer, but it is a lot faster if you purchase a battery-operated tank sprayer. Which one you select will depend upon how many weeds you need to treat. This product is a lot cheaper if you buy it in bulk. I always buy the 2.5-gallon container to save money. I think one gallon is $48, but 2.5 gallons is only about $78. That's a much better deal.
I have been handling pesticides and weed killer since 1981, and I am still here talking about it. In fact, I have never met a pest controller that got ill from pesticides. Also, all of the really bad pesticides have been banned. That happened in the late 1990s. Today's pesticides are much safer, and the EPA requires that they be safe enough for children to play on after they dry. Taurus SC and other pesticides today are kind of like paint. You would not want children playing on wet paint, but after it dries, it is perfectly safe for them to play on. It is no different with pesticides. We are a quarter of the way through the 21st century now, and we now have 21st century pesticides. If you wear the protective equipment, then you are going to be perfectly fine, and nobody is going to get sick after this material dries.
By the way, I just launched a new website that lists all of my videos, written treatment plans for pests for which I do not have a video, frequently asked questions about videos that I posted, and other information as well. I think this is a good resource for anybody who is looking for pest control information. In fact, I think it is a great place to start your search for information. The website is still very new, and it is not finished yet, so it is a little rough around the edges, but there's still lots of useful information on it. I add more information every day, and the website is getting better and better all the time. Please let me know if you have any suggestions to make the website better.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to eliminate carpenter ants: th-cam.com/video/Te9BUCaIQZY/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Guy's Pest Solutions website: www.guyspestsolutions.com/
Weed killer: www.amazon.com/Compare-N-Save-Concentrate-41-Percent-Glyphosate-2-5-Gallon/dp/B00ARKS11I/ref=sr_1_24?crid=9VJU4N5N7V42&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.W44fSvYN0NUEPlZcQglQywoqSAiariIDI7at9LQwcFO7NI0PHlRW2WfammYRnks8kXZ1hN7r4d1UONRvqeDZtinPPR8MQXSTTB1CL8PebS4rcCwEVQPRlZwBS4D9qm23mHn6p-9cAUYroFUrllBsaYt7CHfx5tV654xjxV4gHubV9mFDmqehUJpc_XjCm8BUt6Nj4eh1WPQfMqAhEH5zuQ0jrKc8siAICIsd00zq4qCDtbTy-OgR-lDC00n2xx9Lxr-reVIC1x8D097Yj44kLZFlwsUdfwYmWq8eUotq_Sg.u6r_SOKFGsqUMCdjcQQN8k8S4elpH2cjJu2np5VhsG8&dib_tag=se&keywords=large+container+of+weed+killer&qid=1732460516&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=large+container+of+weed+killer%2Clawngarden%2C111&sr=1-24
Hi Guy! Your videos are invaluable! Quick question. I had termites back in April and had a company come out and trench the house and guest house along with spot treatment. (It was covered through a warranty) tonight in the guest house I saw one winged termite crawling up the wall. Should that be a cause for concern or not? The treatment came with a one year warranty on the work. To summarize he trenched the house and guest house along with drilling and treating the concrete surrounding the property. Four months later (today) I found one winged termite crawling up the wall in the guest house. Should I have the company come back out or no?
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. If the trenching was done four months ago, then I think there is cause for concern. It normally takes up to 12 weeks to eliminate a subterranean termite colony by means of trenching. So, you were about 4 weeks past that schedule. That being said, I have learned in this business that the termites do not always get the memo about how they are supposed to behave. I wasn't there when the trenching was done, so I really don't know if it was done correctly or not. At the same time, I think it is possible that it could take 16 weeks to eliminate the colony, if it was really bad. Of course, this is definitely the outside of the envelope, so I think this would warrant and inspection of the property to see if there is still activity. You did not tell me where you live, and that is very important. In certain areas of the country, there are Formosan termites, and these guys have the ability to colonize in your walls. Therefore, if you live in an area where Formosan termites are known to exist, it is also possible that the pest control company did not properly identify the species. If that is the case, then you may have what we call "cartons" in your walls or in the ceilings. I recommend that you watch my video on how to identify termites species. There is a map in that video that will show you where Formosan termites are a problem. If you live in either the red or orange areas on the map, then I think it would be wise to try and identify that swarmer that you saw. If these are not Formosan termites, then you may want to give it just a couple more weeks to see if the treatment was effective. I think at that time, you would definitely be outside the envelope where the treatment should have taken out the entire colony.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy, thank you for sharing your pest control knowledge.
We discovered evidence of subterranean termites about 4 years ago in our home in NH. Through our local pest control company we had them install monitoring stations (confirmed they are there).
We have a SIPS house (structural insulated panels) on top of an ICF (insulated concrete form) foundation.
The evidence we found was on the inside of the house in the basement. It appears that they are using the foam insulation to tunnel through looking for wood sources. Obviously this is a major concern for us.
I like the idea of trenching but there are some places like under entry stairs and porches that would be very hard to get to. Is it necessary to trench the entire perimeter? Also, we have vey sandy soil conditions. Will the termacide dissipate more quickly over time due to this? Thank you!
If you have very sandy soil you may be able to get away with just using termite granules. They work about 95% of the time. I will give you a link to my video on how to do that. Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. They cost about $50.
You can also trench, which is almost a sure thing. You can trench around the stairs and porches. Please watch my video on how to trench properly. It doesn't work well if you do not do it correctly. Trenching is harder than granules, but it lasts 5 to 10 years. Granules should be applied every year. Trenching costs about $100 to do yourself. If you do it correctly, then sandy soil if fine. In fact, it's the best way to do it.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to use termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy, you've answered so many questions for us so far regarding termites, thank you! We have not been able to apply the Taurus SC because of rain, but would the Taurus help at all with spiders? We have a bedroom in our basement and was wondering what would the best thing to try and eliminate extra roommates in that bedroom :)
If you get this, please email me at guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. My responses to this keep getting erased.
Hi Guy! Great helpful content. I have subterranean termites in my crawlspace with evidence of mud tubes. Surrounding the house is concrete. I cannot stand up in my crawlspace and can only crawl. What solution do you recommend when trenching around the house is not an option? Right now, I would prefer to do it myself if there is a strong solution that could eliminate the termites in my crawlspace. Thanks so much for your kind help.
Please take photos of all sides of your house from the side of the house to the property line. I need to see what you have going on. Please let me know if the mud tubes in the crawlspace are in direct contact with the ground. My email is guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Please give me your TH-cam name when you email. Be well my friend.
Guy - Great video as always. I have a slightly different question regarding subterranean termites. A contractor recently installed two 6x6 pressure treated posts to support a roof extension over a patio. He set the posts about 2-3 ft. In the ground and set them in concrete; however, they are not completely encased in cement. I am wondering if I should take any steps to prevent future termite damage. I live in the New Orleans area.
I am not a licensed contractor in New Orleans, but I would be very surprised if those post installations would pass building codes. In my opinion, the way that job should be done is that a concrete pier should be installed in the ground under the post and that pier should extend above the ground level by a few inches. This is usually accomplished by digging a hole and inserting a hollow cardboard tube into the hole and then filling it with concrete and perhaps some rebar. When it dries, the post should be placed on top of the concrete. The reason it is done this way has nothing to do with termites. The way those posts are installed, they will withstand sideloads pretty well, but I would have a problem with the vertical loads. That is to say, it is possible that the posts may settle and sink because of the way they were installed. Again, I'm not a contractor, but I have done a lot of this work, and that is the way I would do it.
That being said, the posts that were used were most likely rated for ground contact. Of course, I have no way of knowing if that's what the contractor used, but it would be really horrible if he didn't. Pressure treated wood that is rated for ground contact isn't entirely termite proof, but it is very unlikely that it will be attacked by termites. If the posts are not rated for ground contact, then I would treat them with Bora-Care prior to painting or sealing them in any way. This product must be applied to bare wood. Even if the posts are rated for ground contact, it still wouldn't be a bad idea to treat them with Bora-Care. I will give you a link to the product and a link to a video on how to use it. I recommend that you mix it 1 to 1 with water instead of 1 to 5. Also, it is perfectly okay to mix it with cold water. I do it all the time. For small jobs, you can mix a half a cup of product with a half a cup of water. You're supposed to mix it with a drill and a paint mixer attachment, but when I am mixing small amounts, I generally just use a mixing stick that you would use for mixing paint.
Keep in mind that if the posts are not ground rated, or if they are ground rated and get attacked anyway, then if any part of those posts are not encased in concrete under the ground, then the termites can enter and tunnel their way up right up the center of the post to the roof structure above. Again, you are probably going to be okay from pest control point of view, if the posts are rated for ground contact. The only other issue would be that the posts may eventually rot and then fail. You see that all the time with fence posts that fail right at the dirt line. If water sits up against the post every time it rains, then that can make the post start to rot at ground level. I think it would take a very long time before that post would fail, but again, I think it should have been placed on top of a concrete pier.
I hope that helps. We will my friend.
Bora-Care: www.domyown.com/boracare-p-100.html?sub_id=554
Bora-Care video: th-cam.com/video/Rmr_aEodyhg/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for responding to my question. It’s really gratifying to see someone with your depth of experience be willing to take up so much of your personal time in sharing your experience and expertise to help complete strangers like me. Folks like you are a rarity in today’s world. Thanks again and God bless you for being so generous.
You are very welcome. That is so nice of you to say. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
Hi, thank you for all of these amazing videos on how to control termites. So I have a question. I live in central Florida and I’ve been seeing some termites enter through small cracks upstairs and noticed a mud tunnel in a crack near the foundation of the house. I bought the bio advanced granules on Amazon and placed the granules about two days ago. Since then I haven’t saw an active termites walking as yet. However, is it too late to trench around the house? If so do I trench and then reapply the granules on top? Thanks I appreciate it
The granules should work well for you, if these are subterranean termites. You may also have Formosan termites or drywood termites. The granules do not work for those species. So, you need to find out the species. Break open that mud tube and see if you can find a specimen with a red head. Those are the soldiers and they are easy to identify. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. If you cannot obtain a specimen, you can also try asking a pest control company. Most of them will do a free inspection. Just don't hire them. Make sure they list the exact species on the estimate. Whatever you do, don't buy a baiting system like Sentricon. Total waste of money. Just get back to me and I will guide you through whatever you need to do. With a bit of luck, you already got them. It does take up to 12 weeks for the granules to work. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Oh I love you❤...thanks for your advice
What a nice thing to say. Very much appreciated. Be well Dora.
Hi Guy! Another question came to mind. Have you looked into the use of beneficial Nematodes?
I image that they could be effective in the ground area but won’t do much for termites that have penetrated the home.
Since have have vey sandy soil at our home in NH we get a ton of ants. We have used Nematodes and it’s amazing how much this has helped to keep them at bay. Thanks again for sharing your insight and knowledge!
Nematodes can sometimes be used successfully to treat subterranean termites, but it's a bit of a Hail Mary Pass. The soil conditions need to be almost ideal for it to work. Nematodes need moisture to survive, so if the ground is not moist enough, they will simply die before doing their job. Personally, I don't see the logic to it when you can usually treat with termite granules for about $50. Why throw a Hair Mary Pass when all you need to do is kick and easy field goal to win the game?
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
I live in Massachusetts. Can I / should I be using the granules AND the bait/monitoring stations together? Also, should I be using the granules once per year? Or should I be using the granules for 2 years and then switch over to baits stations. I'd like to know more about the relationship between both methods. Love your videos! Many thanks.
Thanks for the question. Let's talk about the granules and bait stations. Keep in mind that the granules do not work for drywood termites, Formosan termites, or Western subterranean termites. Let me know if you are dealing with one of those species and I will guide you further. If you do not know the species, please watch my video on how to identify termite species. Also, for the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching, if you have an active infestation. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
If you do not have an active infestation already, you may want to also consider using monitoring stations around your home. I use both the granules and the monitoring stations. I will give you a link to my video on how to make them for under 50 cents each. I put them around my entire house for less than $25. You can also purchase them for about $10 to $15 each. I will give you the link to purchase them. The way they work is there is a dot on the top of the station. When the dot disappears, you have termites. The homemade stations can go off accidentally, so always pull the station out of the ground if it goes off and check it to make sure that there are actually termites and not a malfunction. If there are termites, then immediately put the station back where it was in the ground. If the station malfunctioned, then simply replace it with a new one. If a station has termites, then you would treat them by installing a bait station right next to the monitoring station that is active. I have a video on how to make the bait stations as well. Commercial bait stations are not recommended because they work too slowly. The homemade ones work way faster. You should not use bait stations to prevent termites. It is always better to use monitoring stations until you have activity because they last a lot longer. Using both the granules and the monitoring stations together provides insurance. If you pass the perk test, the granules will usually get it done, but the monitoring stations are still nice to have in place. The granules should be applied annually.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to make bait stations: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
Commercial monitoring stations: www.solutionsstores.com/red-eye-termite-monitor
Hi Mr. Guy! So, I have constructed and installed seven homemade bait stations per your other video, and they turned out great. I had bought the Spectracide stakes and had four go off...two had termites, the others had ants. After watching your videos, I went ahead and purchased the Advance system, so now have 10 of those stations with both the bait cartridges, and the poison cartridges. My question relates to the two Spectracide stations which went off. With the first, I replaced the stake and per the included instructions installed two more of the Spectracide stakes on either side. With the other, since I already had the order for the Advance system in and was waiting on it to be delivered...I just replaced the Spectracide stake. Should I wait until these go off again before pulling them and putting the Advance station with the poison in the ground??? Or pull both the Spectracide stakes which had termites and replace 'em with the Advance system?
Which leads to another question...and this may be asinine but figured I'd ask...these Advance stations have both bait wood, and a bait cartridge, and obviously the poison cartridge is separate. When using the Advance system after termites have already been detected with a different system...should I use the wood/bait cartridge combo and wait for it to become active before switching the cartridge for the one with the poison? Or just slap the Advance system with the wood/poison cartridge in the ground? :) Thanks for all you do! Again...wish I'd seen your video on the Spectracide stakes before I poured $120.00 into the ground! :)
You can leave the Spectracide stations in place and just install one of the Advance stations right next to it. You pretty much want them touching. You are correct that you should remove the wood cartridge from the advance station and replace it with the bait cartridge. The wood cartridges are only used for monitoring. That is the basically the same thing that the homemade monitoring stations do. The reason you have the problems with the Spectracide stations is because the ants will eat the bait. Therefore, the stations are going to be going off all the time because the ants will be eating the bait. The reason the Advance stations and the homemade stations use wood is because ants do not eat wood. Only the termites do. Therefore you don't waste a lot of bait on ants. You would only use the bait after you see activity. In your case, you are already seeing activity, so you would go straight to the bait. Make sure that you check the advance bait station at least once a week to make sure that there's plenty of bait in it. You may have already learned from my videos that it can take up to two years for the bait stations to be effective. Therefore, you need to keep feeding these guys. I do have some good news for you though. I am in the process of creating a bait station that will knock out an entire colony in about 12 weeks. These will not be available commercially, but I am going to do a video on how you can make them yourself very cheaply. I am hoping to have that video completed within the next couple of weeks. Since you already have the bait stations, you may as well stick with those for now, but when my video comes out, you may want to install one of those right next to the stations you already have in the ground that are showing activity. Just like the other bait stations, you would only use these when you see activity. The only difference is the one that I am developing will kill the termites in 12 weeks instead of 2 years. I like 12 weeks better because it is way more cost effective and you don't need to be constantly checking bait stations every week for 2 years. Hopefully, if you subscribe to my channel, then you should be notified when this video is available.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
@@GuysPestSolutions It does, and I have been subscribed since I ran across your first video. :) Thanks again, Mr. Guy! Definitely looking forward to the new vid.
@@mikeysan01 Thank you so much for subscribing and for following me. Very much appreciated.
@@GuysPestSolutionsGod bless you, I will be checking back for that video!! 😊❤ Love your channel! Thank you so much for helping us all freely. I pray God blesses you triple the amount you saved every viewer, especially those unable to afford expensive options or help.
Have a beautiful season! 🏞️🏡🏕️🌳🌲🌱
Great info Guy!
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
Hi. I have been watching some of your videos. They are very interesting and well explained, but I need your advice for my particular situation. I live in Puerto Rico and I have a severe termite infestation in my house. It started slowly a few years ago, but now the problem has increased substantially and they are invading the second (upper) floor of my house. I suspect the colony is mainly under my house, since I can see the tunnels forming again in one or two days between the floor tiles and from the electrical outlets if I remove them. There is concrete all around the perimeter of my house, so I don't think a trench of bait stations outside would be effective, correct? I really would appreciate your advice regarding this problem. Regards, Miguel.
You have a couple of species in Puerto Rico that are very aggressive eaters, and they can do a lot of damage in a very short period of time. Also, at least one of these species has the ability to colonize inside your home. So, the first thing you need to do is identify the species that you are dealing with, because difference species may need to be treated somewhat differently. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can break open one of the mud tubes and look for a specimen that has a red head, or you can dig into some of the damaged wood and try to obtain a specimen that has a redhead. Place it in a jar and let it die a natural death. Termites do not live long when exposed to the air. Now that you can have a good look at the head, Google "termite species in Puerto Rico" and see if you can find one that has a similar head. The termites with red heads are the soldiers, and they are the easiest ones to identify. The other way you can do it is to simply call a pest controller and have them do an inspection. Ask them to list the exact species on the estimate.
Since these are subterranean termites, one part of the treatment that they all have in common is that you need to trench around the building. If you have a situation where trenching is not possible, then you would need a professional to drill holes through the concrete and apply a pesticide under the concrete, under pressure. The equipment to do this is too expensive for homeowner to purchase, so it's the sort of thing that you are going to need to farm out to somebody. Keep in mind that if you are trenching, you do not need the trench to be right up against the building. For example, if you have a sidewalk going around the building and the concrete is touching the foundation, but there is dirt on the other side of the sidewalk, then you can probably get away with simply trenching along the sidewalk. The idea is that you need a trench that runs from the street, around the entire building, and then back to the street again. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it.
Since there is a good chance that you may be dealing with Formosan termites, I will give you a link to my video on how to treat them as well. If this is something other than Formosan termites, or a common variety of subterranean termites, you are probably best to let a professional handle it.
If you get estimates from professionals, beware of the ones that offer to use a baiting system. I think using bait to deal with an existing infestation, particularly if these guys are Formosan termites, is a very bad idea. Baiting systems can take a long time to work, and the termites will be eating that entire time. The price on baiting looks very attractive, but you will get what you pay for. If you need to hire it out, then get somebody that is going to drill that concrete or do the trenching. If these are Formosan termites, or another species that can colonize in your home, then you need to find those colonies as well, and eliminate them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to treat Formosan termites: th-cam.com/video/xDtGUWxMrRw/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks very much for your detailed reply. I will first try to dig a trench in the side of the house that has a sidewalk and put granules in it. I checked some soldiers for id and I think they are coneheads, compared to your video. I remembered that they first appeared in an avocado tree that is about 12 ft. from my house. From there I assume they moved into the house.
I have another question if you don't mind. How long it would take to erradicate them if, hypotethically, I could remove all sources of food from the house? (the house is all concrete).
I have termites coming in the front of my house. I want to DIY: Could I sprinkle granules between bait stations?
Or dig a trench in the front, and stations around the rest of the house? Not sure a trench can be dug around whole house.
How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters.
Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions I’m in Colorado with normal subterranean termites and some broke out of the wall flying around the house. I maybe have 6 mud holes in the wall from their exit.
It is currently lightly raining here about 2 hours a day. The Terminix man said he would use bait stations and put foam in the exit holes of my wall.
Should I trench the side of the house where they entered or just use stations?
I also bought your suggested granules.
@@bryanutility9609 As you probably learned from watching the video, the bait stations that Terminix wants to use are going to take up to two years to solve the problem. During that time, the termites will probably go on eating your house. So, does that sound like a good idea to you? I do not think it would be my first option.
There are two options for treating subterranean termites yourself. The easiest way is to use termite granules. The application is so easy that a child can do it. The other option is to trench around the entire building, including the driveway. It takes about a day for most people to trench around an average sized building and it only costs about $100 to do the job. Trenching lasts for 5 to 10 years, but the granules should be applied every year as a preventive measure. I have videos on how to do both options and I will place links below.
For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. Make sure that you purchased the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
You can give any subterranean termite treatment a bit of a boost by doing a spot treatment. If at all possible, spot treating for subterranean termites should not be the only approach to eliminate an infestation. An additional exterior treatment should also be done with either granules or trenching, whenever possible. Spot treating alone may totally eliminate the infestation with no other treatments, but it's not a sure thing. The way the Terminix guy wants to do it is the wrong way. He's just being lazy and/or trying to reduce the cost to get the price down. To be effective, it must be done right.
To spot treat subterranean termites, you need to buy a fipronil foam. I will provide links for two products that you can choose from. I like the FiPro the best because it's a little less expensive and I like the applicator tip better, but the Termidor Foam also works very well. The FiPro is not available everywhere. If you can get one of these foams, then drill holes in all damaged areas, that are 4 inches apart, and drilled about halfway through the wood. If you are seeing exit holes in the wall, then there is most likely a stud behind the exit hole. Get a stud finder and locate the stud where it meets the ceiling and drive a small nail into the stud a couple of inches below the ceiling. Attach a weighted string to the nail and that will show you where the stud is. Then drill the holes 4 inches apart along the entire length of the stud, about 3 inches deep. Do the same thing for woodwork, except only drill the holes halfway through the wood. If you think that there is a 2 x 4 behind the woodwork, then drill a 3-inch-deep hole every 8 inches. The holes only need to be wide enough to get the applicator tip of the foam can into the hole. After the holes are drilled, then shoot the foam into each hole for about 5 seconds or until you have foam either coming back out at you or coming out the other holes that you drilled. All the holes should have foam either going into them or coming out of them. This will contaminate their food source and they will take the fipronil back in the colony and spread it around to the other termites.
Most of the time, subterranean termites are going to be building mud tubes somewhere. You will most likely find these mud tubes going up the exterior or interior of your foundation and you may find them along joists and even in the attic sometimes. If you have a slab home, then you may find them going up the outside of the house on the slab and even the side of the house. If you can find the mud tubes, then you can treat them as well. Just scrape off about a 2-inch section of each mud tube down to the bare surface. Then, shoot that foam into each side of the mud tube and also apply a little of it on the surface where you removed it. The termites will rebuild the mud tubes and bring the foam back to the colony to spread around to the other termites.
Also, if you can find the mud tubes, this is a very good way to determine when the infestation is gone. If you scrape off that 2-inch section of a mud tube, you can see if there are any live termites in the tube. Again, the termites will rebuild the tube and go about their business. Do this every two weeks after you finish all your treatments. Apply the foam to the mud tube every time you do it. At the point you are no longer seeing live termites and they stop rebuilding the mud tube, then your infestation has been eradicated.
After you use one of these methods, you may want to consider installing monitoring stations around the house. This is not necessary, but it is very easy to do, and you will know immediately if you have termites in the area. If one of the stations goes off, then you can treat the termites right at the station, before they try to attack your house. This way, you are protected by either the granules or the trenching, and you have the peace of mind knowing that there are no termites in the area. You can make these stations yourself out of used water bottles for about 50 cents each. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it. These stations have a little orange dot on the top of them. When the dock disappears you either have termites or the station has malfunctioned. Either way, you can check to see if there are active termites, and if there are, then you can treat them right there. Now, let's face it, we are making these things out of used water bottles, so it is possible that one of orange indicators can move to the side and disappear, even though there are no termites. That's not really a big deal though because these things are very fast and easy to make and install. So, just keep a few on hand should you need to replace one. After they are installed, just walk around the house every couple of months to see if there are orange dots missing. It couldn't be easier.
It typically takes several weeks for any termite treatment to be effective. That is because you are using slow kill products. If you were to kill the termites too quickly, then they would not have a chance to bring the poison back to the colony and share it with the other termites. If you don't kill off the entire colony, you will not end the infestation. Therefore, you must kill off subterranean termites very slowly. So, I would give this at least 12 weeks before I would decide that something went wrong, and the process didn't work. Hiring a professional to trench your house is pretty much going to take about the same amount of time to kill off the colony.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites the right way: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video and how to make termite monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k2_1_4&=&crid=38N4G81Z51T3L&=&sprefix=term
FiPro: www.solutionsstores.com/fipro-foaming-aerosol
Termidor Foam: www.domyown.com/termidor-foam-p-3528.html
@@GuysPestSolutions wonderful info. The Terminix guy said the stations work in about 2-4 months. They check them once a year and if there are shells of soldier termites it’s a clear sign colony is dead. I see why you say two years, In that they can survive that long.
Why do bait stations not use the trench chemicals which work faster?
@@bryanutility9609 If you read the contract, I will bet that it will say that they do not guarantee results and they are not responsible for any damages to the building that is caused by termites. Further, it will probably state that results will take from several weeks to several months, between the time it was installed and the time the colony is eliminated. They can tell you anything, but what matters is what is in writing. I think 2 to 4 months would be overstating the effectiveness of the system and I seriously doubt that they will give you that guarantee in writing. So, you should ask them, if the termites are not gone in 4 months, do you get your money back? Would you like to guess what the answer will be? I honestly do not know why they choose to go with an IGR, other than it is felt to be a safer product. It will eventually get the job done, but I think they would have been wiser to go with a fipronil bait that will take out the colony faster. I am currently designing such a system that you can make yourself and I will do a video on it after all the bugs are worked out (Did you see the pun there?), and I have it tested. So, stay tuned. For now, I recommend the granules or trenching. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Hello Guy, Thanks for all the great videos. I have found active damage in my home and have captured picture of Formosan Termites in small tunnel om celling drywall. I want to treat outside where I have just found one mud tube so far but want to know if granular is ok or do I need to trench. any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.
Unfortunately, the granules are not a good choice for Formosan termites. I have a video on how to treat them and I will give you the link. So sorry that you are having this problem. You need to get on it fast though because these guys will do a lot of damage really fast. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to treat Formosan termites: th-cam.com/video/xDtGUWxMrRw/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks Guy. Is it uncommon to only find one mud tube outside?
@@Darren-xk2uz I wouldn't say uncommon, but for Formosan termites, you will often see several. One is all they need though and there may be others that you have not located yet. They do not need to be on the outside. The important thing is to start trenching. If you have a crawl space, then check under there to see if there are mud tubes in contact with the ground. If so, then please let me know. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
As always great content!
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
Guy, thank you for all the VERY information videos!! (I will be making some monitoring stations based on your instructions.)
How far apart are termite colonies?
My neighbor paid dearly a professional for a Taurus SC termite treatment around his house and garage. The pest control company did not trench, but injected about 100 gallons of solution several places around the perimeter.
Their house is about 200' from our detached garage and house.
I have seen a couple of surface tubes by the adjoining wall, which appear old and broken down, but do not see any indication of tubes or evidence reaching into our buildings.
Would his treatment eradicate the colony that I see tubes for?
You are the first person that has ever asked me how far apart termite colonies are located. That is an interesting question, but there is no answer for it. Subterranean termite colonies have the potential to be fairly close together, but they can also be quite far apart. It just depends how far the reproductives went after leaving the colony.
It is very possible that the only termite colony near enough to be a problem was the same one that your neighbor had. If the pest controller did a good job, then that took out the entire colony, so it would no longer be a problem for you. However, you can still get attacked from a different colony. Therefore, using some sort of preventive measure would be a good idea. Personally, I use both termite granules and monitoring stations. The monitoring stations are cheap enough if you make them yourself, so I placed them every 4 ft apart. That way, it would be very hard for the termites to miss them. Still, I have learned to never say never in pest control, so if they do get past the monitoring stations, they will run right into the granules that I have around my house, and that will take them out. if they do set off one of the monitoring stations, then I will treat them at that location, so they never do get to the house.
Keep in mind that for the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should just use monitoring stations.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the information!
None of the videos online addressed a neighbor dealing with having and treating a colony. But the pest guy that did the treatment did say colonies could be large and cover an area hundreds of yards from the main colony.
I had already watched the other videos, figured that granules and monitoring stations should be my minimum actions.
So ordered the balsa wood, and from your referral, bought the Termite Killer Granules, which arrived today. Gulped a couple bottles of beverage and have a few to get started with.
Hope the monitoring stations never show activity, but as you said in the granule video, whether I know I have termites or not, a $50 investment is peace of mind.
Thank you Guy.
Am a little surprised the colony proximity question hadn't come up before.
I suppose the first reaction if a neighbor has termite damage warranting treatment, then treating our house would seem required. But it confused me as to why, if the treatment is so effective, and kills a colony that could cover several hundred feet, that a building just 200' away would not be protected.
I have appreciated and watched several of your videos and based on the information you give, have purchased the balsa wood sticks, the recommended termite granules, and a bottle of Taurus SC. All have arrived and am now collecting some bottles to make the monitor stations as well as a few bait stations if need be.
Given that the Taurus treatment is a 12 week process, I could expect to see activity in the monitors, but also expect it to taper off and cease within a few months.
Will try to come back and update as it goes.
Keep up the good work.
I understand that all of this sort of thing can be somewhat confusing. Termites are a social insect. They live in colonies because they need each other to survive. Much like ants, there are termites in the colony that never leave. A good example would be the king and the Queen. So, for these things to survive, they need the other termites to bring food to them. While the workers and some of the soldiers regard your house as their favorite restaurant, there are many other termites in the colony that just prefer to get take out, that is delivered by the termites that visit your house. This is why we use a slow kill termiticide. If you place this pesticide barrier around your house, then the termites that go to and from your house are going to pass through it, and take the pesticide back to the colony, and share it with the other termites. This will kill all the termites in the colony, including the queen, regardless of how far the colony is from the house. Most of the time, the colony is located with a 300 ft radius of your house. Trenching and the granules work the exact same way. They both create this barrier around your house that the termites must pass through if they wish to eat. If there is just one colony in the area and that colony attacks your neighbor's house and your house at the same time, then if the neighbor treats for termites, then they are also treating your termites too. If your neighbor wipes out the colony, then there are no termites left to eat your house. The thing is though that there may be more than one colony in the area. So, it is possible that your house can be attacked by one colony, and your neighbor's house can be attacked by a different colony. In that case you would need to treat both houses. It is also possible that a house can be attacked by two colonies at the same time. This is not a problem though because both colonies will be taken out at the same time.
The monitoring stations work because the termites are very likely to find them on their way to your house. Since there is not a lot of wood in there, the station will go off pretty quickly. That is why you need to check them at least every 30 days. Just keep in mind that these things are made from water bottles, so they are not exactly perfect. Sometimes, the stick will move a little bit so that you cannot see the orange dot, and you may think that you have termites when you don't. This can happen if you run over it with a riding mower, or if perhaps the stick was not quite long enough when you made the station, and the stick just kind of compressed to where it became a bit loose. So, if you see one of these things go off, be sure to pull it up out of the ground to make sure that there are termites in it. If there are, then put it back and treat for the termites. If the station just malfunctioned, simply replace it with another one. I've also seen people ride over these things with mowers and it caused the station to sink down into the ground to where you couldn't even see it anymore. That usually happens if you are not checking them regularly. If you start to see when sinking into the ground, they need to reset it. Other than that, the station's function very well. Most of the time, when you see the orange dot disappear, you actually do have termites. At that point you can put a bait station right next to the monitoring station and take out the entire colony. I don't know if you watched my video on how to make your own bait station, but you may want to have a look at that. My homemade bait stations will take out the colony in about 12 weeks, but the ones you buy commercially can take up the two years. That is because they do not use a poison, but rather an insect growth regulator that's simply stops the termites from reproducing. Termite workers can live up to two years, so those things can take some time to eliminate the colony. Oftentimes they work faster than that, but not always. The homemade bait stations use an actual termiticide, and that will take out the colony in the same amount of time as if you were trenching. I will give you a link to that video.
I hope that explains everything. Be well my friend.
Video on how to make bait stations: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
Sensational video. Thank you.
You are very welcome. Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
Hi Guy! Definitely need your advice. Just got two equal quotes to rid an area of our home from termites. One company would dig the trench around our entire home and drill holes in concrete porch and slabs. The other company is going to use foam in walls where termites are, bait stations, and drill holes in front porch near where termites are. There's no visible evidence of termites on the sides or back of our home...just in the front on both sides of the front concrete porch. Both companies quoted just over $1k. This makes it hard to decide. What would you recommend?
The correct treatment is to trench around the house and drill the concrete. That's the one I would go with. That being said, you may be able to treat this yourself for about $50 and an hour of your time, with no trenching or drilling at all. 95% of the time you can just use termite granules. I have a video on how to do it and I will give you a link to it.
For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider either hiring someone or doing the trenching yourself. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. It's not as hard as you may think. You don't need to drill the concrete. You can simply trench around it. The pros drill it, but personally I would not do it that way. I don't like holes in my concrete, even if they fill them in.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them. Both trenching and the granules take up to 12 weeks to work because you must kill termites slowly. It's the same if the pros to it too. They use the same stuff for trenching.
By the way, I will be out of town for a couple of weeks, so I may not be able to answer additional questions until after I get back. Don't worry though. If you have follow-up questions, I will answer them upon my return. I'm sure I'll have a good deal of questions waiting for me, so please be patient. I will work through them one at a time. Hopefully it will only take me a week to get caught up. I promise that I will get back to you if you have additional questions, albeit a little slower than usual. We have not been on a vacation for over 13 years and my wife has explained in her unique way that the time has come. So, go I must, and we won't be back until around June 11.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy, thank you for very insightful information. I had a swarm of termites today. I saw swarm right outside of my house wall and also I can see quite few dead (and some still crawling) inside my house, mainly the same side of the house where I saw the swarm of termites. I called a professional pest control and he recommended to do liquid treatment (termidor) only the section of the house (about 1/3) and bait system all around the house. Now I understand how unreliable bait system is, should I do liquid treatment ALL around the house or just the section of the house where termite activity is seen. I asked the same question to the guy and he said it would be overkill and enough to do around where potential colony is. just some more information, I have a side of house paved leading to garages and a large deck behind the house too, which make it hard to reach for liquid treatment.
How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy, and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. I almost never recommend baiting. Depending upon where you live, these may not even be subterranean termites, so we need to know the species to get this right the first time. For now, I recommend doing nothing at all until. Don't worry. I will assist you with this and it's going to be okay.
Please note that I am on vacation, and I will not be home until after June 11, so I may not be able to answer follow-up questions until I get home. So, please be patient, I will get caught up as quickly as possible.
Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for prompt response even you’re on vacation (you’re just amazing). I watched your video about species and as I live well above the red/orange line, central NJ, so I think it is subterranean one. I have multiple pros come out and inspect/estimate. No one found visible evidence of damage inside of my house. There are dead bodies of 100 or so termites found inside my house close to where I saw swarming. All except one suggested bait method (one said he doesn’t do bait at all). I am inclining to do liquid method as that is the sure way to protect and bait method sounds like a lottery. Am going right direction? Look forward to your insights and guidance. Thank you very much!!
@@henrykim1409 I am still on vacation, but I'm at sea today, so I am taking some time to answer questions. You are definitely going in the right direction. I never recommend baiting, unless there are absolutely no other options. That does happen sometimes, but not very often. The best way to handle your problem is to trench around the entire house. If you like, you can do this yourself and it's not all that hard. The product you need only costs about $100, and you can do just 10 feet at a time if you want, and you can take up to a month to get it done. I worked with a single mom in NJ who did it with her teenage daughter. They did just 10 feet every day after work and school, and they were totally successful. Please watch my video on how to trench for subterranean termites and see if you think this is something you think you can do yourself. It will save you a lot of money.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Thank you! You are amazing!
@@henrykim1409 You are very welcome. Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
Guy, I have sub eastern termites which I identified with the help of your video. My renters failed to tell me that the septic tank lines were very not working which caused moisture near the house and possibly under the house. Septic tank is two feet away from the house. The home has been vacant for two months and the septic lines where re done last week. We discovered the termites while pulling up a wood and tung floor. My thoughts are that the termites are not under the house anymore since the lines are fixed and there is nothing else under the house causing moisture. I hope this thought is on spot. We plan to trench and use the foam for the joist that the termites seem to have run into after exposing them. The joist is still solid. Any thoughts on our chosen termite journey to get rid of them?
The termites were probably not colonizing under the house or even near the septic tank. The colony is most likely within a 300 foot radius of the house. They travel just a few inches below the ground and that's how they got to your house. If you removed their food source, which was the floor, they they will most likely find another food source, which may be another part of your house. Therefore, treating around the house is a good idea. You may want to try granules. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy! Thank you so much for helping save money and damage with all your video's. My question, towards the end of this one, you say if your house are on pilings you can trench around the whole house. My situation is: 2 layers of siding, the outside layer is 3/4 cypress, on regular plank board. Before I knew I had both termites and carpenter ants, had someone take the bottom boards touching the dirt off as they were damp and rotted before I had a terrible problem. The other problem is I have 2 driveways and poured concrete in the back along with a garden shed with concrete in other words more concrete than grass. Of coarse I have deep holes here and there around where the concrete is..AND out by the asphalt street and curb. I have about 1 ft between house and driveway, 1ft by pool deck and metal fence. The distance between metal building( which has damage on inside 2x4's ) 20 inches between the other side of the house and garden shed which is on a concrete pad and driveway.
My questions are Can I just dig a trench between house and shed .. A trench between the house on the other side and the driveway and the pool deck and fence?
I do see tunnels on the back of the house that has a add on with T111 wood siding again on concrete and pilings. Which I will use the filpro on.. One more question after I trench around all the concrete, driveways and the house that has only between a foot and 20 inches. on pilings, except the 4x4's going into the ground for the house, stairs, porches ect. Would it be too much to spray the Taurus SC around eves windows ect or should I use the Talstar P . Thank you!
Sorry, it wasn't this video it was Trench the correct way.. BTW- The carpenter Ants are mostly under the concrete..which is alot! Do they tunnel the outside of blocks, or just crawl, then into cracks spaces between trim wood into the wood, and then cause tunneling on lets say T11 wood siding? Thanks again!!!
Do you suppose you could send me photos of all of this? I need to really see it to fully understand it. You know. A picture is worth a thousand words. I don't want to give you bad advice because I have the wrong idea of what it looks like. You can send the photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Be well my friend.
Oh Thank you so much.. I will, in a few days, while doing yardwork as we are due for rain tomorrow, I'm in the middle of doing the inside first with dust and filpro, and TalstarP Staying on point! :)@@GuysPestSolutions
Hi Guy, do you know how to address a sharp slope around the perimeter of my home for trenching with the termadore? The water just tends to run down fast instead of seeping into the dirt? TY!
Sure. Just dig the trench in 2 foot sections. You also need to treat the backfill dirt. Please watch my video on how to trench properly. Be well Serena.
Video on how to trench properly: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
I following your trench advice for my existing infestation.
Digging it now. 6” of gravel on top of soil. I removed gravel. Now dig 6” of soil.
The removed soil is now mixed with the gravel outside the trench. Once I pour chemical, Is it ok to pour back in mixed soil+gravel or should I buy clean dirt to cover first?
Also termite holes seen in top of wall inside finished basement. (Bottom of Basement window ~18” below ground) Does having a basement require digging trench more than 6” deep? Chemical says I need to dig 4’ if “footing is below 4’” I don’t know what that means.
How deep is the gravel? You want the dirt to be down 6 inches. It's okay to have a light covering of gravel, but you don't want to fill the trench with it. Water flow is not your friend. Don't worry about that treating to the footing thing. That does not apply to you. A 6-inch trench is all you need. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
@@GuysPestSolutions pebbles were 6”. I removed them, then dug 6-7” of trench under soil. Then poured in Chemicals, backfilled with soil & pebbles on top. Then I sprinkled granules on top for good measure. It rains almost every day but the trench is within the overhang so should be ok.
@@bryanutility9609 Sounds good. It's not a big deal, but you should know that lab tests suggest that applying the granules over the top of Taurus SC will reduce the effectiveness of the Taurus SC. I know that it does not make sense, but that was the results of the study. It was not tested in the field though. It still killed the termites, so it's all good. Apparently imidacloprid interacts somehow with fipronil to reduce the effectiveness of the fipronil. Who knew? You're still good though. It didn't make that much of a difference.
Be well my friend.
@@GuysPestSolutions thanks again for all your help 🙏
@@bryanutility9609 You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
What if you saturated cardboard with some pesticide, be it organic stuff or not... 🤔Then dug up a little to slap it between your foundation and the dirt, but put the dirt back? Would this work?.... 😆Crazy thoughts out loud...
You would be creating a bait. That's fine, but you need enough bait to take out the entire colony. I just posted a video on how to do that. I will give you the link. Be well my friend.
Homemade bait station video: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
Hi, I have watched quite a few of your videos and they are super great! I am unsure on if I should bait or trench with Termidor SC around my house. Last summer I had a few bait stations pop around my house and another one recently. The first few popped near mulch and the other was near a piece of plywood laid beside my house. The bait station as of recent popped and is not near any source of wood etc. I am not seeing any mud tubes around my house so I am not sure if trenching would be over kill etc. Any help would be most appreciated. I can also send you video of around my house if needed.
If you are using the Spectracide Termite Stakes, then remove the bait from one of the ones that went off and see if there are actually termites in it. Most likely you will find ants instead. Termites are cream colored, with two distinct body segments. Ants are not cream colored and have three distinct body segments. Please watch my video on Spectracide Termite Stakes for more information. If you do find termites in the stations, then put the station back where it was and install a bait station right next to it. Do this for all the stations that contain termites. You can make your own bait stations, or you can buy them commercially. The Spectracide Termite Stakes do not contain enough bait to get the job done. Please watch my video on how to make bait stations. I will also give you a link to the ones you can buy. Very important! If these are termites, please watch my video on how to identify termite species. There is a map in that video. If you live in the red or orange areas on the map, then go ahead and trench because these could be Formosan termites. Do not play around with Formosan termites. If they are Formosan termites, then I would trench and use the bait stations as well.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on Spectracide Termite Stakes: th-cam.com/video/UDzg-1lpynA/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to make bait stations: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
Commercial bait stations: www.domyown.com/advance-termite-bait-station-p-148.html?co_var=3
Commercial bait: www.domyown.com/trelona-compressed-termite-bait-box-cartridges-p-17220.html?co_var=3
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks for all the information! You are correct these are the Spectracide stakes. I was only able to find 1 insect and it was white/cream etc. I live in the red areas you mentioned from your other videos. I have not seen any mud tubes leading up past our concrete foundation. I will be trenching.... ugh I will get the Termidor SC and go to work on this soon.
watched your video on trenching (excellent), and I have a question about termites in the garage. The termites appear to be coming in where the cement block and cement floor meet. First time they came in on the south side and started eating a wood bookcase and landscape bags under the bookcase on the floor. The next year they came in on the north side and started eating a bookcase and storage boxes. Are they under the garage floor? I sealed the Crack with cement and used a spray that lasts six months. Should I apply Taurus SC? And how would you do this?
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated.
How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. My guess is that this is nothing more than a common species of subterranean termites, but it is best to be sure before we treat. If I am correct, then this can be fairly easily treated.
Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Your videos are very good.
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. Be well my friend.
Hi Guy!
Really like your videos, very detail and right to the point. I need your advice anyway. I found swarming inside the house next to the house side storm door a few years ago. I research and it was subterranean termites. I bought BioAdvanced Terminate on-contact killer and sprayed on a ground next to the house wall. After that I still have swarming once a year about this time. I found that swarming termites get out in a house from some crack in a frame of storm door (on a outside I found swarming termites under the light base when I took it off the sliding vinyl. It was a gap and rain probably wet the space there). I sprayed there whatever I have left of that termites killer. Now I want to install baits and also use granules around the house. Problem is that I cannot buy granules in New York and it cannot be shipped to New York. What are my options? I saw your other video and you said that bait stations for preventing termites coming into the house. So am I right that my option is do a trench or granules? I wanted to do both, trench and stations just in case. Also, what do you think about "Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes, Kills Foraging Termites, Detects Termite Activity"? Thank you for your advice.
Please watch my video about the Spectracide Termite Stakes. Do not use the liquid termite killer. That will make the infestation worse. The termites will just move to another area of your home. That product it total garbage. Some New Yorkers tell me that Amazon has shipped the granules to them. Sometimes you can simply drive to NJ and get them. Just have them shipped to a friend or family member. NY is hard when it comes to pest control. NJ doesn't care at all what you buy, but NY wants you to only use licensed pest controllers, so they regulate everything, no matter has safe it is. I wish I had a better answer for you, but all they will sell you in NY is stuff that either won't work at all or it just makes the problem worse. I am so sorry. Be well my friend.
Video about the Spectracide Termite Stakes: th-cam.com/video/UDzg-1lpynA/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thank you very much for your help, I really appreciate it. NJ is also restricted, but I will find a ways to get the product and stations. I was surprised do not see CA in a list :)
@@tesladude2822 You are correct. NJ must have just been added to the list. That's weird because you can still get Taurus SC in NJ. I will give you a link to it. With Taurus SC you need to trench, but it's a better way to do it anyway. Trenching lasts 5 to 10 years. I will give you a link to my video on how to trench correctly for termites. So, if you can find someone in NJ to get it shipped to, then you have a great alternative. Be well my friend.
Taurus SC: www.domyown.com/taurus-sc-termiticide-p-1816.html?sub_id=1817
Video on how to trench correctly for termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thank you!
@@tesladude2822 You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
We live in a middle townhouse and was told we have shelter tubes on a deck post and raised plant bed but nothing inside the home. I had to squint because I didn’t see anything. Anyways the front of the townhouse we could easily do the trench method but the back of the townhouse we have a slab of concrete, raised plant bed with wood edging and another area with just rocks…How could we treat the back area since we can’t dig the trench? Do we dig a trench in the raised garden that surrounds the fence but doesn’t touch the house? We were quoted $2899 for bait stations.
Whatever you do, please do not sign a contract for bait stations. That's a total rip-off. Please send me photos of the front and back of the building. I need to see from the townhouse to the property line or street. Also, shoot a few photos of the deck and one where the termites were found, as well as some photos of the concrete slab, plant bed, and so forth. After I have a look at it, I can tell you the best way to treat it. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters a lot with termites. You can send the photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. When you email, please remind me of the situation. You can simply copy and paste your original question into the email. Please allow a couple of days for me to respond. I just came down with Covid and I'm a bit under the weather at the moment. I'm still going, albeit somewhat slower than usual. I get a lot of termite questions this time of year because it is swarming season, but I will definitely answer your email. I recommend that you do nothing until you hear from me after I see the photos. I may be able to save you a lot of money. My service is always free, so you have nothing to lose by listening to my advice. I have saved people over 100 million dollars already, and I can most likely save you money too.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Hello, We have subterranean. termites; found them in a small section of baseboard in the add-on to our home. We think it was an early detection. Extermination Co. quoted $1700 to dig U-shaped trench (about 30 ft.) and then use bait stations around rest of the house. Such a lot of money!! If we DIY, we'll trench the 30-ft. U shape and treat it with T. SC. Then for the remaining perimeter, we'll apply Bio Advanced Termite Granules. Would this 2-type approach be wise to do? What would you recommend? Thank you!
You didn't say where you live. Location matters because not all species of subterranean termites are the same. If you have a common species of subterranean termites, then you may get away with using just the granules. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. Don't worry. It is not as hard as you may think. There is a map in that video that will show you where Formosan termites are a problem. If you live in an area where these guys are present, then you need to make a positive identification prior to treatment. If these are not Formosan termites, then you may be able to get away with just using the granules and not trenching at all. Your plan may work, but why trench if you don't need to?
For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. I would not just do 30 feet. The proper way to do it is to go around the entire house and both sides of the driveway.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
I live in VA, and found a swarmer on deck, called termite control companies, and they told me to install baiting station, they told me that liquid won't work, because our house has sunroom and screened decking additions ( not on concrete, so foundation side is inside ), after watching your video, if I do trench around the additions, it supposed still work, or it will leave holes, one side of house will have gap since it is not directly against foundation. For the addition side, should I use better Bioadvanced Termite killer? will Termidor still will work if I trench it around the addition and deck area?
Pest control companies love to sell baiting systems because they are cheap and easy to install, and they can rip you off for years on them. Baiting is almost never the way to go. You are just making the pest controllers rich, and the bait stations don't always work. Please send me a photo of the deck. I would like to see all sides of it, from the deck to the ground. I can then tell you exactly how to treat it. Most likely you can trench right around it. If you want to use a baiting system, don't waste your money on a pro. You can install the same thing for about $300 yourself and each station takes about 5 minutes to install. That's why companies like them. It's fast, easy money for them. You can send photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. You should also do a termite inspection yourself. You should do this every year. I will give you a link to my video on how to do it. It's very easy.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to inspect for termites: th-cam.com/video/oGyAVT7Zyro/w-d-xo.html
When I bought this dump in Florida I found that I had a very active infestation. I panicked and called the M guys in town. I was given a line of crap, then they installed the bait stations and did some treatment inside where I tore out the walls ($1600 !!). Before they did any work however, I asked if they would drill and treat the 30' back patio (where most of the bugs were at) and they said no. I then told them to get off my property if they didn't drill and treat. They drilled and treated.
I'm so sorry you had that experience. A lot of companies today only use baits. The bait stations are cheap to purchase, very fast to install, and they can charge a lot of money for them. So, they don't want to waste their time drilling concrete or trenching around your house, the way they are supposed to do it. I am happy to hear that you made them drill the concrete. You are correct that there is a very good chance this is where they came into your home. I just hope that the treatment actually worked. I recommend that you inspect for termites every couple of months to make sure that they are gone. If the infestation is still active after 6 months, then you may want to consider trying a different treatment method. In most cases, if you live in Florida, you can treat a termite problem for about $50 and 1 hour of your time. If they sold you a baiting contract, then I'm sure there is a monthly or annual fee that kicks in at some point. This fee typically goes on year after year and never stops. That is one of the reasons why the pest control companies love to use bait. They can go on charging you forever for doing almost nothing. My advice is to cancel this contract just as soon as it expires. I would not renew it, or go on paying it after the termination date passes. I would let them take their bait stations back and then I would just treat with granules every year. I also live in Florida, and that is exactly what I do. I will give you a link to that video, so you can see how it's done. You can also install your own bait stations for about $300. They do the exact same thing as the ones that the pest control company installed.
I hope that helps. We will my friend.
Video on how to use termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Thank You Guy, Ill check out the link. The drilling/treatment got rid of the termites that were all around the patio seam at the side of the house. I've since canceled the pest contract for a few reasons. 1) It included a worthless guarantee that the termites wouldn't come back, but it was ONLY for specific areas treated and they would have to tear the walls open to verify such. 2) They were supposed to come check the bait stations each year and inspect the house, but it was up to ME to call them and twist their arm to come out here to do their job. 3) When they sent a kid by to check the stations (22 of them) they couldn't find some of them. The accused me of having moved them for some reason and couldn't locate them. I went down to their office and chewed them out, then terminated the contract. Of course I didn't get a dime back. Yes they wanted to come pull up their stations (even though they couldn't find some) but I was so angry with them I told them to stay off my property and if they wanted the stations they needed to bring a sheriff with them. They didn't come get them and they're still sitting in the ground doing nothing. @@GuysPestSolutions
I'm so sorry that you had that experience. The good news is that you are a smart person and realized that you were being taken advantage of. Your story is very common in the industry. I know it sounds crazy, but it is not all that unusual for the stations to disappear. They are still there, but if they are located in the lawn, then it is possible that they were pushed down under the surface of the ground and the grass grew over them. I have seen this happen when a riding lawn mower routinely goes over the top of them. When that happens, they are almost impossible to find. Of course, the company should be aware that this sort of thing happens. The good news is that the termites are gone, and you are no longer paying for service that you don't need.
Be well my friend.
Hey guy, im buying a house this month that has a small infestation in-between the garage wall and the house but not coming from the crawl space. Would it be effective to pour the liquid into the crack to try and treat them? Also can you over treat by having the trench and bait stations installed if you doit yourself.
How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. It is unlikely that just pouring a pesticide into the crack would be effective. Sometimes you need to trench and sometimes that will not work. Sometimes you can use bait and sometimes it is not recommended. So please get back to me regarding the species and where you live. I will help you figure it out.
Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Hello Guy, I've recently found some termites underneath a few pieces of log in my yard. I removed and threw away the wood. There's also some swarmers flying around every now and then at night. Also, I spray a ton of tarus sc down into the hole where I found the termite. I trenches and apply tarus sc around my entire house but just need to drill through some slabs left. I don't see any signs inside the house but what are the chances they make it inside now? Thanks.
If these are subterranean termites, then trenching should take care of it. Most of the time you don't need to drill concrete. I just trench around it, unless the concrete goes right to the property line. If you have not done so already, please watch my video on how to trench properly to make sure that you did it correctly. If you did, then you should be fine. The next time you see termites in the yard under some wood, don't throw the wood away. Move it to one side and dig a 6 inch deep hole around where it was that is 6 inches wider on all sides than the wood. Treat this the same way as if you were trenching the house, and then put the wood back where it was. This may take out the entire colony.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
An Orkin termite inspector came out to my house in Gainesville, Fl. I already have their bug service due to scorpions with a free termite inspection. He found nothing in the house or around it, but I have a shed that was at the edge of the property line where forest is and there were some old 2x4 boards on the ground left by the former owner of the house. Five of the pieces had nothing on them, but another had Asian termites. I have since removed all pieces of wood that were around the sheds. I’m assuming leftover from when they were installed the sheds. So now I’m being quoted $1700.00 there’s no way I could afford something like that and of course they were trying to terrorize me into it saying that it would eventually make its way to my house. Is there a product I can put on the ground to help kill off anything that may be left over by the sheds? I have aggressively inspected my house, which is a block home on a concrete slab looking for the mud tunnels, and any indication of potential termites and have found nothing thus far, the house has been inspected twice within 12 months for termites. I do not have any trees near my house or over the top of it, no rain gutters, but there are landscaping small rocks around the house. Can you help me with some suggestions to prevent termites?
If you get this, please email me at guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. I did respond to this question, but it looks like TH-cam deleted it. They do that sometimes and I don’t know why. So sorry. Just copy your original comment and past it into the email. Reference Case Number 082220241 in the subject line. Also, please give me your TH-cam name. Be well my friend.
Would it be okay to fill the trench with sand or gravel ...instead of the removed dirt...so it doesn't have to be trenches ever again for retreatment...im thinking the treatment would soak into the sand or gravel...I could be wrong...thanks....great video's!
I understand your thinking, but this would not be a good idea. Termites have a hard time traveling through sand and gravel and gravel will not do a good job holding the pesticide. You may think it is a good thing if termites have a hard time traveling through this material, but it's not. If they encounter sand or gravel, they may simply go under it and then up into your house, past the exterior walls. So, they may find a crack or crevice under the house and enter that way. That is why the pros do not fill in the trench with sand or gravel. We want the termites to come and go easily, so they will pass through the pesticide. This will take out the entire colony.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Thank you I really appreciate it!!
@@jamescreek6611 You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
Hi Guy, you are just amazing my dear. I learned a lot from you. I have couple of questions here. I live in Half Moon Bay, CA (Pacific Ocean and a foggy city usually) in a new house (5 years old). I usually see the wings of subterranean termites captured by spider webs on the outside of my house (because we live very close to the woods. I never ever saw any activity in my house. Only last week my general pest control guy came and sprayed the perimeter of the house (like I do every quarter) but this time he did around around the windows n the lower floor. Also that night it rained heavily. One or Two days later, I saw 20 or 30 ants which were very drowsy in my first and second floors. They almost died easily. I easily spotted them because the house has light color hardwood floors. It turned that these are subterranean termite ants. I got very scared and called my pest control company. They came and did a free termite inspection. He went through the crawl space (btw mine is very clean as it is cemented, no dirt), he also went through attics. The good news he didn't find any signs of infestation but he said they might be inside walls. Anyway he offered me a protection plan which is very expensive for me (I'm retired snd like to save every dime if I can). Can I Do it myself (I'm relatively a good handy guy. Appreciate your help and reply
You live in an area where drywood termites and western subterranean termites are very common. I cannot say for sure that is what you have, but the information you just gave me would be consistent with these species. If this is the case, the kind of preventive treatment that a pest control would do is not going to be helpful, and it will do nothing to eliminate the infestation. Therefore it would be a total waste of money. You can easily do preventive treatments yourself and make your wallet very happy. Before we get into preventive treatments though, I think it makes sense to identify the species. These species are very different and get treated very differently. The good news is that it is fairly easy to identify these guys. Since you are getting swarmers, all you need to do is put one in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then you can take a good look at it, and it should be fairly easy to identify. If it is fairly small in size and is a reddish or brown color, then it is almost certainly a drywood termite. However, if it is solid black, then it is most likely a western subterranean termite. I do not think it's a Formosan termite, because you would be seeing mud tubes over the place. I know that the pest controller did not find mud tubes, and I don't know how they do it, but western subterranean termites have a way of invading your house without making their mud tubes very obvious. I'm pretty sure the pest controller would have found obvious mud tubes if he was even the slightest bit competent. Therefore, I think it's a fairly safe bet that you are looking at either drywood termites or western subterranean termites. Again, these guys get treated much differently, so it is imperative to identify the species. So, if the swarms are red or brown, then you are most likely looking at drywood termites. If the swarms are all black, then you are most likely looking at western subterranean termites. I think it is very likely that you have an existing infestation of one of these species, and since the western subterranean termites can be very aggressive, and do a lot of damage, I recommend that you make the identification as soon as possible. Please get back to me as soon as you do that, and I will guide you further.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Not sure how I can thank you my friend. Unfortunately I have the majority of swarmers captured by spider webs on the wooden shingles outside of the house looking like the western subterranean ones and also I saw a few less than 4 or five of the dry wood ones (smaller orange body). I have pictures for both I captured. The problem I’m really worried about is 4 days ago, I saw inside the house (after general pest control spraying around the perimeter outside my house) around 10 or 15 black ants walking on the hardwood floors with no wings in different areas of the house first and second floors. I only saw them that day and didn’t see them again (never had any ants before in my house ever for 5 years). Do you believe I have an infestation of western subterranean and the inspector didn’t see it in my crawl space and the 2 attics? I’m also sure there are no mud tunnels around the house. I was hoping that the general pest control and rain that night disturbed these black western subterranean and pushed them to go in my house but there is no infestation. What do you think?
I also want to stress that the swarmers I see are all dead ones in the webs on the wooden shingles of my the outside walls of the house. I don't see them live and flying. I just wanted to be accurate and give you the full picture
@@TarekAnis-r4l The first thing you need to understand about termites swarmers is that they do not live long. These guys are what we call reproductives. There are basically kings and queens that are looking to start a new colony. They have a very short lifespan if they do not find a place to start the colony. In the case of drywood termites, they need to start that colony in wood. In the case of Western subterranean termites, they need to start the colony in the ground. In either case, you can see the dead bodies of the swarmers that didn't make it. I cannot say for sure if you have an infestation of either these species because I would need to inspect to confirm that. However, I think it is very likely that you do. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I have never run into Western subterranean termites because they only exist in several western states. I have never operated that far west. However, I do know that they have the ability to infest your home without visible signs of mud tubes. I have no idea how they do that, but I do know they have that ability. That means you cannot simply look for mud tubes to figure out if you have a Western subterranean termite infestation. One of the ways that you can tell if you have an infestation is if you see the swarmers inside the house. They almost never fly in from the outside. You may see one flying in from the outside every now and then, but if you see more than one inside, then it is a pretty safe bet that you have an infestation. If you look at the woodwork and the drywall, you may find an exit hole where they came out. These exit holes may now be filled with mud, and they are very small, so you need to look carefully. It is important to move furniture to inspect all the walls, and all the woodwork. If you see any tiny holes anywhere in the walls, then you have your answer. While you're at it, also look for frass. If you see a pile of frass anywhere, then you probably also have drywood termites as well. Seeing these guys outside the house is very concerning, and does require further investigation, but seeing them inside is a dead giveaway that you are probably experiencing an infestation. Drywood termites are very slow eaters, and it can take years for them to do a lot of damage. Therefore, you have a lot of time to figure it out with them. Western subterranean termites are different. These guys are very aggressive and can destroy a house pretty quickly. Therefore, if you have them, you need to figure it out as soon as you can. So, start by doing a thorough inspection of all the woodwork and drywall. This would also include the ceilings. If you cannot find anything, then the only thing you can do is take a wait and see approach, or call another couple of pest control companies to get another opinion. Like I said, I would not be worried about the drywood termites, but I would be very concerned about the Western subterranean termites.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
If I dont put enough chemical due to measurement error less than 10 lineal feet should I be concerned? With Taurus Sc and trenching. .8 + .4 for 7 lineal feet.
It is important to use the correct concentration. Using too much will do no harm, but using too little may render it less effective. You may be okay if you treated the backfill dirt. Please watch my video on how to correctly trench for subterranean termites. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to correctly trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
More info. The bait stations have 2 trelona bait cartridges in each station. Shouldn’t there be a wood bait cartridge in each station with the Trelona?
You can buy them with the bait or wood installed. You may have purchased the Trelona ATBS Annual Monitoring Stations. These come with bait and the idea is that you only need to check them once a year. If the termites find them, then there is supposed to be enough bait in the station to eliminate the colony. Of course, that is "if" the termites find them. They don't always find them. The further away they are from each other, the harder it is for the termites to find them. These things are expensive, which is why I don't use them. You can make your own monitoring stations for about 50 cents each and place them at 4-foot intervals, thereby greatly increasing the chances that the termites will find them. I have a video on how to make them. There is a dot at the top of the station. When the dot disappears you probably have termites. I say probably because the stations can malfunction, so you always need to check them to make sure that there are actually termites in them. If there are, then put it back in the ground immediately and install a bait station next to it. If it went off by accident, just replace the station. The dots at the top make them super-fast to check. Just walk around the house once a month. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
If I am going to build a trench and pour the treatment around my house, what do I do if there are spots I can dig a trench and access for example a brick walk into the house. Do I just skip those section with the trench?
I would need to see photos of it. Please send them to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. When you email, please ask the question again. I get a lot of email, so I don't want to confuse you with someone else. Be well my friend.
Quick question about trenching. I live in an area where the ground is denser with clay and the pest control person said that they do not do trenching anymore around here, especially since there is a little bit of a slope on the side that runs off into the woods below for my townhouse. Now the slope itself is not that steep near the house and does get a little bit of a hill 10 feet away. Should I be worried about the use of the Termidor if it could run off down into the woods below? They recommended a bait station. Any advise would be welcome!
The pest controller is not telling you the truth. They like to sell the bait stations because they make good money on them for very little work. The problem is that the bait stations can take up to two years to work and they may never work at all. All that time the termites is still eating your house. You will see this all explained in the video.
The Taurus SC or Termidor SC is designed to stay where you put it. So, after the trench is filled in, the pesticide isn't going anywhere. If you are trenching a slope, just dig a shorter length. It is perfectly fine to trench one or two feet at a time. If you treat the back fill dirt, then it doesn't matter how dense the soil is. Please watch my video on how to trench properly.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench properly: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks for the insight. I had another guy today actually come out just to do an inspection just so I had 2 company assessments. I do not currently have termites at the moment, but just want a preventive way incase it does become an issue down the road since my new construction soil treatment is gone. This other company also recommended the bait station and when I mentioned trenching, they also said they do not do that.... that it is chemical and not good for the environment so they use the bait stations instead. Is the Taurus SC and Termidor SC chemical? Would it effect environmentally around it such as bushes, fruit bearing bushes, etc.? My main concern is that I have fruit bearing bushes and trees around the area and do not want to be consuming any fruit that may be absorbing chemical pesticide. I appreciate any advise. Thanks!
Of course Taurus SC and Termidor SC are chemicals, but so is your laundry detergent and so is the bait that they put in the bait stations. That doesn't mean that the Taurus SC or Termidor SC particularly hazardous though. Modern day pesticides are designed to stay we put them, so trenching is not going to contaminate the environment in any way. This is also perfectly safe do your bushes and it will not bother your fruit bushes is either, unless they are within a couple of feet of the house. The truth is that these termite companies us selling you a bill of goods. It's a bunch of malarkey. I would like you to watch my video that explains the truth about using pesticides. You should re-watch the video that compares bait stations to trenching. Both of these videos are real eye openers, and every word in these videos it's the absolute truth. The only reason pest control companies want to sell you bait stations, is because they are very easy to install and you will end up paying them a fortune for them over time. If you read their contract, you will find a clause in there that will tell you that it may take up to two years for the bait stations to be effective in killing a colony, and that the bait stations may not even work at all. In other words, when you sign the contract, you are agreeing that you understand that the bait stations may not work, and you are not holding the company liable for any damage that is caused by termites. It is sometimes written and legalese, but I bet you it will be there. Trenching on the other hand, is almost a sure thing. However, if you do not have termites, then the easiest thing would be to use termite granules around your house and install monitoring stations. You can do the granules yourself for about $50 a year, in less than an hour. You can make monitoring stations yourself out of used water bottles for less than 50 cents each. I have videos on how to do all of this stuff, and it will save you a fortune. Just let me know if you are interested in those options, and I will provide you with more information on them. I can tell you that is exactly what I do. I use the granules every year and I have the homemade monitoring stations around my entire house. The monitoring stations are pretty cool too. There is an orange dot on the top of the station. When the dot disappears, you have termites. Then, you can treat them right at the monitoring station, before they get to your house.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video explaining the truth about using pesticides: th-cam.com/video/i7nLO6Js_3Q/w-d-xo.html
Guy, Hi. I’ve communicated with you regarding termites and bait stations and the use of your recommended Bayer Bio-Advanced termite killer. I just checked all of the bait stations ( which were installed approx. 6 months ago) and there is one which has termites within it. ( back corner of the house) It is a slab. I put down the bayer granular product about 2-3 months ago. How should I proceed?
If the dirt around your home passed the perk test, then the granules should protect your house, but I would still bait the termites at the monitoring station. First, make sure that the station actually has termites. Pull it out of the ground and check. If it has termites, then put it right back in the ground. The termites won't live long if you keep it out of the ground for more than a few minutes and you don't want them to die. At least, not yet. Have your drill and garden auger bit ready to clean up the hole. After it's back in the ground, lay a 6-inch piece of 2X4 on top of the station to give the termites something to munch on. Next, make a bait station and install it next to the monitoring station. It is helpful to take a few live termites and place them in the bait station after you install it. This will seed the station, and those termites will give off pheromones that will attract other termites. Just keep replacing the bait as needed. Never remove partially eaten bait. Just keep adding new bait. This should kill the entire colony in about 12 weeks.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to make a termite bait station: th-cam.com/video/r05Z-aUJehw/w-d-xo.html
80% of my house has a 12" to 18" rock bed (average size, 4") the entire way around it. can I water in granules? we have no sign of termites, last treatment was 2018 and trying to determine the proactive way to move forward?
Would you mind sending me photos of this? I really need to see it to give you the best recommendation. Send photos off all sides of the house. I need to see where the outside walls meet the ground and from the sides of the house to the property lines. Also, from the front of the house to the street. Photos of the driveway would be useful as well. Please copy and paste your question in the email to refresh my memory on your situation. My email is guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Please allow a few days for a response. I am busy cleaning up from hurricane Milton. We got a direct hit as a cat 2. It made quite a mess. We are all okay, but there is a lot of cleanup left to do. So, I am running a bit behind with emails. I promise that I will get back to you as soon as I can. Be well my friend.
Is it good to do a trench with Termidor or Taurus and also have a sentricon bait system installed? Using them in together? My property seems to be very conducive to termites, due to the sandy soil . I left a raw piece of wood on the ground for 10 days and came back and it was filled with termites.
Trenching is the best way to eliminate subterranean termites. The Sentricon system is pretty much a rip off. You are paying for nothing after you trench. It is usually the national companies that try to take advantage of you by selling you both trenching and Sentricon. They know that the trenching will get it done. Please tell me where you live. If you are lucky, you may be able to get away with using termite granules for about $50 and an hour of your time. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Guy, I am in Tallahasee Florida. I was gonna have a company install the sentricon. And I was gonna do the termidor SC trench myself just to quickly get the population that has eaten the back of my garage . Should I just do the trenching myself and forget the sentricon with the company?
@@TheMubby You have two species where you live. One of them is very easy to treat, but the other is a serious problem. If you can obtain a specimen with a red head, you can tell one from the other. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. Don't worry. It's not that hard. Let me know if they are Formosan termites. Those are the bad ones. You can trench for either species, but you don't need to for Eastern subterranean termites. Please watch my video on how to trench for subterranean termites if you decide to trench. You need to do this correctly, and most videos do not show you how to do it right. So, please watch mine. If you identify the species before you trench, and if they are not Formosan, then you can treat them with granules for about $50 and an hour of your time. No trenching at all. So, it may pay to find out what they are. If you have an estimate, the species may be listed on it. However, I never trust pest control companies to get it right. If you have damage, dig into it with a screwdriver to see if you can get a specimen with a red head. You can also break open a mud tube. This may save you a lot of time and work. Please let me know. I hope that helps.
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
I currently use Tempo SC Ultra on a quarterly basis. Does this provide any dry wood termite protection?
That depends upon how you use it. If you are treating around all the windows, doors, fascia boards, soffits, and all other penetrations in the side of the building, then it should provide protection from drywood termites. Keep in mind that the product can last up to 90 days, but that does not mean that you will get 90 days of protection. Climate conditions can shorten the lifespan of the pesticide. Moreover, the last 30 days of protection is not going to be as good as the first 30 days. Therefore, I have now started treating my house every 60 days to prevent drywood termites. Please watch my video on how to prevent drywood termites. I tell you to treat every 90 days in the video because that is what the manufacturers are claiming will work, but that is no longer what I do. Treating every 60 days reduces the risk of an infestation. Drywood termites are expensive to treat, so I no longer take any chances.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to prevent drywood termites: th-cam.com/video/neNsmVbj8Pc/w-d-xo.html
I'm going to be trenching my place in about a week. I know I have or have recently had termites. Should the Taurus sc work or do you recomend something stronger?
Taurus SC works on all subterranean termites, so go with that. However, if you have Formosan termites, then additional treatment may be necessary. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species to make sure that you don't have Formosan termites. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks. I'm pretty sure they are subterranean by the color of the flyers. You have helped me a lot figuring out how to handle this. Love the informative videos.
@@Tn.back.roads.77 Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated. I am always happy to help. Be well my friend.
Hi Guy
What is the most effective termite pesticide
Good question. I like fipronil the best, but imidacloprid works well too. The product I like to use is Taurus SC. Please watch my video on how to trench for termites. Keep in mind that trenching only works for subterranean termites. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench for termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Help? 😭 We had two companies come out, Orkin & Terminix after finding live termites in our home. Damage down to the basement. They both only offer the Sentricon and no trenching. We agreed to have the Sentricon installed on Saturday but still want to trench the home ourselves for extra protection.
My assumption is that, you can’t do both?? If the bait system is installed will trenching it later ruin it? Please help if you have an answer! 😭 thank you so much
I think baiting for termites is almost always a bad idea and a waste of money. More and more pest controllers are starting to agree with me. The Sentricon people way oversold that system and it does not work as well as they claim. If you read the contract carefully, you will most likely find a clause that releases them from liability if the system fails. That is because it does fail sometimes. Even when it works, which it usually does, it works very slowly. Meanwhile the termites are eating your house. The Sentricon system should never be used to treat Formosan termites. If you have an opportunity, you should cancel that contract. Most states give you a 3-day grace period to cancel most contracts like that. If you are stuck for a year, then cancel the contact at the earliest possible moment. Going forward, always adopt my number one rule when a salesperson is in your home. You should never sign anything in the presence of the salesperson. Always wait at least 24 hours to decide if it makes sense. If they tell you that the price is only good for today because their sale ends today, then show them the door. They are just a high pressure rip off company that you need to avoid at all costs. Also, never hire any company that advertises on TV. Those ads cost money and you are the one paying for those advertisements. Most of the time, the worst companies are the ones who advertise the most. A good, reputable company has all the work they can handle just by recommendations from other customers. The locally owned mom and pop companies are almost always your best bet. The person who comes to your house is often the same person who will do the treatment and they are an actual pest controller and not a trained salesperson. They rely on positive feedback and recommendations and will usually bend over backwards to provide good customer service.
You did not indicate where you live, so I do not know what species are in your area. It is possible that you do have Formosan termites. Please watch my video on how to identify termite species. There is a map in that video that will show you where Formosan termites are a problem. The contract should list the species, but national companies often send out salespeople instead of actual pest controllers, so they often get the species wrong. I have seen these guys sell bait stations for drywood termites and that species does not even attack from the ground. All they want to do is sell you as much as they can.
About 95% of the time all you actually needed to do was sprinkle termite granules around your house and water them in with a garden hose. It costs $50 and takes about an hour to do. No trenching at all. The granules work so well that states are starting to ban them because they are taking too much business away from pest control companies. This is still something you can do, and it will not bother the bait system at all. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. Trenching will not bother the bait system either. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. Keep in mind that the granules do not work on Formosan termites. That species requires trenching and some additional treatment inside the house. Please let me know if you are in an area where these guys are known to exist.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well Kaylee.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
How to dig a trench under the deck. Can we dig around it, will it work?
If you can get under the deck and treat alongside the house, you definitely should do that. At the same time, you also need to treat the deck. The best way to do that is to treat around each one of the deck supports. If you have stairs leading down to the ground, then I would treat around those as well. Don't worry if you cannot get too close to the underside of the stairs where they meet the ground. Just get as close as you can. If you have a situation where you cannot get under the deck, then the next best thing is to treat around the deck.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Thank you again. I wasn't familiär with the granules, might give them a try. I had bait stations put in as a preventative, but the company was unscrupulous, took my money and I never saw him again, $1100. Elderly women are bait for predators. Still, I try. Any particular type of granule?
I am so sorry that you had that experience. The granules are often a good choice because they are cheap and easy to apply. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
If you do not have an active infestation already, you may want to also consider using monitoring stations around your home. I use both the granules and the monitoring stations. I will give you a link to my video on how to make them for under 50 cents each. I put them around my entire house for less than $25.
I hope that helps. Be well Dorothy.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
for an active infestation, if you have a vegetable garden nearby, (2-3 meters from the perimeter of the house) what would be the best solution? Bait stations will take too long but will the termicide granules or thermodor leech into the soil and into the vegetables, making it unsafe or at least not a good idea in the long term to eat? Do we have to choose between our vegetable garden or our poor house 😫
Your garden is a safe distance away from the house so that you do not need to worry about your vegetables being contaminated by the termiticide. Modern day pesticides are formulated to stay where you put them. So you can either use the granule or trench.
For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time.
Please make sure that you buy the correct granules. There are two kinds of granules now and one of them does not work. They are both manufactured by Bayer, but they really screwed up on one of these products. Make sure that you get the granules that use imidacloprid as the active ingredient. The correct granules are no longer available at a lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores. However, they are still available on Amazon and I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions thanks for the info Guy! Very useful!
You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
I have similar dilemma. I will trench most of the house and the garden I will bait until the off season where I will complete the trench.
@@johncovino1155 Unless the garden is right next to the house, then you would be okay to trench. This stuff depends upon soil conditions and such as that, but if the garden is at least 24 inches away from the house, then you should be okay. The termiticide does not travel that far through the ground. Usually only a couple of inches. 21st century pesticides are designed to stay where you put them. They bond with the soil. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Hi! I came downstairs one day and found termites flying in my kitchen, I trenched around the perimeter of the house and used Taurus SC. Will this kill the colony? Will trenching the perimeter kill the infestation if it is in the middle of the crawlspace? Thank you for your videos.
I am so sorry that you are having this problem. A lot depends on the species and how you did the trenching. Please tell me where you live. Also, when you trenched, did you dig a 6 inch deep and 6 inch wide trench, and did you treat the backfill dirt? Did you dig the trench starting from the road and going along the driveway to the house, and then around the entire home, and back to the road? Please watch my video on how to trench for subterranean termites to see what I am talking about. If you did it correctly, that should eliminate all species of subterranean termites, except if the colony is under the house.
Please tell me why you think the colony is under the house. Are you seeing mud tubes that are in direct contact with the ground anywhere? If so, then I will explain how to treat under the crawl space.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thanks for your response. We are in Kennesaw (Atlanta) GA. Yes, 6" x 6", poured the solutions, sprayed the dirt alongside the trench, filled the trench, and sprayed the top of the backfill again. Is that enough "treating"? Guess we could go back and pour some more on the backfill if needed. We did not trench around the driveway, because the driveway is separate from the house and does not touch the foundation at any point, so we were able to completely encircle the house. I am just asking about under the house because we have a 120-year-old house, and the room where the termites were flying is half over a 12" crawlspace that is mostly inaccessible due to HVAC ductwork and half on slab, so I was hoping you would say, "Oh, no, you got them." I think a close inspection of the brick piers in the crawlspace is now required and we may have to remove some ductwork to try and gain access all the way into that corner. Should we remove some baseboard and drywall at the bottom of the perimeter of the room and look for any damage? Thank you again!
Oh, we also put out bait staitions. It is time to inspect them now. And, we have no gutters on the house and 4" of mulch on the outside, If any of that matters.
@@gurdoncounts3450 Thank you so much for sharing that information. I'm very familiar with Kennesaw Georgia. The home of the General. There is an old Disney movie that was done on it. Your town is steeped in history.
It doesn't sound like you did the trenching exactly right, but I think what you did is probably sufficient to get the job done. You do live in an area where Formosan termites are active and they are a very aggressive species. You most likely do not have them, but it would be wonderful if you could show me one of those swarmers that you saw. I'm guessing that you no longer have a specimen, but if you see these guys again, then please put one in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then please send me a photograph of it. The photograph needs to be taken a certain way, so please watch my video on how to properly photograph a bug. If you kind of remember what it looked like, then please watch my video on how to identify termite species.
You most likely do not have a colony under the house, but you can never rule it out when you have a dirt floor in a crawl space. The way subterranean termites work is the reproductives will fly to a new area of ground and borrow down into the dirt to start a new colony. If they find an opening where they can get into a crawl space, sometimes they will fly in there and borrow into the ground under the house, thereby creating a colony directly under the building. This does not happen a lot, but it does happen. I do not think I would start removing ductwork just to inspect, but I would try to look to see how much you can observe just by peeking into the flashlight. The trenching you did should work within about 12 weeks. So, if you start seeing swarmers again, then either the trenching didn't work or you probably have a colony under the house. If you want to give the trenching job a bit of a boost, you can apply termite granules right over the top of the trenching and just lately water it into the garden hose. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it. You must buy the correct granules and home Depot and Lowe's no longer sell them. I will give you a link to the correct ones that you can purchase on Amazon. The correct granules use imidacloprid as the active ingredient. You do not want the ones that use beta-cyfluthrin as the active ingredient.
I do not think I would start removing the baseboards to do an inspection. Coincidentally, I just happen to have a new video that is posting at 7:00 this evening that shows you how to inspect for termites. I cannot give you a link to it until it posts, but if you subscribe to my channel, you will get a notification. This video will walk you through the entire process, and I think it is the most in-depth video on TH-cam on how to inspect for termites. I recommend that you do this inspection a couple of times a year until you figure out what the species is. I'm guessing that you have a very common species, like Eastern subterranean termites, because the more aggressive species like Formosan termites probably would have caused a lot more damage by now. Those guys are super fast eaters, and they do a lot of damage very quickly.
The bottom line is that I think the trenching you did is probably going to do the job, and you probably do not have them under the house. I would still apply the granules around the house, just to be on the the safe side. Going forward, just do routine inspections.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to properly photograph a bug: th-cam.com/video/I8qd63hX6y8/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to identify termites species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k0_1_5&=&crid=2DVU85FH5DLXK&=&sprefix=termi
@@gurdoncounts3450 Bait stations should be inspected every month. I don't think you need them though. They should be placed every 8 feet apart, but most people don't do that because the directions will tell you 10 to 20 feet sometimes. If they are too far apart, the termites can miss them. You can make monitoring stations yourself and place them between the ones you already have. I placed them every 4 feet around my house for under $25. You don't need gutters for termite prevention, but the mulch does matter. That can be termite food. You should treat the mulch every year with termite granules. I already gave you the link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to make monitoring stations out of used water bottles: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Hello, I have an area that has really thick juniper growing next to the foundation. I wouldn't be unable to dig a trench without digging up the juniper. Can I bore a hole every foot and and do the driveway style treatment in that application?
I have 30 feet of railroad tie steps that are directly beside the foundation. I was wondering if I could drill holes down through and pour it 12" apart like the driveway style treatment
@@crittergetter9071 You may want to consider using granules for this area. No trenching required. For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice and you need to get back to me.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. I will give you a link to them.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions I'm in Northeast Georgia and the ground isn't very porous. We have a lot of clay. On the steep side of the house without railroad tie steps, I dug a trench and found a drainage line that was solid not slotted. I dug down and exposed it and then I took a piece of one inch rebar with a handle on the and pound it into the ground about 10 to 12 in. The holes were approximately 6 to 8 inch apart. I used one gallon jugs to pour the solution into the holes. They slowly drained down and I used 1 gal per two-and-a-half feet. I had to keep coming back because they were slow to drain down. I don't think I'll be able to do this on the railroad steps, I'm sure it has a drainage pipe too. Also I have a gap between the driveway and the garage. I can shove a machete knife down into this crevice about 8 to 10 in. Can I funnel the solution into this crevice without drilling? Thank you for your assistance.
@@crittergetter9071 Did you apply the termiticide into the trench at a rate of 4 gallons to 10 feet, and did you treat the backfill dirt? Having a drainage pipe that does not have holes in it, wouldn't matter if you just dig next to the pipe. Creating those one inch holes at the bottom of the trench wouldn't matter either, but that treatment alone is probably not going to stop the termites. Please watch my video on how to properly trench for subterranean termites. I would need to see photos of those railroad steps to be able to tell you the best way to treat it. You can send photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. When you send the photos, please give me your TH-cam name, and remind me that you are looking to trench for termites.
Be well my friend.
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Do termites make noise inside the walls of your home like a tapping noise
Yes. Termites can make noise inside your walls. Usually, it is too faint to hear, but sometimes it can be rather loud. It sounds like kind of a clicking noise. Carpenter ants also make noise as well. I recommend inspecting your house for termites. I will give you a link to my video on how to do that. If the inspection comes up clean, then look for dead ants near the walls. If you don't see anything like that, then this could also be a mammal, such as mice, squirrels, and that sort of thing.
I hope that helps. Be well Cheryl.
Termite inspection video: th-cam.com/video/oGyAVT7Zyro/w-d-xo.html
What could I do about termites under my pool liner in ground pool thank you
Just when I think I have seen it all, someone like you comes along with something I have not seen before. Can you tell me more about the pool and can you send me photos of the pool and the area where you are seeing the termites? Also, please send me a photo of one of the termites. See if you can find one with a red head. Put in in a jar and let it die a natural death. Then it is easy to take the photo. Photos can be sent to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Please remind me of what is going on and please watch my video on how to properly photograph a bug. The photos need to be taken a certain way for me to identify the species. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters a lot with termites. After I see what is going on, there is a very high probability that I will be able to tell you how to treat the problem. The truth is that termites are not exactly rocket science. If you understand how the species in question operates, then they are usually pretty easy to treat.
I hope that helps. Be well Cheryl.
Video on how to properly photograph a bug: th-cam.com/video/I8qd63hX6y8/w-d-xo.html
Hello Guy, Terminex left the bait stations and the tech said there are 23 stations I've located 10. How can I locate the rest?
Bait stations are usually spaced an equal distance around the house. Just measure the distance between two stations that are the closest together. Then measure that distance from one of the stations and that should be close to where the next one is located. Use a septic tank locator tool and probe into the ground to find it. They can sink into the ground and get overgrown with grass. They are usually about the same distance from the house foundation. Not always exact measurements, but you should be in the correct area. Depending upon who did the job, they can be located anywhere from 8 to about 20 feet apart. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Septic tank locator tool: www.amazon.com/Kanayu-Stainless-Adjustable-Locating-Underground/dp/B0C2YTWHTV/ref=sr_1_3?crid=24382SXAA8UDL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NEK_nWUaDTtHyCIJ7H_nQ4JZsad2ywHSovBCmf7GBT0OppXUY_4a2pMTwpQlgFgcjCWInHE-Lv6QxjmK6MDLKpGpVQ5_31n6DHE5IRM574FWj_fMy72fzky-2kddONQSNMoZ6JydJpU_8AD6FIJxdlXQS_VaNPXSI0azAW8X0FHMjWevyfc9Q9hGCaZscJlosciseBxiu6Xo1KHPSS_bM2yCg-g7-usNUYZvBmVhQuzSHnaVVsFwA2-E1SJ1iwwRGH65LZR7ZDCtsHCi2Ow7goQ6W-KYhaRzazqmFW6rgHw.1bnHyc0IKjBsBJdCSJPdsRoUPyQK5P1GaBh5Z8q_BbI&dib_tag=se&keywords=septic+tank+locator+tool&qid=1715626634&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=septic+tank+locator%2Clawngarden%2C112&sr=1-3
You missed 2 very big points about bait stations
1. In my state your termite coverage is not activated unless live termites are found. Any damage caused by a colony that was taken out by a bait station is considered previous damage, not required to be covered.
In other words, the more effective the bait station, the less coverage you end up having
2. The remedy for infestation which occurs after a bait station system is installed is to do with liquid treatment in the area of infestation.
In other words bait stations are so great they indemnify them with liquid treatments
That's interesting. Thanks for sharing. Be well my friend.
This comment is from months ago but if you see this- I saw on one of your points you can do the trenching after the bait system is installed. Someone else told me we can’t because it’ll disrupt/ruin the bait system.
Can we trench after having it installed? We don’t know what to do but already signed to have it installed this Saturday!
The main affected area with live termites is our French door which is surrounded by our cement patio and no way to trench by it. We can trench the rest of the perimeter of the house though. As long as it won’t ruin the bait stations… what do you think? Can you do both?
how could you prevent flying termites in the attic?
If you see flying termites in the attic, then you most likely have an existing infestation. The flying termites are reproductives looking to start new colonies. They swarm for a short period of time and then seem to go away until next year, but even though you are no longer seeing the swarmers, the termites are still there. How you handle that will depend on the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Also, please tell me where you live. Location matters. Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: th-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/w-d-xo.html
Our pest control came and only trenched around three walls. The side with open carport didn’t get it! 🤨
And...we have active termites in our flowerbed.
@@Southern195 why didn't they do the open carport?
@@Southern195 Mr. Guy does a great job answering questions. I asked him a million questions and he answered all of them. Saved me money. Blessings to you and him and good luck.
@@tymartin2293 I’m not sure! We have had a contract with them for years so it made no sense.
I have asked this guy so many questions and he has always answered them and he’s why I knew the pest control shorted me. Lol
Thank you and hopefully our problem is solved.
I did order the stuff to do ourselves though.
@@Southern195 yes, do it yourself. I worked for a pest control company and we only did commercial properties. They had a special unit for termites and I would have to work my way up to get certified on termites. I wanted to trench my house bc we're in termite season down south. Watching the videos helped me out a lot.
Hi Guy I have a question how do you kill a carpenter ants?
I have a video on that. I will give you the link. Be well Yrali.
Carpenter ant video: th-cam.com/video/Te9BUCaIQZY/w-d-xo.html
How deep should the trench be
6 inches wide and 6 inches deep. Make sure that you treat the backfill dirt properly. That is very important. Be well my friend.
Where can I buy terminedor products?
Please tell me where you live. Be well my friend.
South Florida
@@ITS_TWILIGHT_ You can buy almost any pesticide you want from Solutions Pest and Lawn. Just click on the hourglass on the top right of their webpage. You don't need to register with them. If you want to trench your house for subterranean termites, then please watch my video on how to do it correctly. Most of the videos out there show you the wrong way to do it. Taurus SC is the same thing as Termidor SC, but less expensive. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Taurus SC: www.solutionsstores.com/taurus-sc-termiticide
Video on how to properly trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Does the bait expire?
The bait can last up to about 5 years. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Need help with fire ants , what to use
Fire ants are very easy. Just watch my fire ant video. It costs about $10 to do your entire yard and the fire ants are gone overnight. I will give you the link. Be well my friend.
Fire ant video: th-cam.com/video/VReLWuT-jcQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi Guy, how do I contact you so I can send pictures
You can send photos to guyspestsolutions@gmail.com. Be well my friend.
Those granules are over 70.00 at Amazon.
Im concerned the chemical will poison my well.
The granules will not bother the well, unless it is really close to the house. If you ask Bayer, they will probably tell you 10 feet is fine, but you can get much closer than that. So, unless the well is really close to the house, you do not need to be concerned about it. The granules leach into the ground and bond with the soil, so it does not travel further than a few inches from where it was applied.
For the granules to work you need to have dirt around most of the house and that dirt needs to be porous enough to allow water to seep into the ground fairly quickly. To find out if the dirt around your house is porous enough, just dig a small hole next to the house that is about 4 inches deep, 8 inches long, and just the width of the shovel. Fill the hole with water and watch to see how fast it drains down into the ground. If it seeps into the ground fairly quickly, then the granules should work just fine. However, if it just kind of sits there, then the granules would not be a good choice, and you should consider trenching, if you have an active infestation. If it turns out that you need to trench, then please watch my video on how to do that correctly. Trenching is a lot more work, but it only costs about $100 to do an average size home, and it lasts 5 to 10 years. Most people can trench an entire house in one day, but you can take up to a month to get it done, and you can literally do just 10 feet at a time. As with granules, the product I use does not travel more than a few inches from where it was applied.
Make sure that you buy the correct granules. You need the ones that have imidacloprid as the active ingredient. A lot of the Home Depot and Lowes stores no longer sell the correct granules, but you can get them from Amazon. You may have been looking at the wrong ones. I just checked at they cost about $55 now. I will give you a link to them.
If you do not have an active infestation already, you may want to also consider using monitoring stations around your home. I use both the granules and the monitoring stations. I will give you a link to my video on how to make them for under 50 cents each. I put them around my entire house for less than $25.
I hope that helps. Be well Dana.
Termite granules: www.amazon.com/dp/B000RUIJYM?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k1_1_6&=&crid=157C3RV0MY0AK&=&sprefix=termit
Video on how to apply termite granules: th-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to trench for subterranean termites: th-cam.com/video/Fy7YHi_7Z8g/w-d-xo.html
Video on how to make monitoring stations: th-cam.com/video/gye27aXHRsY/w-d-xo.html
Guy how toxic are these chemicals for pets and us humans?
Modern day pesticides are not toxic at all after they dry. We are almost on quarter of the way through the 21st century and so we now have 21st century pesticides. All of those really hazardous pesticides that scared the life out of us were totally banned in the mid 1990s. Today's pesticides stay where you put them and they are safe enough for children to play on after they dry. If you would like to learn more about the safety of pesticides, please watch my video on the subject. I will place a link below.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
th-cam.com/video/i7nLO6Js_3Q/w-d-xo.html
Sentricon is better
Sentricon is the same thing. It does not kill termites. It just prevents them from reproducing. It usually works, albeit very slowly. You should never use it for Formosan termites. Trenching is always the better way to go. Be well my friend.
Does this work on ex wives?
Only if she's subterranean.
@@deltatango5765 LOL 😆🤣
If she's an ex, doesn't that mean she is already gone?
@@GuysPestSolutions never gone enough