By Eric Gibson
We’ve all driven by those unfortunate, vacant residences with the stripped tent over the house that is reminiscent of a circus. But unlike a circus, you don’t want to be under this tent. In this case, the tent is in place to trap extremely poisonous gasses, concentrating them in the household, killing your termites. Since the fumes are extremely deadly, your termite control company will have you vacate your home until treatment is complete. This treatment option works like a charm for Drywood Termites. But tented treatments don’t work for Subterranean Termites who live underground and tunnel under your home. So if you have Subterranean Termites, your question may be: is there a safe and easy way to treat for Subterranean Termites without vacating your property? The answer is yes.
Before diving into treatment options for your Subterranean Termites, it’s best to learn a little about the species and how they differ from the well-known Drywood Termite.
Drywood vs Subterranean Termites
Drywood Termites eat across the wood grain and make chambers and/or galleries connected by tunnels. They are non-subterranean which means they do not live in the ground and require no ground contact. They swarm from April to July. Swarming Drywood Termites fly into structures and infest the wood directly. They typically infest exposed wood i.e. window/door frames, trim, eaves, attics, etc.
The Eastern Subterranean Termite is the most common and widely distributed termite in North America. They are usually located in the ground, but above the water table and rock formations.
A mature colony could completely consume 2 1/3 linear feet of a pine 2”x4” board in 1 year. And there may be several colonies associated with a single building. Wood damaged by Subterranean Termites appears to be layered. Best professional solutions: Sentricon System or Termidor Liquid. In this article, I will focus on the Sentricon System.
Sentricon System
With the Sentricon Stystem service, monitoring stations are strategically placed outside your home or building. Termites feed on the bait and take it back to their nest where it achieves total colony elimination. This is a non-invasive termite treatment which is monitored and checked quarterly by a Nozzle Nolen Service Technician.
Sentricon System offers non only control, but a permanent solution to your termite problem. It’s more thorough than most liquid treatments. Instead of a treatment, it’s more of a cure. It may not be the cheapest, but it’s going to take care of your problem.
Why does Sentricon work so well?
Termites prefer Sentricon bait over wood. The main ingredient in Sentricon bait prevents workers from molting. And if the workers can’t molt, the workers die. Eventually the colony dies because the workers are not there to feed the colony. The great part about the Sentricon bait is the termites can’t detect the ingredient.
Professional Pest Management Services can set the stations up 10 ft apart around your home. Call today for a free inspection! Our Nozzle Nolen Termite Inspector will come out and identify your termite issue, presenting you with the safest and most effective treatment option.
Nozzle Nolen is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). For more information about Nozzle Nolen and its Certified Green Solutions Program, visit www.nozzlenolen.com or call (800) 22-NOLEN.