Termites!   The word alone is enough to instill fear into a homeowner with visions of costly treatments and even more costly damage repair. It can also instill fear in some pest control companies whose marketing strategies promised much more than they could deliver.

    In the Texas  we have three species of termites, the Subterranean termite, Drywood, and Formosan Termite. The Subterranean insects have colonies underground. The workers that ingest wood, build mud runs through which they crawl over any obstacle to get to the wood they are eating. They then return to the colony and regurgitate the cellulose from the wood to feed the rest of the colony. 

    Once a colony has reached its peak population, it allows another queen royal gel and then swarms. The swarming termites are winged and fly out by the hundreds. The males only function is to mate he queen and die. The queen once mated starts 

another colony and begins laying eggs underground near a food source. The swarming season usually takes place in Texas on a warm Spring day after a rain.  Usually around Feburary 15th. in the Houston area.

    Ants also swarm, sometimes at the same time as termites. To distinguish the difference in the winged swarmers, observe the segment between the thorax and the abdomen. Ants have a distinct waist line between the thorax and abdomen as termite bodies are straight and can not be distinguished.

CONTROL

    There are two basic methods of control. The conventional treatment with an insecticide and recently baiting. 

    Since the demise of Chlordane in the 80's, chemical companies have been scrambling to develop a product to replace it. Thus far no chemical has withstood the test of time and usually breaks down in five to ten years. The lifetime guarantee given by most companies with chlordane is now nothing but a marketing tool with yearly prepayment towards your next treatment.

    The newest (1999) product on the market are termite baits. The first and most  popular is "Sentricon."  All of the test results and consequential treatments look promising. It is expensive and requires quarterly inspections but it is environmentally friendly and working.

    (2000) Now the newest product to hit the market is "Termidor" by the Aventis Corporation.  From all test results it is by far the superior product for termite control.  It is widely used in the South where termites are a major problem and the results are far superior to any chemical or bait on the market.  Before any one sells you on an expensive baiting job be sure to research this type of treatment. www.termidoronline.com  for more information.

    Termites are tricky and sometimes elude the best of professionals the first time. It is not a treatment I would ever recommend as a do it yourself job. The consequences can be devastating. The chemicals and baits available are all good products, but as with most insecticides they only work when applied properly. When choosing a company to do your termite work remember it's your property your trying to protect. The chemicals and baits are close to the same price for all companies it's their skill and expertise your paying for. As John Glenn said the first time he went into space, "The only thing that really scares me is that everything in this capsule is lowest bid."

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