DIY Termite Prevention

[N80]

It just dawned on me that I have never done anything about termite protection for my log cabin. It has been finsished (more or less) for several years. It has a full cinder block perimeter foundation with piers on the inside. It has a sheet metal barrier between the foundation and the sills and on top of the piers. But I've done no chemical prevention. I have not seen any termites, but I don't want to.

So is this something that can only be done by a professional exterminator or can this be a DIY project. If I can do it myself, where do I get the chemicals and how are they applied. I've looked at the home stores and haven't seen anything for termite prevention.

 

[LMTC]

Professionals will tell you that only professionals can do it. However...since the removal of chlordane from the market, there is no product (to my knowledge) that has more than a 6 month residual effect of adequate consequence. My house has a wood foundation (pole construction), and we were paying an exterminator to treat the perimter annually, and they recommended semi-annually.....until the day I saw the label on the product in the truck. Now I buy Bifen IT on ebay, bought a $350 pto sprayer for a tractor, and fall and spring spray the perimeter...ground, especially around each post, crawlspace as far as spray will reach (good spray gun easily gets 30'), bottom perimeter, the seam where any porches meet siding, top of siding at soffit, and soffit/overhang seam on both ends. Termites HAVE to come up from the ground somewhere, and if all possible routes are treated, they will die.

I have found the Bifen (brand name is Talstar) to hold up well for 4-6 months. We are rural, and have seen perhaps 4 spiders in the house in the past 4 years. Virtually nothing gets in. No more yellowjackets nesting in the soffits or attic. They die getting there. You could use a hand or backpack sprayer, you would just get less distance out of it. Properly diluted, Bifen is also approved for application in food service locations....it is bifenthrin, which I believe is essentially a pyrethroid. Use reasonable precautions when applying (gloves, mask, goggles, use on windless day).

FWIW, we also started buying concentrated garlic oil sold for the following purpose, and spray an acre around the house every 4-6 weeks in season. Virtually eliminated ticks, and profoundly reduced mosquitoes in that area....and I do mean profoundly.

 

[Redbug]

Hi there George,

This is what I have used on my house and wood buildings. Timbor...a borax product, safe, inexpensive, easy to use, and not just for termites. This product is used by exterminators and builders. It's funny you posted about termites...I had ordered a case of Timbor only a month ago!

I used warm water to dissolve all the powder and a pump up sprayer to apply the solution. You can vary the solution amount depending upon the situation.

Where I ordered mine from...
Pest Control Supplies - Pest Control America - Do it Yourself Products

A few facts about this product...
AllPest Professional Products - Tim-bor Wood Preservative & Insecticide Information
Timbor Wood Preservation, Timbor® Wood Treatment
Rio Tinto Borax : Agriculture : Safety Issues

 

[HomeBrew2]

I use Orthochlor that I get from HomeDepot. It was in store 2 weeks ago but I do not see it on their website to post a link. I seem to get the overall killing power that LMTC reports but I'm sure for less duration and I suspect that I have less pest pressure than many folks.

 

[N80]

Thanks guys. I'll look into these soultions. Redbug, my logs came already treated with Timbor. I'm not sure how often they would need to be retreated. In any case, you guys have given me some leads and I'll look into them.

 

[Harvster]

You want Termidor. For Termite Control | Termidor Termite Defense, America's #1 Termite Defense Product It's what the pros use. Very low toxicity for pets and people (Fipronil is the active ingredient, same as Frontline Topspot that gets squirted right on animals). Has been 100% effective at keeping termites away for 10 years or so in Dept. of Ag. testing. Read up on it and follow the directions for application. You may not be able to buy it in your state. So if you get a pro, make sure they use this stuff. No affiliation with the product or company. Just spent time researching it.

 

[SPIKER]

one cheap & effective treatment was mentioned using borax (same stuff they dig out of the ground & used to haul it using 20 mules in a team!) it is a natural element that does in most crawlie critters. used as a good wash down cleaner in lots of applications. and is main active ingreadiant in more than just TIMBORE as mentioned above. I'm placing 20+ boxes under my slab in the barn sprinkled out evenly on outer sides and around all poles. granted at $3bucks a box it not cheapest stuff but is pet & food safe compaired to 99% of other stuff...

markm

 

[Bill Barrett]

+1 on borax

 

[HomeBrew2]

... 20 mules in a team ...

I've always been in awe of how the skinners had the mid mules jump the hitch chains to pull to the outside on a switchback

 

[Redbug]

Just another note about borax...I dabble around doing a little taxidermy work from time to time. Among chemicals used, the standard old 20 Mule Team Borax is one of the main preservatives used in taxidermy work. It repels and kills trophy loving insects as well as being a great preservative. Arsenic used to be the chemical of choice in the old days, but safer chemicals are used nowdays.

 

[Harvster]

Borax is NOT food safe. Please look at the following link.Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Bureau of Food Safety and Consumer Protection - Letter to Industry - BORAX (BORIC ACID) SOLD OR REPRESENTED AS FOOD


Here are some calculations based on the known testing for borax and Termidor SC.

1. Toxicity of Borax (from reference below) LD50 for rats is 4500-5000 mg/kg Meaning for half of the test rats to die they must eat 4500 to 5000 mg of borax per kg of rat body weight. We'll assume 1 kg rats.
2. Toxicity of Termidor SC for rats is an LD50 of >1999mg/kg or half the test rats die from eating above 1999mg per kg.(however this is the concentrate and is diluted by about 100 gallons of water for the application.
3. So 20 boxes of borax(mine are 76 ounces) comes out to be 43092000mg of borax. Or enough to kill about 4500 rats(using the midrange of 4750mg/kg to kill half the rats)
4. Termidor SC is a 78ounce bottle I believe to treat an average size house. This turns out to be 2211300 mg of Termidor SC. This is enough to kill about 550 rats.
5. So the "safe" borax would kill 4500 rats and the Termidor would kill 550.
6. I know which one I would choose.
7. For comparison the LD50 of table salt is 3000mg/kg and caffeine is 192mg/kg

http://www.msdsvault.org//GENERALPDF/33850-USBorax-Borax.pdf http://www.fluorideaction.org/pesticides/msds/fipronil.termidor.sc.basf.pdf

 

[SPIKER]

I suppose I won't let my pet rats crawl around under the slab either then


considering that for 50+ years it was the washing soap of choice and that most older farm houses have a lot of it flushed through the septics then I haven't done much harm if I choose to use it...

markM
mark M

 

[N80]

So the "safe" borax would kill 4500 rats

Kills rats and termites? That sounds perfect!

I'm just kidding, your point is well taken and I would not consider borax food safe, but still quite safe in general. I too used to do a bit of taxidermy, and while I did not sweeten my tea with the borax, I got a lot of exposure. And I've turned out just fine, well, not counting that twitching, constant drooling and double vision. Wonder what the LD50 is on the other preparations mentioned here???

 

[Harvster]

I agree that borax is very safe for such uses. But, my main point is that lots of chemicals are quite safe when used properly. There is no need to fear something just because it is a man-made chemical. I like the caffeine comparison because it is moderately toxic and some people drink it everyday, even going so far as to say they need it.

 

[Redbug]

Just a little information to the folks that don't know anything about Timbor. Here is a link to the label of the product, which gives directions/how to apply, etc. It's a PDF file so it will take a little longer to load up...

http://www.nisuscorp.com/pdfs/timborlabel.pdf

 

[N80]

I like the caffeine comparison because it is moderately toxic and some people drink it everyday, even going so far as to say they need it.

Well, even water and oxygen are toxic if taken in sufficient quantities.

 

[SPIKER]

Kills rats and termites? That sounds perfect!

I'm just kidding, your point is well taken and I would not consider borax food safe, but still quite safe in general. I too used to do a bit of taxidermy, and while I did not sweeten my tea with the borax, I got a lot of exposure. And I've turned out just fine, well, not counting that twitching, constant drooling and double vision. Wonder what the LD50 is on the other preparations mentioned here???

I thought I was the only one with constant twitching, drooling and double vision!

MarkM

 

[HomeBrew2]

Wayne (LMTC), thanks for bringing Bifen I/T to my attention. I see that the indoor/outdoor premix stuff I buy from Home Depot in gallon jugs has 0.05% Bifen. I use it inside because it is supposed to be much safer than OrthoChlor. From the very first search result, Bifen I/T @ 7.9% costs ~$2/oz which would make a 0.06% solution in a gallon ... I just paid $14 for a gal of premix Next time, I'll be getting Bifen I/T concentrate and will probably abandon the orthoChlor also.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Oops, cancel last part of previous post. Just checked the label on OrthoKlor (correct spelling) ... it is Bifenthrin @ 2.9% So it's the same stuff as Bifen I/T but lower % which makes it about 2+ x the cost of Bifen I/T.

 

[slowrev]

Borax is also good brazing flux.