The Frugal Home: Termite Treatment

After having a great deal of construction work done on our house we had a week of enjoying the results, then a wood cabinet in the garage collapsed.  A week after that we had a large swarm of termites in the garage and a smaller swarm in a hallway.

Termites were swarming out of the electrical socket

My pest control company came out to do an inspection.  Once again we have subterranean termites.  They had weakened the wood cabinet that collapsed and had started in on the other cabinet in the garage.

Partially eaten wood shelf

The termites had entered the house in two different ways.  In the garage they entered through an expansion joint in the concrete foundation and in the hallway they entered through the gap in the foundation that allows the water pipes to enter the house.

The pest control company treated the perimeter of the house with Thermidor and pumped it into the ground via holes drilled through the foundation at the points of  infestation.  They also drilled into the wall in the hallway to pump Thermidor foam into the wall.  They patched the holes in the wall and concrete so well I can't see any sign of their work.

The worst damage to the shelves was where cardboard boxes or paper were touching the wood.  Apparently, termites love soft food made from wood paste.  The pest control company suggested storing everything in well sealed plastic containers and using metal shelving.

We used a pest control company, but you can treat your house against termites yourself.  Thermidor can be purchased from Do My Own Pest Control.  They also have good information on termites, pests and the correct method to apply the Thermidor.

So, Lord willing, we are back to normal and I hope to have a quiet spring and summer before I have to deal with more home improvement.

God bless,
Pam