Termites

**SEAHUNT186** · #1 03-22-2005, 03:35 PM

Who here knows about termites? This past sunday we had some of the flying ones come in the front door. Once they get inside are they the ones that mate and start new colonies? It seems that if this was true everyone in Oaks of Cleer Creek will have termites. They were swarming everywhere in this neighborhood. Anyone have any useful advice please let me know.
Thanks alot,

**Leo** · #2 03-22-2005, 03:54 PM

I'm no expert by any means but they were probably not termites. I'm thinkin flying ants.

**SEAHUNT186** · #3 03-22-2005, 04:11 PM

No they were most definitely termites. It's that time of year they swarm. Everyone on my street had them swarming around their front doors. They all lost their wings the same day and that's a sign of termites.

**Texan** · #4 03-22-2005, 04:11 PM

I was Certified in Oklahoma and Texas so here ya go!

There are three ways to identify termites:

Antennae

Waist

Wings

Termites have curved antennae, oblong body (no pinch in the waist); two pair of wings (four in total) all wings are the same size.

Ants have elbowed antennae, pinched waist (segmented), and two pair of wings of differing lengths. One pair of wings will be the shorter of the two.

There are a lot of folks out there that will give you a free inspection but beware of BS, they will talk you up on all kinds of treatment options. Get the inspections but do not buy any treatments unless a few of the guys sing the same tune, if so then consider it.

**SEAHUNT186** · #5 03-22-2005, 04:15 PM

Yeah we have been talking to terminex and several others. They all want to charge you an arm and a leg to treat and keep it up. I just don't understand if the flying ones are both male and female and can mate to start up a colony. If so, Oaks of Clear Creek in League City is doomed. Everyone we have talked to had them somewhere around their house on sunday.

**Drew_Smoke** · #6 03-22-2005, 04:29 PM

Stay away from the big guys. They will slam you. Look for a Ma & Pa outfit.

**Texan** · #7 03-22-2005, 04:29 PM

They can and will but like anything else of nature the odds out of the gate are stacked against them. You'll need to do something about it but the annual renewals are ****, it's just a cheap way of taking you money on an annual basis (pun intended)

.

The thing about a termite colony is that the colony itself can be anywhere around; under a neighbor's house across the street or two three houses down. A good termite treatment when done right will place a chemical barrier in the ground between the house and the soil thus preventing the termites to do damage. Baits and stuff are out there and could be used in conjunction with the treatment, but the treatment is the way to go.

Back to the annual stuff, opt. out of it if possible. Take the best warrantee and price combo. and go with it. When I was doing this a retreatment on a property would simply be a spot treatment. This is cost effective for you down the road as opposed to paying the annual renewal for someone to come out and take a look and spot treat if necessary.

Just my opinion on this but if I had to cross that bridge this is what I would do.

**Downandout** · #8 03-22-2005, 05:42 PM

My experience with termites; I live several houses down the street from my brother in law. And he paid big money and did the company thing, he's still calling them out for spot treatments. Anyway, one day I noticed them (termites) on the side of my house and caught the "kid" on one of my bro in laws retreatments. I slipped/paid him twenty and he treated the whole side of my house in about thirty minutes. After doing some prying I found out that they sell those same chemicals over at solutions in Santa Fe. The chemical is expensive, about two hundred bucks for five gallons, but its enough to fill the moat several times over(diluted). I bought me some and used a flat blade shovel to pull back the dirt from my slab and filled up the moat. I think it took about three or four hours to go all the way around my house. I haven't seen a termite since, hope this helps. I don't mean to offend anyone on the board, there are some really good people. I have just heard a lot of negative things about termite companies.

**Salty Dog** · #9 03-23-2005, 12:25 AM

Downand out, what is the chemical?

**Crossroads** · #10 03-23-2005, 08:07 AM

I fought termites for 20 years in Ft. Worth home. I don't think any termite treatment works as advertised, in fact, I don't think they work very well at all. Once you get them, you have them for years, they come back annually.