Termites! Help!

[creepycrawley]

Hi all.. I seem to have a problem with a termite infestation here and I have no idea what to do with them! I came across them just yesterday as I was looking for a good spot to plant something. They seem to be around the area of our guava tree, and I dunno when why or how they got there . How harmful are they and how should I get rid of them? I have totally no idea how to deal with them in the garden. House yes, garden no. Desperate for help!

Thanks in advance!

[a0c8c]

When it comes to termites I prefer calling an exterminator. We had them in the house we just finished renovating and they're a pain to get rid of. We started off with spot spraying when we found them(with a professional grade, highly regulated super chemical my county commissioner father in-law was able to get) and that wasn't getting us anywhere. We eventually had to use a fogger between each stud and go over the entire house to make sure they were completely eradicated. I'm not a fan of chemicals, not at all. I don't like them in my house, my yard or my garden, but when it comes to termites and the thousand of dollars worth of damage they can cause, I pull out the strong stuff. We replaced alot of termite damage, and had to rethink where we kept our hard wood floors as they ruined most of them(the hardwood was buried under old carpet and linoleum and we only saved the hallway and dining room, the rest of the house had too much damage). I'mnot sure what the best route in the garden is, but whatever you do, don't take them lightly. They'll eventually make it to your house, if they haven't already. For now, look for any rotting wood, trees or wood that is constantly wet, or any other inviting place to termites and get rid of it. They build dirt highways, so keep an eye out for them and try and see where they're headed. Then call an exterminator and get someone out quick. In my opinion, there's no such thing as a good termite around a house, only those in deep forests and jungles.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

We had termite damage in this house too. We didn't find it until we started renovating. We had to take out all the plaster and pull up all the floors. We were able to save most of the hardwoods. We had to replace about 80% of the house sill. 70% of the wall studs. And about 50% of the floor joists. Turned an easy remodel (easy is relative, I know) into a full blown flip! I suggest getting professional help. And getting on a maintenance plan. The termites were gone when we started our renovations, but I'll be damned if they ever come back!!!

[cynthia_h]

Any direct earth-to-wood contact needs to be removed. If you have a wooden fence whose posts aren't set in concrete footers, that's a potential highway right there for the termites.

Dead stumps? Stairway footings not flashed with metal or based in concrete? Look *everywhere* for direct earth-to-wood contact. Call a termite inspector (they're private contractors, not government employees, at least in California). If you purchased your house through a real-estate agent (and here, I'm talking about an established realtor, not someone who one day just decided to become a seller of houses), that individual will/had better have a contact list a mile long of

housing contractors: carpenters, painters, plumbers, electricians, general contractors
decorators (not that I've ever needed one, but our realtor offered, so I know she has a list...)
landscapers, conventional gardeners maybe by now prof. organic gardeners
termite inspectors who don't advertise on the radio (we reached a settlement with one of the most-advertised termite companies in the country b/c they MISSED termite infestation in three walls and the floor of the garage at our previous house )

Definitely pay for an inspection FIRST. Even more definitely, pay for an inspection by a recommended company. Not the company whose ads you always hear. The company who finally did the work at our previous house was one I had *never* heard of.

Why hadn't I heard of them? Their work from referrals alone kept them over 100% busy. Granted, that was in the late '90s, but they're still in business and I still haven't heard any ads....even on the radio station around here which their target market listens to....

So check around and get a full inspection, esp. if you can't find any direct earth-to-wood contacts. But even if you do, a full inspection will tell you what's going on.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9