The Chemical Barrier
Termite control in the past took advantage of the worker termites' need to return to the nest for water. Chemical barriers were used to surround the food source so that when the termites left the nest for another feeding, they would run into the chemicals.
This would work, as long as every possible pathway into or around your home was blocked. The other problem with this method is that only the worker termites who came into contact with the poisoned soil would die. The remainder of the colony would not get poisoned. The other worker termites would become aware of the poison and then rely on the other food sources (wood pile,tree roots, etc.) to make up for losing your house as a food source.
However, poisoning the soil had other consequences. The chemical poisons, especially those used more than 10 years ago, were extremely effective. In fact, the EPA found them to be too effective. Some of the chemicals simply wouldn't break down. They would pass through the soil into water supplies and then contaminate areas no where near the termite colonies.
People who used well water were at risk, as the chemicals could migrate into drinking water supplies.
Other wildlife, which was beneficial was indiscriminately killed. All in all, the chemicals, when used in unskilled or untrained hands could be highly dangerous.
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Total Colony Elimination
Several years ago, a very close friend of mine decided to play an adult game of capture the flag. There were 20 adults on a side and we used eggs as ammunition. I was the leader of the Rebel forces. My plan was simple. Attack and eliminate the Imperial Force command post. It was the heart of their operation. It worked.
Dow AgroSciences, a company which has been waging the war against termites for years, decided that it was going to adopt a similar strategy. They developed a termite control system called Sentricon.
This system is designed to take advantage of another weakness of the worker termites. When termites get back to the colony to share food, they compare travel stories with their other worker friends. My guess is that it goes something like this:
Hey Fred, I just got back from the Jones house. Man, do they have some tasty 2x4's! I also got a salad of drywall paper there too. You should check it out.
Fred responds: I'll do just that, but first I'm going over to the Yablonski playset. Can you believe that those nuts built the playset and didn't use treated lumber? The only thing missing on the playset is a neon sign saying Termites Welcome - Apply Within.
Well, knowing this is their modus operandi (MO), Dow AgroSciences developed a very tasty slow acting poison that is incorporated into feeding stations around your home. Here is how it works.
Plastic monitoring stations containing wood are installed at various locations around your house.These stations are checked regularly for termite infestation. When termites are found in one or more of the stations, the wood inside the station is switched with a look alike substitute.
The substitute is actually a tasty poison which the termites eat. They tell other workers about this new food. Well, within several weeks, the workers begin to get sick. The phone begins to ring in termite headquarters, as many workers call into work sick.
Then the sick workers begin to die. As you might imagine, this has a major impact on the rest of the colony, since food is not being brought back to the other termites. Within six months, the entire colony is eliminated.
This system is a huge advancement for termite control. It is environmentally friendly, as the soil is not poisoned. Give it serious consideration for your home.
Author's Note: We've received other emails with similar problems or questions. Here's one from Aaron S. of Los Angeles, CA, regarding termite fumigation.
"My house was fumigated for termites covered with a tent etc. After removing the tent two days later, we entered our house but there was no odor of gas at all. A while later, we saw insects, spiders, roaches etc. moving around. The fumigation company claims that they mix a substance with the gas so that it will not have an odor. My question: Shouldn't there be a gas odor and dead insects? We can't see the termites inside the wall, but we feel that if all the insects are still alive, probably the termites are not dead either. Please, let us hear you opinion. Thank you very much!"
Doing a little online checking, the chemical used during termite fumigation is targeting only termites. It will not kill spiders, ants, bed bugs or cockroaches. So Aaron, you may still see other insects moving around.
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