Termite Pre-treatment Options
The cost of an effective, long-lasting termite pre-treatment is nominal considering the overall investment being made in the construction of the home or building itself – or the potential cost of damage repair if and when termites are found. Different products used for termite pre-treatments provide differing levels of effectiveness in defending a home from termites, and cost alone should not be the only factor in determining the choice of a pre-treatment option. It is important to ask the builder or a pest control professional about the range and effectiveness of termite pre-treatment options available before building a home. Remember, a pre-treatment is the first line of defense from termites, and an investment during this stage will pay off for years to come.
The most common types of termite pre-treatment products are:
Liquid Barriers: Demon TC ®, Prevail®, Talstar® and other “pyrethroids” are older chemicals that attempt to create a liquid barrier around and under the entire foundation of a home, repelling termites as they approach the barrier. Because these products are older, “repellent” technology, they generally are the least expensive liquid treatments. Liquid barrier treatments can prove problematic – displaced soil and small breaks in the chemical barrier can allow termites through the barrier to the structure. Click here for more on liquid barrier treatments.
Undetectable Liquids: Termidor®
termiticide/insecticide, Phantom® termiticide-insecticide, Premise® and other next-generation liquid products use technology to eliminate termites from the structure without the need for a liquid barrier. Rather than simply repelling, these products actually allow termites to freely forage in the treated zone. The termites may then spread the control agent to other termites that do not come into contact with the treated area. Undetectable liquids are more expensive than liquid barrier treatments, but are the most effective. They are also long lasting. These products differ in effectiveness based on their ability to thoroughly spread the control agent through a termite population. Click here for more on “undetectable” termite defense.
Bait Systems: Sentricon®, Advance® and other baiting systems are generally installed after the final grade and landscaping has been done. Bait systems rely on "recruitment” – the assumption that worker termites will discover the wood source, lead others to station, and eventually die by ingesting treated cellulose found in the station. Baits do not create a treated zone around the structure the way liquids do, and some systems require a waiting period after installation because the treated food source cannot be added to the station until termite activity has been detected at that location. Click here for more on termite bait systems.
Physical Barriers: Products like the Termimesh System™ are installed prior to and/or during the pouring of the structure's concrete slab. This method targets the areas around plumbing, electrical pipes, and conduits, which could present an entry point for termites.
Wood Treatments: Borates, such as Bora-Care® and Tim-Bor ® Professional are chemicals that are sprayed onto all wood surfaces in a new home, in an attempt to eliminate the wood as a food source for termites.
Phantom and Termidor are registered trademarks of BASF. Premise is a registered trademark of Bayer Environmental Science. Sentricon is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences. Prevail and Talstar are registered trademarks of FMC Professional Solutions. Bora-Care and Tim-Bor are registered trademarks of Nisus Corporation. Demon TC and Impasse are registered trademarks of Syngenta Professional Products. Termimesh is a trademark of TMA Corporation Pty Ltd. Advance is a registered trademark of Whitmire Micro-Gen.