Knowledgebase

Termites #865123

Asked April 19, 2024, 12:59 PM EDT

On Tuesday, we saw termites shawmers flying around the the patio in the backyard. Called three termites companies and upon inspection they found no Termites infestation. The house and two of them suggested the bait canister treatment and one company drilling & treating the exterior masonry slabs, rod/trench exterior/soil to inject the liquid for termites (Termidor). This is my question: Since there is no infestation and this would be preventive treatment what would be the best preventive treatment for our home, the canister treatment or the Termidor treatment.Thank you. .

Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

Termites can be abundant in the soil and fallen logs of many natural areas near homes and never cause problems, and swarmers seen in the area are not necessarily a threat to a structure. (Birds love eating them too, so very few of them actually survive to start a new colony.) We don't feel that beginning a pesticide treatment regime is necessarily warranted at this time, but you can have an inspection performed by a pest control professional if you are wary of vulnerable wooden structures or areas that had termite damage in the past. Bait stations, where they can be monitored for visitation, might be a suitable intermediary option, but even then, might not be worth the cost if termites have not been a problem to date and there are no exposed wooden beams or materials that are particularly vulnerable to colonization. More information about termite management and prevention can be found in the content and links of the page linked above, though we do not currently have more specific details comparing pesticide options and their efficacy.

Miri

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