Taurus SC Termiticide should NOT be applied indoors or in drains. Roaches can live in a septic tank, and can come up through the plumbing lines and make their way through the drains. However, you would not be able to use an insecticide in the actual drains. There is a product called Gentrol Aerosol IGR that is an insect growth regulator that stops the reproductive cycle in roaches that can be used in drains. Keep in mind, too, that roaches often just fall into or crawl in sinks because of the water there and do not actually come up through the drains. We recommend that you treat with our Roach Control Kit Rotation A. Please take a few moments to review our treatment article and videos on How to Get Rid of Roaches for more helpful information.
Taurus SC does not require the use of an IGR but one can be used, like NyGuard IGR, if it's being applied for general pest control around the perimeter of your home.
If you want to use Taurus SC for termite protection, then the product has to be used in the soil where the termites are, not just sprayed on the surface like you would do for ants. If you have piers under your home, then you would trench around those piers with the same rate and trench as if you were treating around the foundation of a structure. You can read more in our Termite Prevention Guide here.
Taurus SC Termiticide is not labeled for aphids and should not be used on plants. Talstar is labeled for aphids and will be gentle on your oleander plant.
Taurus SC Termiticide is not labeled for armyworms. A product like Talstar P Professional Insecticide would be a better option.
Taurus SC is not labeled for fleas. Fleas tend to live in moist shady areas out in the yard where pets or other animals spend a lot of time resting. Taurus SC, however, is only labeled to be used in very limited areas on or immediately next to the house or structure making it mostly ineffective for flea treatments. We recommend you use our Outdoor Flea & Tick Kit to get rid of fleas around your home. You should use a topical flea product that is labeled for use on animals such as Petcor if you are trying to also rid your pets of fleas.
A straw bale home is a very unique build so it may be hard to tell if termites are coming up through the bales themselves to access the wood that supports the bales in place. Subterranean termites need to be prevented by doing a full termite trench treatment around the outside perimeter of the home. Any subterranean termites that pass through the treated soil as they try to make their way up into the home would be eliminated. The Taurus SC is what we recommend doing the trenching treatment with as its one of the longest lasting (will protect the home at least 10 years). If there are any cracks in the concrete floor that would allow the termites to enter from an area other than around the sides of the home, you would have to drill and spot treat in those areas as needed. There isnt a way without ripping walls open to see if there are already some termites present in the bales, but there isnt anything about the bales that would be condusive to them thriving. Spot treating with the Termidor Foam where you see tubes appear is fine to do, and likely if you find them empty that means the colony didnt find what it was looking for and moved on. You can see at the link below how to do the full termite treatment but please let us know if you have any other questions
How to do a Termite Treatment
https://www.domyown.com/subterranean-termite-treatment-guide-a-478.html
No, Taurus SC Termiticide is not a systemic to be absorbed by roots and when dealing with carpenter ants you do not use a systemic. Carpenter ants only tear at the wood to create tunnels and galleries to nest in, they do not actually feed on the tree. Instead you can use Taurus SC to directly spot treat where the ants are in the tree as directed on the product label.
As long as the ground is not frozen, Taurus SC application is fine. Please let us know if you have any more questions!
When treating beneath concrete floors or slabs with Taurus SC Termiticide, come 2” – 3” off the foundation or foundation wall and drill holes every 10” to 12” apart using an 18” to 24” hammer drill bit. Measure the linear footage along the exterior perimeter wall or basement floor that is being treated. You will be applying 4 gallons of mixed solution every 10 linear feet into the drilled holes. Mix 0.8 fl oz per gallon of water and distribute 4 gallons of mixed solution (3.2 fl oz with 4 gallons of water) into the drilled holes using a hand pump sprayer or bucket. Each hole will typically hold ½ gallon of mixed solution. Allow the applicaiton to settle into the holes before plugging with Trebor Plugs or Conrete filler.
A 20 oz bottle of Taurus SC will treat 60 linear feet, the 78 oz bottle of Taurus SC will treat 240 linear feet. Please take a few moments to review our Termite Treament Guide for more information.
Taurus SC typically does not kill insects quickly. Having said that, if the product was applied at a higher usage rate, or if the insects were old or otherwise unhealthy or the an insect spends a lot of time on a treated surface, they can succumb significantly faster than we usually see.
Taurus SC Termiticide has a shelf life of 3-5 years, if stored in a temperature stable environment and away from any direct sunlight.
Yes, in order to have a complete preventative barrier, trenching is necessary and so is treating the backfill with your solution of Taurus SC. If you do not treat the trenched area, you risk leaving gaps that are not treated where termites could pass through and not be affected by the chemical. Please review our Subterranean Termite Treatment Guide for further tips and information that may fit your needs.
Once the application area treated with Taurus SC Termiticide has completely dried, it is safe for pets/children to return and resume normal activity.
The amount of the active ingredient that is lethal to an insect is miniscule to the amount that would be harmful to a larger size animal or pet. Pets would have to eat a large number of insects to be effected.
Please view the product label for more information.
You would not want the soil to be overly muddy or saturated at the time of application. If heavy rains have come through, give some time for the soil to dry out to some degree, but it does not have to be fully dry. You can then apply the Taurus and it will bond to the soil over the next 6-8 hours after application.
Taurus SC can be sprayed 1 ft up and 1 ft out directly up against the foundation of the structure for general pests and will not damage any surfaces.
Taurus SC is a non repellent so is not detected by insects and would not make them go inside when applied outside. We suggest taking a look at our Indoor Ant Kit and following the steps in our Ant Control Guide here.
We would recommend waiting at least 30 days to apply Taurus SC Termiticide in an area you have applied an esfenvalerate product. Taurus would be a better option if social insects like ants and roaches are a concern but only sprayed outside for general pests. You can use the esfenvalerate product inside for additional protection with Taurus outside.
In order to use Taurus SC Termiticide on a house with piers, you want to trench around piers and apply in drilled holes in any concrete around the structure.
Taurus SC Termiticide can be applied with a foaming agent in a foam applicator for wall void applications as indicated on the product label only. Please find full instructions on page 6 and 7 of the label here.
