Taurus SC Termiticide cannot be applied directly to firewood. Burning the wood will kill any possible insects in the wood. If the wood will be burned outdoors only (not indoors), then you could apply Talstar P on the firewood as long as it is not burned for at least 30 days after the application.
For treating the soil/ground area, Talstar P or Dominion 2L could be applied to the ground/soil where the firewod pile is located, once that application has completely dried you can then stack the firewood on a rack or other structure up off the ground or on top of a barrier to prevent similar issues in the future.
Taurus SC is a water based product that dries clear when applied per the product label. For exterior perimeter foundation treatments, mix 0.8 fl oz per gallon of water. This is not a knockdown insecticide but will last for 6 month residual control agains wasps, yellow jackets, cluster flies, house crickets, silverfish, earwigs, boxelder bugs, roaches, asian lady bugs, black widows, brown recluses and millipedes. Please view more information begining on page 10 of the product label
Taurus SC Termiticide can be applied once per 10 years if applying in a soil trench and drilled holes against the foundation for a subterranean termite application. It can also be applied topically to the foundation in a 1 ft by 1 ft band for insects that crawl such as ants 2-4 times per year depending on concentration. The equipment used by professionals requires a rig which most homeowners do not have access to. Please take a few moments to review our treatment article/videos for more details and pro tips here.
No, Taurus SC Termiticide is not labeled for the control of mice.
Please view our Mice Treatment Guide and Rodent Kits for options to eliminate rodents on your property.
Taurus SC Termiticide cannot be used indoors for roach control. The best way to eradicate roaches in the home is to use a combination of a residual spray, roach bait and insect growth regulator. Sanitation is key to a successful roach treatment, the chemicals can only do so much so you need to be aggressive and consistent with treating.
We have put all the necessary products in Roach Control Kits that provide enough product for the initial treatment and follow up treatments that are required every 10-14 days. The kits are set up on a rotation program to prevent roaches from developing any bait resistance. Rotation Kit A is a good clean out treatment to start with for an aggressive approach to treatment. After 90 days, you can rotate to Kit B or Kit C if continued treatments are necessary.
Please view our Roach Treatment Guide for more information or tips for effective roach control.
Taurus SC Termiticide is not for use outside as a broadcast nor safe to use on pastures.
In order to apply Taurus SC correctly for a termite treatment, you will need to trench 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep along the foundation to apply the product. This insures that you have a continuous barrier without gaps and that the product is deep enough in the soil to effective. Attempting to drill holes in the soil is not a sufficient application. We have more details in our online Subterranean Termite Prevention Guide here.
For pre slab construction treatment using Taurus SC Termiticide, it is recommended to pre treat the soil prior to pouring concrete or footings in additon to doing a trench method treatment for termites. This is because you will never have the opportunity again to treat underneath slabs. For pre slab construction treatments including basements, patios, garages, porches and garage slabs, mix 0.8 fl oz of Taurus SC per gallon of water and for every 10 sq ft, pour 1 gallon of mixed solution.
After the footings have been poured and all grade levels have been placed next to the block wall foundation, you will still need to dig the standard 6 inch x 6 inch trench directly against the foundation and pour 4 gallons of mixed solution every 10 linear feet. For homes where the foundation is at a depth greater than 4 ft, you would need do what’s called rodding to get the 4 gallons of solution down to the footing. Rodding is where you will use piece of rebar long enough that when driven down into the soil will reach just above the footing and for every 10-12 inches in the 6 in x 6 in trench, drive the rebar down into the soil just deep enough to reach the top of the footing. Pour the 4 galllons of mixed solution every 10 linear feet along the trench and allow the mixed solution to effectively reach down into the soil and provide the barrier protection.
Please view the product label for more information.
Taurus SC Termiticide is a slow acting product that allows termites to come into contact with it and get it back to the colony to kill the queen. This is usually the best method to control termites, the slower kill method because it can kill the entire colony. If you need to quickly kill the portion of termites you find in the area, you do risk only killing the foraging termites and not killing the nest. For more information on treating termites, please check out our articles on subterranean and drywood termites.
Taurus SC Termiticide would be the best choice for a termite pre slab treatment. For pre slab treatments, apply at 0.8 fl oz per gallon of water per 10 sq ft of the slab footprint. Allow the application to dry for 48 hrs before pouring the concrete slab.
It is recommended that once the slab is poured, to apply Taurus SC Termiticide as a trench treatment directly against the foundation. Please view the product label and our Trench Treatment Guide for more information.
No, Taurus SC is not a wood treatment product and would nto be used on the wood floor or piers. If you need to treat for or protect against subterranean termites you must use the product as it is designed and labeled to be used, which is in 6 inch wide by 6 inch deep trench dug around every pier and foundation point that touches the ground. You can see how to do the full Subterranean Termite Treatment in our Guide. If you have an existing subterranean termite problem, you would need to treat the soil and give up to 90 days for the colony to be eliminated. If you wish to treat the subfloor and raw exposed wood for prevention and protection, you would use a product like Boracare either after the 90 days of soil treatment, or if you are doing prevention only with both products, you can use the Boracare on the wood right away.
If you need to control termites that are already inside the home, then you will need to spot treat those areas of activity with Taurus SC Termiticide or another product to insure they are controlled. A soil treatment for subterranean termites may not control termites that have already entered the home. If you have drywood termites, then you must control the colony directly at the site.
Most folks will use a ready-to-use product for spot treating colonies inside the structure, such as Termidor Foam.
When trenching with Taurus SC, you will need to dig a 6" x 6" trench around the outside foundation wall of the home. Next, mix 0.8 fl. oz. of Taurus SC per gallon of water and apply at a rate of 4 mixed gallons per every 10 lineal feet of trench. Allow the solution to soak into the soil and then replace the back-fill, making sure that the back-fill is soaked with Taurus SC as well. Treating across slabs of concrete touching the house (such as a back patio or front porch) can be accomplished by using a hammer drill with a 1/2-inch drill bit. Holes are drilled through the concrete approximately 3-4 inches out from the house and every 12 inches across the concrete slab. Additionally, all piers and supports in the crawl space need to be trenched around, including any points where support for the home contacts the soil. If the piers are hollow blocks you also have to drill a hole in each pier to treat the inside space where termites could potentially travel up without hitting the treated soil around the pier. The interior crawl space wall will need to be trenched as well when treating an active infestation. Bora-Care can also be applied to unfinished wood for both termite prevention and to protect wood from active infestations with the active infestations use rate being 1:1.
Annual retreatments or touch ups of Taurus SC for trenching is not permitted per the product label. Follow up or "touch applications" should not be applied unless the circumstances listed below occur. If spot applications or retreatments are needed, any weed control fabric material, rocks, mulch or barriers would need to be removed for the retreatment.
Per the product label: Retreatment for subterranean termites can only be performed under the following circumstances:
1. There is clear evidence of re-infestation.
2. There is disruption of the treated zone due to construction, excavation, or landscaping and / or there is evidence of the breakdown of termiticide treated zone in the soil.
Taurus SC if only used as a surface spray around the perimeter of the home should only last about 2 months, however if used as a termite soil treatment the product will last for up to 10 years to protect the home. The manufacturer recommends not growing anything within 1 foot of where the product was used, and if the product was used as a spray only, you would need to wait 1 year from the last application before growing edibles within the soil where it was applied.
Taurus SC is labeled for carpenter bees but is limited in where it can be applied and would not be sprayed across the top surface at all. For prevention and/or control please take a look at the Label on how to apply on decks.
Taurus SC Termiticide would be applied twice a year at the higher rate of 0.8 fl oz. You can only do 4 times a year if doing the lower 0.4 fl oz per gallon. Either rates can be used, the higher rate being the stronger application and longer residual
