Termidor SC Termiticide/Insecticide - Questions & Answers

Inside the crawl space you would need to trench around any piers that hold up the home but the outside trench would be all that is required for the actual foundation if you are using Termidor. The Termidor will last for 10 years to protect your home. Please take a moment to look thru our pest control guide for termite treatment. 

Termidor SC will treat spiders but you would only be able to use the product outside.  Termidor SC does not have an immediate knockdown but instead uses a delayed reaction kill which makes it especially effective for social insects like ants, termites and certain species of wasps.  Most folks will use a residual product with a broader application area. Please check out our spider control kit for a better option.

Depending on how heavy the rain was will depend on if you will need to reapply. If the rain was only light and you had just completed a Termidor treatment in a trench for termite prevention then you should be fine. If it was a heavy rain for a long period of time then you may need to reapply. If you were using the Termidor to spray around the perimeter of your home for ants and general insects, then you will likely need to reapply it on a day when no rain is expected for at least 24 hours. 

Termidor SC is not labeled to be used inside except for spot treating active infestations.  If applied as a crack and crevice spray inside cabinets it would be recommended to thoroughly clean the area with warm soap and water or an all-purpose surface cleaner. 

If kept out of heat and sunlight the shelf life of Termidor SC is 3-5 years.

We reached out to the manufacturer BASF for an official answer on this verbiage on the Termidor SC label. Here is what they stated. 

“Not using termiticides in voids with Rigid foam insulation” is EPA required language that dates back to times when soil termiticides contained organic solvents/adjuvants which helped them remain in solution long enough to be applied but also damaged rigid foam insulation (think DDT, Heptachlor, Chlordane, or Dursban times; e.g. Pre-Termidor products from the 1950’s through 1990’s).  In 1996, the EPA mandated that the language be on all liquid termiticide labels moving forward (regardless of whether the product contained solvents or emulsifiers or not).  Termidor products do not contain any caustic emulsifiers or solvents that would damage/ “eat up” the rigid foam board (as the 80WG, SC, HE lines are all water soluble).”

This also applies to the generic equivalent on the market under the branding Taurus SC. If you are needing to foam into the foundation void area where there is foam rigid board, they recommend using the Termidor Foam Aerosol as this labeling does not have that verbiage and restriction on it for use. 

You can mix Termidor SC in a one gallon hand pump sprayer and apply directly as a spot treatment to the affected area.  You can do this by taking the trim off and spraying the termites directly, or by drilling a hole and spraying in the wall void.  The bigger issue though is that your home has probably not had a termite treatment recently to protect it against termites in the first place.  You should read our "How To Do A Termite Treatment" article to learn how you can protect the rest of your home against future invasion.

Termidor SC is a very safe product and widely used by professional companies inside homes every day across the country.  Termidor SC is odorless and does not have any fumes.  As long as you applied the product as directed inside the wall, you do not have to leave the home.  We always recommend leaving the room after applying any product and just allow enough time for it to dry which is usually about 30 to 45 minutes.  As far as replacing the drywall, you can do so usually after 24 hours when everything has had time to dry out.  If you replace the drywall too soon before the wall has dried, you can have moisture issues which can lead to mold.  24 hours is usually plenty of time for everything to dry out.

Termidor SC can be used in crawlspaces. There are complete instructions on the Termidor SC product label (page 5) on how to use the product in the crawlspace, so if a bit inadvertently goes into the crawlspace it should not pose a problem.

We agree with you...we would absolutely recommend doing the crawl space with Termidor by trenching the inside perimeter and around all of the piers, and treat just as you would around the outside.  Once your crawl space is encapsulated you will not be able to treat again.  This also greatly limits inspections of the crawl space for termites in the future so we recommend keeping a close eye upstairs in the living space on the first floor for any activity.

Termidor is not labeled to treat scorpions and will not kill them quickly at all.  Therefore it will not prevent scorpions from getting in your home.  We recommend using Equil Lambda that is in our Scorpion Control Kit.  It has a much quicker kill than Termidor and will last longer outdoors than Termidor will.

For Termite or ant control, mix at a rate of .80 fl oz. to each gallon of water. For Termite Control, each 20 oz bottle will make 24 gallons of solution and treats 60 lineal feet of trenching.

If you are treating for Carpenter Ants, you will spray around the perimeter of the house as you described, 1-2 ft up the foundation and 1-2 ft out onto the ground, around door frames, window frames, places where cables, pipes or wires go through the wall and any other crack or crevice where the ants can gain entry into your home. If you are treating for termites, you will need to make a 6 inch x 6 inch trench right up against the foundation and pour in 4 gallons of diluted Termidor SC for every 10 ft of trench. We recommend that you read our article How To Do a Termite Treatment to learn how to deal with porches, decks and driveways when performing a termite treatment

Termidor SC  bonds to the soil and does not move once it is applied.  Therefore, it can be applied where a well or garden is present as long as it is more than 10 feet away from the well or garden or tree.  We would suggest not applying Termidor SC along the side of the house that is within 10 feet of the trees.  You should keep a close eye on this area of the house for termites, or you can of course always install some Termite Bait Stations in that area for monitoring activity. 

Termidor SC should not be used in the screened porch as that is considered an "indoor use" which is prohibited on the product label (unless it is used in wall voids). We recommend that you do stick to using the Suspend SC on the screened porch.

There are no alternative used for Termidor.  Termidor is not labeled for use on pets and should not under any circumstances be used than for any uses on the product label.  It is illegal to use a product other than what is stated on the product label.  Termidor is labeled for termites, ants, and other invading insects and is only allowed to be applied as a perimeter barrier around your home.

If this is the only area, then Termidor would be a great choice.  Termidor does not penetrate through wood, so you cannot just apply it on the wood.  The trick is you have to drill holes into the center of the wood and inject it so it touches the termites.  As long as it only touches a few termites it will work.  You will only use a small amount of the Termidor, which is a concentrate, but the product will last for 5 years on the shelf and is also the best product for treating ants around your home as well.

You can use Termidor SC indoors for carpenter ants in wall voids only. You cannot spray the baseboards or anywhere else in your home. You will need to spray directly into the wall void by drilling small holes in the wall. Other products that work effectively indoors would be Phantom Aerosol or carpenter ant baits like Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait Gel or Advance Carpenter Ant Bait both of which are sold in our Carpenter Ant Bait Kit #1.

Termidor SC should help eliminate any carpenter ants as long as they are crossing over the treated areas. As long as the Termidor had a chance to dry before it rained there is no need to reapply the product.

Termidor Sc is labeled for black widow and brown recluse spiders but it is not labeled for scorpions or for tarantulas. Termidor SC does not have an immediate knockdown but instead uses a delayed reaction kill which makes it especially effective for social insects like ants, termites and certain species of wasps. You should note that we are not aware of any product that is labeled for tarantulas.