Termidor SC Termiticide/Insecticide - Questions & Answers

The goal is to soak the bottom of the trench so the solution sinks down into the ground along the foundation.  After the solution soaks into the ground, you should apply the solution to the backfill as you push it back into the trench so you have a complete treated barrier against the house.

Termidor is not labeled to spray in the yard, it is only labeled to be applied next to the house as a spray for ants or in the ground for termites.  The rule of thumb is that Termidor can be applied as long as the well is more than 10 feet away from the house.  Termidor is made to bond to soil and not run off, but only when applied as a termite treatment into the ground. Please refer to the product label for complete application instructions and precautions.

We cannot comment on treatments performed by pest control operators. We can tell you that the Termidor SC product label does allow applications in wall voids only indoors and there are limited applications allowed in crawlspaces. You can read pages 13-15 of the Termidor SC product label to see if the application performed by the pest control operator follows the instructions given by the manufacturer.

Termidor SC is not labeled to be used in the manner you have described and it would be illegal to use it in such a way. Because Termidor SC does have the ability to be transferred from insect to insect you could potentially wipe out entire honey bee colonies by misusing the product which could be a huge problem for local farmers. The transfer effect that Termidor does have only works for social insects like ants, bees, wasps and termites. We recommend that you choose a product that lists bagworms on the product label such as Talstar P (Talstar P is the product most commonly selected by pros for bagworm control), Thuricide, Mavrik, or Permethrin SFR. Please take a few minutes to read our article Bagworm Control to learn when you should start spraying for bagworms.

The usage instructions for ant control and general pest control using Termidor SC is all the way at the very end of the product label and can be hard to find. You will need to use 0.80 fl oz (fill to the red measuring line on the bottle) per gallon of water for ant/general pest control outdoors around the perimeter of your home.

Termidor SC cannot be used in a garden or on edible vegetation. Termidor SC can only be used on or immediately adjacent (within 1-2 ft) to a structure.

If the ants are not being eliminated by the product you have down now and they don't seem to be avoiding the treated area there really shouldn't be a problem with applying Termidor SC right away. If you are finding some dead ants in the treated areas it would be best to wait a week or two so that the product that was already applied doesn't effect the non-repellency or the transfer factors of Termidor SC.

You did not name an insect but in most cases the old saying 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" stands true. It is usually much easier to prevent insect infestations like using Termidor than to eliminate them once they start.

Termidor is not labeled for use on trees and plants.  It is only labeled for use around your homes foundation for termites, ants, and other selected pests.  For treating lawn, turf, and ornamental plants, trees, and shrubs that do not contain anything edible, you should Talstar Insecticide.

Termidor is the number one product on the market for termites today and is the product of choice for subterranean termites. Termidor is completely undetectable by termites and once termites touch it they contact, ingest and spread the termiticide until it eliminates the entire colony and it will last for about 10 years in the soil. Tengard can be detected by termites and they will try to avoid the treated areas and it will only eliminate the termites that come into direct contact with treated areas. Tengard will last for about 5 years in the soil.

We cannot answer that question for you.  You are definitely not required, however, if your state requires a termite letter at the time of closing, only professional companies can issue these letters and if you do not have an active contract with a company you will usually be forced to pay a large sum to have your house treated to get a clearance letter.  You should call your state Department of Agriculture which is usually the department that manages pest control companies and ask if your state is one that requires a termite closing letter when selling a house. 

The stakes are safe to use, but they are not a professional solution and are not strong enough to adequately protect your home. 

You should perform a liquid termite treatment in the ground to get the termites where they are entering your house.  To perform a treatment just as a professional company would do, please read our How To Do A Termite Treatment Article which explains exactly how you should treat your home properly.  Doing a treatment like what is described in the article will not only take care of existing termites that you have, but it will also protect and prevent future termites from entering for about 7 years. 

Here is a a link to the article:  http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/termite-treatment-c-3_352.html

You will need to trench all around the skirt just like you would a homes foundation and then you will need to trench around all of the blocks that are holding the trailer up just like you would a homes piers in a crawlspace. You are on the right track!

You cannot use the soil that was treated with Termidor SC for planting edible plants. You must keep any edible garden plants far enough away from the soil so that the roots do not enter that area. You should also note that if you disturb the trenched area where the Termidor SC was applied you will be disturbing the barrier and could cause an opening for termites to cross.

Yes, you can treat yourself. The article below will tell you how to treat yourself as well as how to calculate how much you need.

You should perform a liquid termite treatment in the ground to get the termites where they are entering your house.  To perform a treatment just as a professional company would do, please read our How To Do A Termite Treatment Article which explains exactly how you should treat your home properly.  Doing a treatment like what is described in the article will not only take care of existing termites that you have, but it will also protect and prevent future termites from entering for about 7 years. 

Here is a link to the article:  http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/termite-treatment-c-3_352.html

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

The trench will need to be right up against the foundation and should be 6 inches wide by 6 inches deep. Be sure to take a moment to read over our termite application article for some great application tips: http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/how-to-perform-termite-treatment-a-87.html

You can treat with Termidor under the shower if you are treating the soil. If you are treating the slab or any wood that is under the shower it should be treated with Boracare. Termidor does not have a strong odor so any odor left after the treatment should be gone pretty quickly.

If you want to pre-treat before the slab is pured to control termites, Termidor SC would be the product of choice. Pre-slab and barrier treatments can last for up to 10 years for subterranean termite control.  For general pest control around the inside of and the outside of the house can be done with Talstar P. It is widely used by pest control companies because it is labeled for almost every insect you could have a problem with and you can use it outside the home as well as inside, it is odorless and very safe for use around children and pets.  It is a liquid concentrate that you mix with water in a one gallon hand pump sprayer.  It will last for 60 to 90 days outside in between treatments.  It is also labeled for lawn and ornamental use, and can be used on trees, plants, bushes and shrubs for all sorts of ornamental pests including Japanese beetles, mosquitoes, and other leaf eating pests.

Termidor SC will treat drywood termites. If you are treating stud walls, you want to make sure you are drilling into the stud to exactly where the termites are. When using Termidor the termites have to come directly in contact with the active ingredient. Instead of Termidor you may want to use Boracare. Boracare will penetrate up to 4in into the wood so you would most likely not have to drill into the wood.

Both would need to be done.  You should perform a trench and treat around the perimeter of the screened porch, but you also need to be concerned about the seam where the porch is attached to the house….where the beam is that you described.  Any time you have an “add on” to the house, in this case the screen porch, it is possible for termites to enter between the porch and the house.  Therefore, you should drill along that seam and treat with a termiticide along the house foundation as well as around the perimeter.