I first came to your channel to watch a video about shipping containers as homes. I soon found that I like your presentations so much that I now watch them regularly, even though I may have little personal interests in the subject matters.
I found her channel the same way and have found each video fascinating. I’m from Canada, -40f winters and b52 size mosquitoes in the summer. But here I am learning about termites
As a pest control professional i've got a few things to discuss or add. first, there are a couple options for liquid treatment, ideally you would not use a repellent type chemical in conjunction with bait stations. You would prefer something non-repellent such as a fipronil based chemical. Its worth noting that with fipronil based chemicals there is a transference effect between workers all the way to the queen which makes these types of chemicals extremely effective. Also with chemical treatment its typically a once and done solution not requiring a yearly contract to maintain your homes safety, though yearly inspections are still advised with either treatment. I really appreciate that you brought a professional in to share knowledge but it is quite clear his agenda is to sell reoccurring services, which is how we make money in this business so no shame there, however i feel like there was a lot of details and info left out in order to sway your opinion.
100% correct. Additional info: Bait stations are primary used around homes with well or near bodies of water. Eg. streams, ponds, lakes, rivers, I sure these two are bartering RU-vid advertising for termite service. Fipronil kills everything, ants, crickets, centipedes and anything else crawling near your home. I joke, You get “fipronil” half off if you complete the 75 questions survey. 45 of the questions are about use and proper placement. The other 30 are about how fipronil does NOT cause cancer and you, the applicator will waive all rights to sue.
Exactly, instead of just giving the information as knowledge, he tried to sell his "product". I believe Belinda's channel can benefit more from the former, and less from the later, unless she is getting a cut of his future sales.
Exactly. I've heard that fipronil is better because it's a non-repellent. To be honest, it sounds like there's much confusion in this video. Fipronil kills off the colony within 90 days, not the bait stations. Please present accurate information. I suggest removing this video. It contains inaccurate information. Please check the facts. The cunning pest control "expert" in this video is just wrong and both individuals are presenting "alternative facts."
Thank you for that, Belinda! Here in Florida, we have many older homes that have wood-framed floors up on pilings or block foundations. We also have many problems with termites, especially drywood termites. I have found that using a boric acid-based powder mixed in water and applied to the raw wood of framing with a garden sprayer is very effective and relatively low cost. One product I have used with great results is called Tim-bor, I once treated a foundation timber with it and 2 months later tore out the kitchen floor and found an entire colony of drywood termites dead in an area 15' away from where I treated the timber. It seems to have an attractant in it that draws them to it, and it lasts forever if not washed out with water. It is not harmful to children or pets.
The Termite Bait Station was a boon to the pest control industry, not because it works well, but because it gets the homeowner on the hook for an extended period. Same thing is happening in the software field. They want to have you pay a monthly fee to "rent" the software, rather than have you buy it and walk away.
Agree. I watch to the end of videos on subjects I have zero interest in and expected to skip but don’t because she is a very interesting and informative speaker.
I used termite baits. It's super effective. From experience, several small boxes of termite bait in key termite highways work better than a single huge termite bait. It's because the termite baits need to be moist for termites to see them as food. So a huge box will not work as well since it will eventually dry out. I would also suggest using those termite baits that come in paper boxes instead of ones in plastic boxes. I only put 3 of those termite baits in paper boxes in my heavily infested house and it cleans up completely in less than a month, and they haven't returned since then.
@@maheshvenk Try googling for Termites DIY, though I'm not sure if it's available where you are. I've bought it twice. Once just to check if it's legit, then I bought three more when their claim checked out. It's very good, but I'd suggest buying from trusted sellers. I bought it from Shopee.
@@Dave--FkTheDeepstate The exact name of the product is actually Termites DIY. As for how much I paid, I paid around RM90 for 3 boxes IIRC, so it's something like USD20 or so for 3 boxes. I looked in Ebay, but it seems the price was heavily inflated.
Liquid systems now used don't kill termites right away. They move through the soil that the chemicals were soaked into which coats them, then they bring the Fiprinil (the main chemical used) to the colony, which eliminates it within around 30 to 90 days. Bait stations are fine, IF the termites stumble upon it. Many companies no longer use bait stations.
The temidor and Taurus have 8 year residuals ,the baits have to be monitored frequently .that should be an obvious win for the liquid TERMIDOR or Taurus
At my last house, I used Fipronil that I applied with a perimeter trench and a few masonry holes. It lasts 8-10 years, and it cost less than $200 for the entire house. It also gets rid of any other insects that cross the barrier next to the foundation. I like to "set it and forget it" when possible, and it's nice not to have the other insects and arachnids making their way in.
Good video. The bait station method is also available for DIY'ers - you should be able to purchase similar stations at local hardware stores. I did this when we first bought my house almost 20 years ago. The key to termite prevention is vigilance and removing the opportunity for them to enter the structure. Keep the sides of the slab clear of soil or vegetation if at all possible. Whenever you mow, take a quick look around the perimeter to insure there are no signs of mud tunnels starting up. My biggest problem at the moment is the Florida carpenter ant. These buggers are STUBBORN! I have to use Demon WP pesticide mixed in a pump sprayer on a regular basis at the entry points on one corner of the house, and even spray down the tree trunks. I have yet to find the origin of the colony so it's a constant battle with them.
@@thebelovedtree I am not aware of anything that exterminates carpenter ant colonies. The ones I've got seem to be "headquartered" in an oak tree in front of the house. I have to spray Demon WP on the trunk, along their trails, and around the house on a regular basis.
@@whiteknightcat Advion makes a gel bait they take back to the colony. Indoxacarb is the active ingredient. I killed the ants trying to move into my house, a splinter colony in some fence posts and the main colony in a brush pile just by treating my house.
I had to rebuild the whole front of my house took 4 months. 35' of bad top plate in master bedroom half bath, sistered at least 20 studs, had to rebuild corners and framing behind shower wall. The drain for the shower got a good soaking with Termidor and Bora Care and all replaced wood sprayed and painted with Boracare. The entire garage overhead door header was shot and the corner of the garage. Still have 17' of kitchen exterior wall to rebuild and without power as the breaker box will have to be removed to do the work. Be running on generators and battery powered equipment while doing the work.
It sounds like the bait stations use an IGR (insect growth regulator) to prevent them from molting. I've heard that IGRs are more limited in which species they target and less toxic. Which in turn makes it less harmful to other animals living in the area. One thing I've been trying to get away from is broad-spectrum pesticides since they can wipe out beneficial insects (like bees) and even harm birds, fish, and other animals. Bait stations seem like the winner to me.
@@michaelmerck7576 Miner Bee (Anthophora abrupta) Miner bees are solitary, *ground nesting* bees that like to establish their home in *well-drained soil* ... A. abrupta has been recorded to visit many flowers and is considered a forage-plant generalist. It collects pollen from a wide range of wildflowers native to woodlands and prairies. Anthophora abrupta are potential pollinators of many important crops including cranberry, tomato, blackberry, asparagus, persimmon, clover and raspberry. - US Forest Service
I'm going to have to disagree. I going to assume your refencing Termidor as the liquid treatment option since it's the industry standard and the application is 4 gallons of dilution per 10 linear foot. That dilution rate is typically .06%. So for that home 120 gallons of dilute would only contain 9.6oz of Termidor SC. 90.9% of that is a suspension agent with only 9.1% being the active ingredient, Fipronil. That's .87oz of pesticide in that 120 gallons, but I digress. Bait stations are largely pushed by companies selling service contracts, and can work for prevention if done correctly. For termite remediation liquid is really the only option. With Termidor it not only treats termites but it will eliminate ants as well and is labeled and sold for this. The most difficult part with liquid treatment is a complete perimeter has to be established for it to be 100% effective. This can be difficult with concrete slabs and brick walls. Slabs have to be drilled every 12 inches so this is time consuming. Which is why a lot of pest control companies will chose bait stations. By far the hardest houses to treat are ICF foundations with wood construction, infact most pest control companies will not touch them due the their difficulty and the liabilities that can bring. The best method for termite prevention is pre-construction liquid treatment which really should be pushed more by builders but it's rarely considered and treatment is mostly an afterthought unfortunately. Edit: I still liked the video because you have awesome content, even thought I disagree with the premise. 👍
Liquid termidor and Taurus both have a rather liberal label which allows for more margin for error in the application due to the transfer effect from the fipronil so getting the complete barrier is easier to accomplish
This information about ground poison used in trenching and beneath surfaces around homes sounds related to Imidacloprid which is in common termiticides like Dominion 2L. Other trenching chemicals like Fipronil work much better by taking longer and not being detectable to the termite so they bring it back to the colony to kill the whole colony. Bait stations like this also use Fipronil however you are waiting on the termite to find this poison rather than placing it around your home. Certain types of termites like arboreal termites do not spread through just the soil alone. These termites arrive on your house via a swarming and attack the house from anywhere. However once inside your house's structure they will need moisture to live and typically try to find a way down to the ground because just the moisture in the ground is enough for them to be sustained. Having the trenching around the outside of your house means that when they go to the ground and try to find that moisture they contact the poison there. For houses that are off-grade and have crawl spaces it is extremely important to make sure there is no Ingress of surface water or at leaks under the house because that would provide the water or moisture they need as well. In some cases it might be wise to treat under the house around the piers as well as the perimeter. Slab on grade foundations are typically pretreated before they are put down and then treated around the perimeter as an extra precaution and then retreated every 10 years, 7 years in high termite activity areas. Bait stations are also much more profitable as there is a recurring fee. You can sign up for a pest control contract with the trenching as well but because the product works well many people do not. The bait stations must be maintained there for a contract is a better option when using them but the overall cost in the long run will be higher.😁 Other points of interest that people may find useful is that fit Bernal may be connected to declines in honeybee populations because of its misuse any agricultural field (pun intended) also worth noting is that many termina sides and pesticides can be destroyed through oxidation. Oxidizer is like bleach can sufficiently destroy pest control chemicals so as to leave your house unprotected. When bleaching walls or mildew or anything around the outside of the house be careful not to over spray or / treat the surfaces that could run off and enter the traps or soak into the soil and destroy the chemical treatment. This is a known problem with fly-by-night pressure washing companies who aren't concerned with your termite protection needs. Treatment chemicals for mildew and mold on the outside of the house can still be applied but only sufficient to wet the surfaces and not run off into the soil if allowed to dry on the surface has most of these will self oxidized with u v and then can be rinsed away.
Excellent review of termite prevention, really well done. Unfortunately, cost seems high on an annual basis. I wonder if owners can do this themselves to save some money, in terms of purchasing the bait traps and doing self-install. Thanks again!
@@pearlperlitavenegas2023 Depending on the laws in your state (follow them please) - the concentrate comes with instruction for diluting it... usually less than two ounces per gallon of water. It can be applied with a proper sprayer, but a jug with a hole in the cap is a low-tech possibility too. But please check the laws in your area and follow them.
It’s easy, but the ground treat me too liquid. Dig a 4/4” or 6”6 inch trench around the entire home right up against the foundation. Mix a 4 gallon solution per 10 lineear feet. (Dam the trench every 10 feet). Poor in the trench. Cover the trench. Call it a day. You can even go as fast as to do a boracide and treat the wood in your attic. Then after 2 months lay down the traps far enough from the house. Enjoy your cheaper more reliable treatment and enjoy life.
This is for subterrian termites. If you live in calif. and southern states, you may have drywood termites. They don't come in from the ground. Then yes, you would use a liquid. That would be applied around eaves. In the attic, etc.
I see a tiny problem with this system, that being that the company doesnt want you to know if you havent been hit by termites. They dont report it to you so you will keep on paying them. Meaning that the person coming to your home wont show you the traps in your yard and they will instead showing you heavily hit traps. I of course dont know if that is true at all, but there is a strong incentive in that direction for them. As it makes you a loyal customer for protection you dont need.
I just watched a video done by a Florida news station and they interviewed the University of Florida professor who INVENTED the Sentricon bait stakes that Belinda shows in this video. The UoF professor said the bait lasts about 7 years. So while the gentleman in this video is quoting a great price for the initial installation ($400) -- I was quoted $1K! by a different eco pest company -- the $25/mo fee is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too high.
Termites are amazing. I would destroy their tunnels on the outside of the cinderblocks and they would be rebuilding the tunnels within a couple hours. They completely ate wood siding and bottom and top plates and some of the posts of the 100 year old outbuilding at the house i bought last year. We had to redo the foundation (since it was only 4in block on a brick footer) in the process of digging new footers and the blockwork we poured Taurus SC in a trench along the foundation. So far we haven't seen them in 7 months. Once we're done framing with treated lumber we will spray all the wood with boracare.
What if unfortunately termites did not find the spot bait or bypass and already there infesting your home. What I heard from other pest control that chemical barrier with Fipronil (non repellent) is more effective than bait system. Fipronil has a domino effect in poisoning the termites, not right away killed them but give chance to pass the poison to other termites and eventually knock down the colony including the qieen.
Bait station are a rip off. It takes 1 year for then go in there mean while they are doing damage to the house.bait stations area way to have customers hook in a contract for years.
A liquid like Taurus SC it's not a repellent. It will be carried back to the queen and kill the entire colony. It is better than the physical baits stuck in the ground. However, I am thinking about using the physical baits at the back of my house because I am concerned about my dogs. I want to research more about the base that go into the ground to see if that's a better solution with dogs.
That piece of cedar looked more like a typical water damage but its hard to tell without actually holding it in my hand but the fact the wood is still intact with the striated damage in direct lines rather than a haphazard. Termite pattern plus the termite damaged wood would be fallen apart when picking it up
I HATE TERMITES! The house my father built (with his hands) some 50 years ago was badly damaged by termites. That house was memorable to me. Most of my best memories was in that house! Our second home is mostly concrete. it too got termite infested. Our current home has vastly reduced wood content. Termite still persisted: ate the gypsum board ceiling, plastic insulation on wires... DAMN! Our next house will be made of stainless steel for sure until these pest develop titanium teeth.
Using their instincts against them is great. Similarly, to deal with unwanted land arthropods of all types. a vacuum cleaner works remarkably well- since they reflexively turn and run from the puff of air preceding an attacking predator, they'll dive right into the nozzle. This works on everything from ants and termites to cockroaches, hornets, wasps, and moths. A little orange oil degreaser sprayed into the vac keeps them from crawling back out and makes the air fresher.
Wow. Very informative! I wonder if those types of bait stations can be used for other types of pests. Perhaps a GIS type of map can be construed to show infestation zones...mmmmhmmm, data!
bait stations put evolutionary pressure on selecting for the heartiest termites. those that survive the poisoning will dominate. life finds a way. biology 101
That should be done by the owner of the apartment complex, and there are laws in many states that force apartment owners to stop infestations if they are too dumb to do so on their own.
I didnt know large stations were an option. Pest companies and lawn fert companies can be annoying. They hire a young kid and give minimal training that they wont absorb. And then send them out. Then its hundreds for the setup fee plus monthly costs. And in the case if bait stations.. A monthly cost for?? To make sure it didnt move? I know they gotta get paid but it just doesnt feel right.
@@BelindaCarr it wasn't really meant as a joke, it actually looks like it, and in a way it is a landmine, only for insects instead of people. Now that I think about it, is a baitbox like that safe for dogs?
He doesn't want to dig or to trench however old school treatment is still the best! Chemical barrier is real safe guard and protection! Termite bait stations in my opinion is could attract Termite to home but Chemical barrier doesn't attract them! If they come they end!
Termite bait stations should be inspected every three months or quarterly! 1 year is long and you could come after 1 year you'll find them in the roof void
There is a fungus that can be inoculated into wood will naturally repel termites. The fungus is parasitic to termites and will kill them. I also wanted to email you a story about Agora a tower Taipei Taiwan. A modernized system of housing. What email?
This bait station is soo easy to maintain that subscription shouldn't be necessary. You just need to check if there is anything going on with it once a few months and thats it. Its a rip off to pay 25 $ for nothing really. They don't check once a month if it is still operational. They check once a year or more. For that I could do it myself. Installation is even easier. A toddler with a toy shovel can do it. Damn.. what a golden buissness it is. Do a lousy job once. Earn money whole life.
$25 a month ($300 a year) they only come out 1x a year to refill them If you get a real termite treatment with liquid buried up against the house it’s only gonna be another $200-400 and then the annual renewal fee should be 1/3 of that $300 annual fee Liquid termiticide is the way to go Bait stations are a revenue maker
I have used Permethrin for many years as a preventive & active bug infestation procedure where ever I have lived, it even gets Bedbugs plus is safe to used around humans & pets except cats...
Installation and inspection don't seem to involve rocket science. Should be an easy DIY project. The only reason I see to go with a service is if you don't want to DIY or you are incapacitated.
In what regard? Beach homes being built in coastal areas are now mandated to be stilt house type foundations with blowout walls because of storm surges. It has been a common building practice along floodplains for decades and decades.
@@danielbuckner2167 I suppose what the pros and cons are to stilt housing. Specifically about how the walls and floors differ in terms of moisture control. I'm not architect or anything, I just think stuff like this is neat and have mad respect for folks who specialize in this line of work.
@@j.g.3293 In terms of moisture control a stilt house is just an off grade house except instead of shorter piers it is on much longer stilts. The building envelope and the techniques to encapsulate would be the same as an off grade house. Now as far as blowout walls beneath the house for a storage area or something else that would be a hybridization that is probably defined by local code beyond what the IRC requires.
YOur statements are in error. The #1 termitacide is diluted (fipranil) and does go back to colony (not immediate kill). The reason you can't do a full perimeter is the environmentalists lobby has changed the rules.
@@BelindaCarr - lol, of course. Sentricon was a brilliant, revolutionary concept, not as a treatment, but as a marketing/revenue model. They turned Termite remediation into recurring monthly revenue (RMR). Fipronil kills colonies too, by destroying their ability to regenerate an exoskeleton. Enviro's hate it because it also effects literally anything with an exoskeleton.