fast-tl

Our house had been treated for termites before we bought it. We replaced some wood siding some months ago ans saw some, which we sprayed and killed. Now I see more....

I guess I have a date with the Terminix man? What should I expect to pay to be rid of thes guys? Should I go with a smaller company instead?

doopstr

The house I bought last year had termites in 1999. The invoice for that was $793.60. From what I can tell they got rid of the infestation and drilled holes around the foundation to create a perimeter of termite kill stuff.

I decided last year to continue the maintenance contract on it. That is $95 yearly. I'm wondering if that is a waste? Does anyone know how long those treatments really last?

o3jeff

What did they put out there, bait traps? From what i understand is that bait traps are a waste of money. They are just some poision and wood. There is really no proof that they work, termites are just going to go to the first place they find wood.

fast-tl

I found someone else online who'd paid Terminix 1190 in Florida, but they recommende against the baits & monitoring @ $400/year. We were expecting something like a $79.99 treatment, not TEN TIMES that much... I guess we'll have to call soemone tomorrow. Any other suggestions?

doopstr

It looks like they used a chemical called Termidor. The yearly maintenance I'm paying them is basically insurance. If I get an infestation they come out and treat for "free".

I'm trying to figure out if its a waste of money, I'm sure it is, all of these extended warranties and contracts are usually money makers.

o3jeff

By the time they notice there are termites, the damage is done to the wood and most likely needs some replacement which is the exensive part of it. I personally wouldn't bother with the yearly maintenance.

Just once a year go around and poke the wood plates on the foundation with big screw driver looking for soft spots(basically all they do when they check).

ric

Our house had old termite trails when we purchased it. By law, the owner needed to treat the place, which he did. About three years later, we had a termite "swarm", so we called in Terminex, who did the 'drill around the foundation' thing, essentially injecting toxins into the soil around the house to eliminate their boring in. We also went with the once a year contract, which actually involved their coming out and performing an onsite inspection. We did have another, much milder swarm, and Terminext ook care of it under the guarantee.

Whether wood that has been termite-ridden needs to be replaced is subjectve. In older residences, wood beams were overstructured by a factor of two to four times their real need, which means that the Termites could destry as much as 3/4 of the wood's integrity before it would fail. With newer construction, the margin of safety is rarely more than 50%.

Check wood by taking a pen-knife and jamming it into the wood where you see termite holes. If the knife blade goes in, the termites have eaten into the wood deeply, and you need to look at that wood member carefully. If the blade acts "normally", the surface damage done by the termites is just that - surface damage. Obviously, surface damage is the "least worst" scenario, as the integrity of the wood structural element is still largely intact.

When you go looking for the damage, take a flashlight and take your time.... these little beasts can get into some amazing places, and their travel trajectories seem entirely arbitrary.

For us, the Terminex annual contract was worth it just for peace of mind, frankly, and we relied on their annual visit to confirm that we were still termite free..... and of course, on the one occassion, they treated under the contract. I'm sure they make great profit on the time contracts, but for us, it was worth it. And, when we sold the place, the sheaf of receipts that established that we had a contract with Terminex met the legal requirements to turn the house over to the new owners "termite free". So, we saved a bundle in repeating the comprehensive treatment that the prior owners needed to pony up for.