ANR-1252 Subterranean Termite Control Products for Alabamians
Subterranean Termite
Control Products for Alabamians
ANR-1252, Revised April 2007 . Web Only. Xing Ping Hu, Extension Entomologist, Associate Professor, and Arthur Appel, Professor, both in
Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University; and Sallie M. Lee, County Extension Agent, C. Beatty Hanna Horticulture and Environmental Center, Birmingham, Alabama.
 urveys conducted by the
Alabama Cooperative Extension System in the past 4 years show that the majority of pest control professionals in Alabama consider termite control the most difficult and costly service. About 65 percent rate termite control as the most profitable, and 90 percent rate termites as the most risky and the greatest
liability. Termite control in homes requires special skills, specialized equipment, and knowledge on
both termite biology and building construction. Therefore, termite treatment is better left for certified
pest control professionals. A possible exception would be termite infestations in a mailbox, sandbox, or other small wooden object not attached to the house.
There are more control options available today than ever before. In general, there are 5 types of treatment programs (liquid termiticides, baiting systems, wood preservatives, mechanical barriers, and biological termiticides), and their success depends on professional workmanship. Each year, new products are developed, tested, and made available to users. This publication explains the pros and cons of each type.
Although none of the following products contains a restricted pesticide, most of the products are for professional use.
Do-it-yourself products sold to homeowners at retail stores or bought over the Internet will seldom eradicate an existing termite problem.
This publication supplements Extension publication ANR-1022, "IPM Tactics for Subterranean Termite Control.”
Pesticide applicators are required by law to comply with the instructions and directions for use in product labeling.
Liquid Termiticides
Control Concept
Liquid termiticides are used for both pre- and post-treatments. Applying liquid termiticide in the ground beneath and around a structure creates a chemical barrier to prevent termites from entering the structure or to kill termites. Homeowners should ask their pest management professionals which product to use and should learn about the active ingredient in the product formulation to understand how the chemical application is designed to work.
Based on chemical activity, there are two groups of termiticides: slowacting nonrepellent termiticides
and fast-acting repellent synthetic pyrethriods.
Nonrepellent termiticides kill termites through direct contact while they travel through a treated soil barrier. The control effect is advanced by the chemical’s slow-action property, which allows transfer of the chemicals from contaminated termites to unexposed nest mates. Applying nonrepellent termiticides provides relatively quick protection of a structure and suppresses termite activities around a structure.
Synthetic pyrethroids act as repellents in the soil, and most emit an odor. Termites that encounter these chemicals may turn away and avoid the treated area. Termites will not be killed unless they make contact with the treated barrier. Therefore, a uniform continuous barrier is critical because any gap may
provide access to the structure.
Application
Pre-construction soil treatment
Before pouring a slab, apply termiticides at a rate of 1 gallon per 10 square feet (soil fill), or 1.5 gallons per 10 square feet (coarse fill), or as specified in the product label; this creates a horizontal barrier of the fill material that will be covered by the slab. After the slab is poured, apply at a rate of 4 gallons per 10 linear feet per foot of depth to create a vertical barrier in soil backfill areas next to foundation elements such
as walls, piers, pipes, slab expansion joints, etc. Hollow masonry units receive 2 gallons per 10 linear feet, or as specified in the product label.
Post-construction soil treatment
For a house with slab-onground and foundation elements, use a trench-and-drench method along the exterior foundation from grade to the top of the footing to create a perimeter barrier. Trenches must be a minimum of 6 inches deep and 4 inches wide. Apply at the rate of 4 gallons finished solution per 10 linear feet per foot of depth. Where necessary, substitute rodding for drenching. To treat soil under slab or concrete or to treat termites inside walls, drill holes through slab, foundation, walls, or along concrete expansion joints vertically or horizontally in intervals of 1 foot or less and inject liquid termiticide at the same rate or as specified in the product label. Treat soil beneath bath trap by rodding or drenching at a rate
of about 4 gallons of finished solution per square foot. For basement and inaccessible crawl space construction, apply at the same rate from grade to the top of the footing or at a minimum depth of 4 feet.
For accessible crawl space construction, trench and rod the soil around the foundation and all piers and pipes at the same rate from grade to the top of the footing.
Treat the existing interior termite activity site and extend the treatment for at least 2 feet in two or more directions radiating from the site by injecting or foaming or as specified in the product label.
Advantages
- Provide a relatively quick control of termites and protection of the treated structure
- Low maintenance
- Relatively inexpensive
Disadvantages
- Application (trenching, drilling, injecting, foaming) is sometimes intrusive and messy
- Synthetic pyrethroids not recommended for application within 50 feet of a body of water, well, or cistern
 Bait systems
Control concept
Instead of applying a chemical barrier designed to exclude termites from a food source, termites are offered food in the form of baits. Treatment baits have two components: a termite food source and a slow-acting termiticide, such as an insect growth regulator (IGR). Termites feeding on the bait are not killed immediately, so they have time to recruit nestmates to the bait and to pass the termiticide to
other colony members, ultimately leading to the decline or perhaps elimination of the colony.
Using baiting systems is an ongoing process that involves monitoring, baiting, and inspecting because no persistent pesticide is applied in the vicinity of a structure. Long-term inspection tracks activity of a new or recovered colony of termites entering a previously baited area.
Applications
Install plastic stations containing a food source inside in the ground, around the structure, or above ground in the path of termite tunnel or termite-infested wood in the structure. Inspect the stations monthly or quarterly. Replace the food source with a bait after termites are found inside the station. Continue the inspection process as long as the contract between a homeowner and pest control company is effective.
This method is recommended for post-construction treatment only. Some baits are applied as
stand-alone treatments—they are the sole control method. Others are used in combination with a
local or complete liquid treatment.
Advantages
- Environmentally friendly with extremely low toxicity to humans and pets
- Can be used in situations where infested structure is within 50 feet of a well or 100 feet of a body of water
- Less intrusive—no drilling or trenching and easy to install
Disadvantages
- Slower action against termites
- Expensive due to continuous process of monitoring with baits applied as necessary
Wood Preservatives
Control concept
Wood is treated with preservatives that are toxic or repellent to termites and other wooddestroying
organisms. Products mainly target at drywood termites.
Application
Liquid preservatives are sprayed or brush on unfinished wood. They can be used to treat an entire wood structure or to drill and inject infested wood.
(In addition to the chemicals listed here, most nonrepellent termiticides are also labeled for wood treatment)
Advantages
- Low in mammalian toxicity
- Less expensive
- Long-lasting (for decades) unless exposed to constant rewetting
Disadvantages
- Interior use only due to leaching problem
- May not penetrate to the center of a wood beam
Biological termiticides
Control concept
Employ termite pathogens, such as fungi and nematodes, as biological control agents.
Application
These agents are formulated as wettable powders (fungus) or in a water-dispersible medium (nematodes)
for spray or injection in the same way of liquid termiticide. Use dose of 100 parts per million per gallon of water per linear foot.
Advantages
- Safe for people, plants, and nontargeted organisms
Disadvantages
- Has to be applied when temperature is between 50 and 80 degrees F
- Has to be agitated during application
| Organisms |
Trade name |
Registrant |
Use |
| Fungus: Metarhizium anisopliae, var. Anisopliae strain ESF1 |
Bio-blast biological termiticide |
Ecoscience corp |
Spray onto termite infestation |
| Nematode: Steinernema carpocapses |
N/A |
Arizona Biological Control, Inc. |
In a water dispersible medium. Store in 38 to 45 degrees F environment until used |
| Bacterium: Heterorhabitis bactgeriophora |
Termite-proof Materials (Physical or Mechanical Barriers)
Control concept
Install mechanical barriers and physical barriers before a structure is built to prevent termites from
entering the structure and to offer the advantage of indefinite longevity without pesticide use.
Two types of termite-proof durable material are available. One is pesticide-free and made of durable materials that are too hard for termites to chew and too tight for termites to pass through. The other contains a termiticide placed between durable polymer layers. Termites are killed when they come in contact with the termiticide.
Application
Termite-proof material is installed before the concrete slab is poured, and it is positioned around utility conduits (plumbing, electrical pipes and wires, and bath trap areas).
Advantages
- Environmentally favorable profile
- Durable, long-term solution
Disadvantages
- Preconstruction use only
- Use only as a complement to liquid or bait treatments
| Active material |
Trade name |
Characters |
Registrant |
| Lambda cyhalothrin |
Impasse termite blocker |
A termiticide “locked in” between outer polymer layers |
Syngenta Crop Science
www.impasse.com/ |
| Stainless steel |
Termi-mesh® |
A marine grade 316 stainless steel wire mesh (aperture of 0.66 x 0.45 mm) |
Termi-Mesh Australia Pty Ltd.
www.termi-mesh.com |
| Aluminum |
Alterm |
Solid 0.5 mm marine grade aluminum |
Alterm Pty Ltd.
www.alterm.com.au/ |
| Basaltic rock |
Granitgard® |
Graded stone particles (roughly 16-grit) |
GranitGard Pty,Ltd.
www.spec-net.com.au/company/
granitgd.htm |
Use termite control products only according to the directions on the label. Follow all directions, precautions, and restrictions that are listed.
The termiticide rates in this publication are recommended ONLY if they are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. If a registration is changed or can-celled, the rate listed here is no longer recommended.
Trade names are used only to give specific information. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System does not en-dorse or guarantee any product and does not recommend one product instead of another that might be similar.
Under pressure from EPA, Dow Chemical pulled Dursban from retail shelves at the end of 2001, but continues sell-ing it for termite pretreatments in new home construction. Until its use as a termiticide is banned in 2006 for new home and building, it’s still being used.
For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and
home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related
acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama
Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn
University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal
opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
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