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Started By
Message
re: DIY Termite Treatment
Posted on 12/5/25 at 7:01 pm to meeple
Posted on 12/5/25 at 7:01 pm to meeple
quote:
How often should this and trenching be done?
I assuming you live in Louisiana, if that's the case, inspect every year, walk around your house and look for dirt tunnels that lead from the ground to where the slab and structure meet. Ants also make tunnels, you can tell them apart by scratching them, termite tunnels are hard, ants are like an at bed, it will crumble when scratched. Make sure that you don't disturb the soil where the trench is, if you dig the dirt from around the edge of yoir house, you will need to retreat that area. If you find no tunnel during inspection, you're good for 5 years here in Louisiana, they like the warm humid climate of the south, further north you can wait up to 10 years if inspections are clear. Make sure you check the inside of your house as well, anywhere plumbing comes through the concrete. If you're on a pier and beam foundation, you need to check your crawl space.
quote:
Should I drill and treat a few feet from that?
That's probably a little overkill but it wouldn't hurt if it gives you peace of mind. We would drill about 6 inches from the edge of the concrete so you don't chip a piece off. Inject chemical until you see it come up around thr expansion joint where the driveway and house meet.
Hope this helped, let me know if you have any more questions.
2
Posted on 12/5/25 at 7:24 pm to Randall Savauge
quote:
So how do you handle a house with rocks completely around it. No dirt couches my foundation at grade except for a small area adjacent to my back patio.
Remove the rocks, trench the dirt under the rocks, fill the trench with chemical, soak the dirt you took out of the trench, replace the dirt then put the rocks back. That should work as long as you don't have a thick rock layer.
Posted on 12/5/25 at 11:07 pm to dek81572
Yeah, I’m not removing 300’ of rock bed and putting it back.
Posted on 12/5/25 at 11:12 pm to dek81572
Thanks for the info.
5 years from when? From the trench and treat, or any given year as it takes them 5 years to develop a presence and cause damage from the initial sign of a tunnel?
quote:
If you find no tunnel during inspection, you're good for 5 years here in Louisiana
5 years from when? From the trench and treat, or any given year as it takes them 5 years to develop a presence and cause damage from the initial sign of a tunnel?
Posted on 12/6/25 at 12:09 am to meeple
quote:
5 years from when?
Ok,let's say you dug the trench around your house, drilled any holes needed, treated areas with whatever pesticide you choose, fill the trench and holes up and you did all of that today 12/5/2025. Inspect every year and if all is well each year, you wouldn't need to retreat your house until 12/5/2030. If after those 5 years there have been no signs of termites at all, you could choose to wait another few years, it's recommended every 5 years but its up to you.
Posted on 12/6/25 at 12:15 am to Randall Savauge
quote:
Yeah, I’m not removing 300’ of rock bed and putting it back.
Your best bet would be to use bait stations. Its not as good as trenching but thats really your only option.
Posted on 12/6/25 at 12:21 am to dek81572
Got it thanks
Posted on 12/6/25 at 10:25 am to dek81572
Got it. Build me a diy system please. I’m all ears.
Posted on 12/6/25 at 8:09 pm to LSUOFFSHORE
You can buy the SAME system from Pest Stop....they have stores in most towns. $300
Posted on 12/9/25 at 12:23 pm to LSUOFFSHORE
Fipronil, which is also good for killing fire ants.
This post was edited on 12/9/25 at 12:24 pm
Posted on 12/12/25 at 5:41 am to dek81572
quote:
5 years
Is 5 years an industry standard for La or your learned experience?
I trenched with taurus sc about 5 years ago but everything read was it was good for 10. I was going to wait for 8 just to be extra careful.
Haven't seen the first sign of the little bastards but also know from previous experience that they can do a lot of damage incognito. Last damage (not my house) was from them building a tunnel up from UF buried cable from outdoor circuit and into main breaker panel. Then into stud panel was attached to and further framing around a window.
Appreciate the advice.
Posted on 2/16/26 at 4:23 am to Turnblad85
How did you handle your patio, driveway, etc? Or did you just trench/treat the areas where dirt meets slab?
Posted on 2/16/26 at 2:15 pm to meeple
Termites are easy to kill. The bait stations just attract them and then you add poison for them to eat and die.
Trenching just builds a barrier around your home. My issue with trenching is it has to be perfect or they could get around it. Making it perfect is almost impossible.
Trenching just builds a barrier around your home. My issue with trenching is it has to be perfect or they could get around it. Making it perfect is almost impossible.
Posted on 2/16/26 at 8:48 pm to baldona
Our house hasn’t been trenched in 20 years. Far as I’m concerned anything I do will help. I pay a guy $200 to spray around the surface each year. I’m not sure that’s actually doing anything.
Posted on 2/17/26 at 4:04 pm to LSUOFFSHORE
quote:Had the exact same experience last week. Now I’m contacting new exterminators for quotes.
I have had a termite contract from day one of building my house. Now the exterminator is demanding a baiting system to go forward. The quote is insane
Posted on 2/19/26 at 3:14 pm to meeple
With Termidor HE you only have to trench 2 inches by 2 inches.
Buy it online.
Buy it online.
Posted on 2/19/26 at 4:30 pm to TDFreak
quote:
Now I’m contacting new exterminators for quotes.
Same here. Let us know what your prices come in at.
Posted on 4/14/26 at 3:38 am to dek81572
quote:
Inject chemical until you see it come up around thr expansion joint where the driveway and house meet.
What do you use that can inject at such a pressure for this to happen? I probably lack such equipment.
I have some Taurus SC and going to give this a go.
Posted on 4/14/26 at 7:59 am to LSUOFFSHORE
quote:
baiting system to go forward.
i know this is an old thread, but i thought this info might be useful.
I just had my contract renewed and they did bait stations. i had the trench and bait station combo before, but apparently they changed the regulations and the two can not be combined because the chemicals cancel each other out. all that to say, pick one option and go with that. i went with bait stations because i don't want them spraying inside my house
Posted on 4/15/26 at 12:05 pm to LSUOFFSHORE
Do as I say, not as I do, but.....
I've never really understood the trenching. Treated soil is treated soil. I'd rather apply a heaverier dose and a wider swath than dig around my slab. I'm old and my back hurts. Full disclosure, if it's my own house I'm inspecting the slab and grounds way more frequently than the once a year contract folks anyway.
I've never really understood the trenching. Treated soil is treated soil. I'd rather apply a heaverier dose and a wider swath than dig around my slab. I'm old and my back hurts. Full disclosure, if it's my own house I'm inspecting the slab and grounds way more frequently than the once a year contract folks anyway.
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