Termite Prevention Treatment Options

How Termite Prevention Protects Your Home

To stop a termite infestation, the termite control experts here at Hi-Tech know that the best first step isn’t elimination—it’s termite prevention. Termites are very common in Southern California, and both drywood and subterranean termites cause extensive damage to homes and businesses. Because both termite types are so common in Los Angeles, San Diego, and across the Orange County area, property owners need to know how to prevent termites to avoid disaster. If you don’t invest in termite prevention, chances are you’ll be facing a termite problem that could cost you a whole lot more money than the termite prevention cost.

Hi-Tech Termite Control offers affordable and effective termite prevention and control. We employ a variety of methods to prevent termites before they can take over your property. Our proven termite prevention treatments include:

• Chemical barriers
• Localized treatments
• Recommendations for structural and landscaping improvements

Your termite inspector will recommend proven termite prevention treatments based on your property and whether we have found evidence of termites already. If you already have a termite problem, we have solutions for that, too, but effective termite control starts with some essential steps. First, a thorough inspection of your home or building will be performed by a professional licensed inspector—someone with years of experience and training who is uniquely qualified to inspect structures for all the major species of termites.

Termite inspections will include both the primary structure and its surroundings. This includes the crawl space, basement, attic, and other interior and exterior areas like timber structures, tool sheds, and garages. Detached structures will be inspected upon request. Current conditions such as moisture levels and access points that could lead to termite infestation will be summarized in a comprehensive report. The resulting report will be used to prescribe the most appropriate termite prevention treatment.

Your professional termite inspector may recommend one or more of the following:

---

Termite Prevention Using Soil Treatment

Treatment of the soil next to and below a structure is an effective prevention treatment. Termidor® is a proven termiticide that creates a barrier around your home to prevent drywood, subterranean, and Formosan termites. The professional termite formula is odorless and tasteless, so termites don’t even know it’s in the soil until it’s too late. Since Termidor is non-repellent, termites readily burrow through the soil and the termiticide, leading to their ultimate demise.

When termites come in contact with the Termidor termiticide, they are infected with it and unknowingly transfer it to the other termites in the colony. Known as the Termidor “transfer effect,” this ingenious termite prevention spray not only keeps termites out of your home, it eradicates the entire colony. Soil treatment is the most effective, long-lasting termite prevention method available. Best of all, your family, pets, and plants can remain during the treatment process.

For buildings constructed on a concrete slab, it may be necessary to drill through the slab to treat the soil below for effective subterranean termite prevention and control. Termite control using a chemical barrier should only be performed by a trained expert using specialized equipment to ensure complete protection from termites.

Bait Stations are a proven termite prevention treatment that may be suitable for specific applications, but many homeowners often fail to understand how they work and how they must be maintained. Bait stations must be regularly inspected and refreshed 3-4 times a year by a licensed termite control professional for optimal protection.

Termidor, on the other hand, is highly effective and does not require regular inspection and maintenance. It’s also faster-acting and more effective than baiting for termites, making soil treatment with Termidor a smart choice for most homeowners. We also provide the same long-lasting effectiveness of Termidor for drywood termites using Termidor DRY. By injecting the termiticide directly into the infested wood, we can destroy an entire colony quickly.

Prevent Termites with Structural & Landscaping Improvements

There may be recommended modifications to the building or landscaping to improve the effectiveness of termite control measures and reduce the threat of further termite attacks. For example, these might include the removal of termite-infested timbers next to the house or in contact with the soil or the reduction of humidity below the floor. Mulch should also be removed – especially where it abuts the building as it provides termites with an easy food source and a humid environment.

Traditional mulch like shredded pine bark or nuggets is made with cellulose products. Because the mulch helps maintain moisture in the soil below it, it can create the perfect environment for a termite infestation in your home. The consistent moisture, steady supply of cellulose material for food, and being able to work undercover make wooden mulch an invitation for an infestation.

Instead of using wood-based mulch around your home, consider alternative ground coverings that still help maintain moisture in the soil, but don’t contain cellulose that attracts termites. Here are some landscaping options to help prevent termites in your home:

Pine Straw

Pine needles are a good alternative to traditional wood mulch because there is far less cellulose for termites to feed on. Pine straw is easy to spread, doesn’t compact as it decomposes, and can allow more moisture to reach the soil and plants. While pine straw is more acidic than traditional wood mulch, you can lay down a thin layer of compost beneath the pine needles to even things out.

Rubber Mulch

Rubber mulch is nonporous, so it provides an attractive and long-lasting ground cover that allows plenty of moisture to get through to the soil. Synthetic mulch also reduces fungus growth on plants, is a natural weed barrier, and even comes in colors like brown, grey, and blue. So pick out your favorite color and go with a more modern mulch alternative that doesn’t attract termites.

Pea Gravel

Pea gravel also comes in a variety of colors, and you don’t need to replace it annually like traditional mulch and pine needles. This ground cover is especially good for areas that tend to get standing water, and it is perfect for plants that like drier conditions. Pea gravel is less prone to mold and fungus growth than traditional mulch, and it contains no cellulose to attract termites.

---

Termite Prevention Through Moisture Management

One of the more complex challenges with termite control is managing the dampness and humidity that can occur in many homes and buildings. A damp crawl space can create conditions that attract a termite infestation, so standing water and excess moisture must be addressed. You may need to have a moisture barrier installed or even the addition of an exterior drain along the foundation wall to get moisture levels under control.

Even if you control the moisture in a crawl space and along your foundation, there are some less obvious areas where you can minimize moisture and help prevent termites. Basements are notorious for being damp, and since they are underground, they present an easy and irresistible way to get into your home. Excessive moisture can come from a leaking shower, a faulty drainage pipe, cracks in roofing tiles, condensation overflow from refrigerators and freezers, and other areas and create moisture conditions that invite a termite infestation.

This moisture typically finds its way into the lower supporting timbers, providing an environment that’s ideal for subterranean termites. If you the homeowner find signs of live termites, it’s important NOT to disturb them or try to treat them yourself. It may appear that you have killed them off, but termites are extremely adept at survival. The likely scenario is that you have caused them to move to other parts of the building where they can do even more damage undetected.

Once your termite problem is under control, our professional and friendly exterminators will arrange preventative treatments throughout the year to ensure termites don’t come back. You’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your property is protected by Hi-Tech Termite Control and backed with our two-year warranty.

Call us today or send us an online message to get your free estimate and start protecting your property with the help of experienced and knowledgeable exterminators in Southern California. We work throughout San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County.