All posts in “Termidor”

Generic versus Termidor

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Generic versus Termidor, so lets imagine if you will. BASF the original maker of Termidor bought the fipronil from their source and manufactured the original with inert ingredients. Then came at least 10 years of testing, we did 16 homes with none having issues in Arizona.

Now when the patent comes off companies come out of the woodwork to make something just as good. So they can’t get their hands on the inert ingredient list from BASF so they concoct their own – see the problem? So is there an issue with Generics versus Termidor, I believe there is. Choose the original.

  1. Not the same ingredients.
  2. No testing has to be done. They piggyback off the data from BASF, not fair but legal.
  3. Not all generics are the same, formulations are not the same. Stick with the real product from BASF fipronil Termidor.

Termidor HE – the choice of Pest Professionals

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I’ve noticed a trend lately, a few Pest/Termite companies are switching to bait systems. Not really sure why they would do this when Termidor /Termidor HE is by far the fastest way to stop termites in their tracks.

Most of my termite experience comes from Florida and I see the advantages of bait but the desert affects them differently. The extreme heat and the space between stations affords the termites the ability to gain access into structures. I still believe that bait plays a role in stopping termites and occasionally use it in my toolbox of techniques. Baits have come a long way since the early 2000’s and BASF now has an active compressed bait station  Trelona™ ATBS (Advance® Termite Bait System) with the active ingredient Novaluron.

New termite technology continues…. stay tuned.

 

Why is a termite pretreatment important?

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Before you build that new home, the builder generally works a deal with a Termite Company to treat the soil beneath the slab is poured. There are lots of things that can go wrong and lets talk about a few.

  1. Scheduling conflicts and nobody shows up for pretreatment, you may or may not know this happens but it does.
  2. The builder uses the cheapest termiticide.
  3. After the builder does all the work and just after the termite company shows up and treats the soil, somebody decides that there are several pipes in the wrong place. Nobody calls the termite company with an update.
  4. After the termite technician treats soil, the building folks or plumbers walk over the product. I can’t tell you how many times this happened to me, I go crazy and they look at me like – who cares.
  5. The concrete people don’t remove all the form boards.
  6. The termite technician measures or calculates the square footage incorrectly.
  7. It was raining or rained very soon thereafter.

I run into various slabs or foundations that bewilder me on why there are termites so quickly into the houses life. Hire a reputable company and don’t fall for scams that sell pretreats for 3 or 4 cents per foot. Use or insist on a quality termiticide, if you use a quality product and company a pretreat should last. I was going to give a approximate number of years but I’m hesitant because of factors including soil, location of US and rainfall or water table heights. In Arizona I would think that a well performed with a quality termiticide  under the slab should last 15 years, the outside maybe, maybe 5  – 7 years. (my opinion)

Photo by PPMA

Photo by PPMA

Termite patching errors

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This is what happens when patching termites drill holes goes extreme. Patching termite drill holes should be limited to the hole not all the area around the hole. I caught this at a business site the other day and just thought it was amusing and actually sad.

 

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This is on pebble tech flooring, but so easy to just work a little smarter to blend in and only allow concrete to be in the hole not everywhere else.

What is the #1 pest, ants you say?

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Ants can be a major issue, they can get into our homes and businesses. They can find their way into food storage and pantries and spoil food. I have even seen them in refrigerators, stoves and microwaves. They  can also get into restaurants, this can cost the restaurant business revenue and lost of patrons. Pest control is essential for business that rely on patrons and also that serve food or beverages. There are a number of species that can get inside homes including nuisance Pharaoh,  Ghost and even Carpenter ants will trail to sweet or protein foods. It is really important to understand the habits of the nuisance critter you are dealing with, in this way you know when they need protein and/or sweets as carbs.

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Some great information from the National Pest Management Association

 

 

 

 

Freaky nature show in New Orleans

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I have spent many days and many hours in New Orleans, LA working on and studing termites. Termite swarms occur at different times of the day generally on the east coast of the U.S. Subterranean termites generally swarm in eary afternoon, drywood termites usually in late afternoon and Formosan termites in the evening. As an avid bug guy, I have to say that I love swarms. Whether its a Harvestor ant swarm or honeybees, I love them all. It is kind of funny, but many years ago when some of the termite baits came to the market and then Termidor came – many people thought that the termites would just go away. Never happened and probably never will. As great as those products are – the bugs continue to win.

What does a headline really mean?

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I ran across  a story the other day “Crazy ants that destroy computers are immune to insecticide“. The article is well written but I just don’t like the headline. Ants can be difficult to control but we have many tools in our arsenal. Sometimes we try to control the ants we see walking around and sometimes we can use products such as Termidor to go after them, but it is vitally important to get them all and that is the biggest challenge. Ants that might forage within a house or even outside can be controlled by using baits, but they must take the bait and bring it into their home.

There are many active formulations on the market and to be immune from them all is highly unlikely. Invict Blitz Ant Granules might serve the bill. I would like to see a better title maybe like this one –  Crazy ants that destroy computers and electrical equipment are very difficult to control and eliminate. On a side note I’m probably worse at titles so who am I to complain, right?

I think I wrote an article years ago about some Crazy ants at the Jacksonville Zoo, (Bugs on the , what’s it all about….) check out his article.

Andy Patrizio is a freelance technology writer based in Orange County, California. He’s written for a variety of publications, ranging from Tom’s Guide to Wired to Dr. Dobbs Journal, and has been on staff at IT publications like InternetNews, PC Week and InformationWeek..

 

Bathrooms and Termites, why?

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Bathrooms and Termites, why?

 

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After learning about termites in Florida (I spent 8 years in Central Florida) I know that they really are drawn to water sources much like any animal or insect. Food, water and a place to live, that’s what they need and that’s what we need. So especially in Florida – abundant with water and bathrooms were the place I had more serious issues.

Here is Arizona I think the one thing that’s helps termites beyond the normal water, food etc is the footprint of homes. This footprint allows heat reduction and some water which allows termites to live within the shadow of us. So keep an eye peeled for signs of termites and you will be one step ahead of the game if they ever invade your home. Here is a list of things to look for:

  • Tunnels or tubes inside or out, inside could be very small but dirt is always present with Subterranean termites.
  • Drop tubes coming from your ceiling.
  • Baseboard that looks eaten from inside out, they won’t eat paint so it looks wrinkled.
  • I suggest an inspection by a Pest Management Professional – here is a great place to find one http://www.pestworld.org or just give ProBest Pest Management a call at 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

Tricky termite treatments

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Tricky termite treatments

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Pavers, flagstone and tile always make a termite treatment more difficult. Sometimes it almost impossible, these pavers are in fact put in place with cement or sand.  It is possible to drill but it also is worrisome because you might crack the paver. It is essential to the treatment to get the termiticide to the area where the termites may try to get into the home.

I also run across built in cabinets and they pose another obstacle to getting the termiticide to that expansion joint. What other issues do you think we run across on our daily termite treatments and do you have any unusual obstructions at your home or business?

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