DIY Termite Control

Early B.

I have an Orkin termite control contract. Orkin comes out every year and does a jive-**** 5 minute inspection, tells me I don't have termites, and shakes me down for an annual payment that constantly increases. In other words, I'm not getting anything for my money.

I'd like to consider cutting Orkin off and doing my own termite management. I went to a DIY pest control store and asked for the best stuff they had. It was a bottle of white milky chemical stuff that costs $90/bottle; they said I needed 3 or 4 bottles to spray around my house and this stuff would last 5 or 6 years. I didn't believe them, thought it cost way too much, and walked out empty handed.

Anybody have any insight on how to best go about it?

billbillw

Originally posted by Early B.
I have an Orkin termite control contract. Orkin comes out every year and does a jive-**** 5 minute inspection, tells me I don't have termites, and shakes me down for an annual payment that constantly increases. In other words, I'm not getting anything for my money.

I'd like to consider cutting Orkin off and doing my own termite management. I went to a DIY pest control store and asked for the best stuff they had. It was a bottle of white milky chemical stuff that costs $90/bottle; they said I needed 3 or 4 bottles to spray around my house and this stuff would last 5 or 6 years. I didn't believe them, thought it cost way too much, and walked out empty handed.

Anybody have any insight on how to best go about it?

If you live in an area where termites are common, you are better off paying the yearly fee. Otherwise, they will charge a much higher rate to give you a termite letter if/when you go to sell the house. Shop around for a different company, like one that does Sentricon monitoring. They at least come out 4-5 times a year to inspect the monitoring points. My company throws in a full annual inspection as part of the monitoring, and it is much more than a 5 minute deal. At least a 30 minute inspection

Its peace of mind though. I've heard about the nightmares that some have gone through when they try to sell a house if they haven't had continuous termite bond. Thats the last thing you want to deal with if you have a pending sale.

TroyD

Pay the Orkin man and be done with it. The bond that they provide, while you should never have to use it but in case you do is worth the money that you pay.

Here in SC termites are a problem and a guy down the street figgered he didn't need no stinking termite bond. Well, the 40,000 dollar addition that he put on about 6 years ago? Well, lets just say that the temite bond would have saved him a TON of cash in the long run on termite damage repairs.

It KILLS me (and this is not a shot at EB but a commentary on society in general) about how people have no issues at all pissing TONS of cash on stuff that they don't really need but whine incessantly about paying for things that are necessity.

BDT

madmax

Couldn't you just pull a piece of drywall away here and there every few years to confirm you don't have a problem?
madmax

Early B.

Shop around for a different company, like one that does Sentricon monitoring. They at least come out 4-5 times a year to inspect the monitoring points. My company throws in a full annual inspection as part of the monitoring, and it is much more than a 5 minute deal. At least a 30 minute inspection

Bill -- sounds good. Which company do you use and how much do you pay each year?

billbillw

Originally posted by Early B.
Bill -- sounds good. Which company do you use and how much do you pay each year?

Unless you're in Metro Atl, my company probably won't help you. I pay $300/year for Sentricon inpections every 3 months+a full annual inspection. That works out to a measly $25 a month. That's less than just about every other bill I have.

Polkersince85

The more recent devices are the monitoring traps. They place them around your house, bait them and check on them. If termites show up in the bait, then they should treat the area. IMO they just use these to prevent having to put poison everywhere. It's a shame they outlawed chordane, that stuff would last 10-15 years. Poison the heck out of the well though.

Best protection is prevention. No wood within two feet of the ground and keep it dry. No food & water, no termites.

billbillw

Originally posted by Polkersince85
The more recent devices are the monitoring traps. They place them around your house, bait them and check on them. If termites show up in the bait, then they should treat the area.

That is exactly what Sentricon service is. Bait/traps. They leave a small peice of wood in the little trap. If/when they check and find termites on the wood, they replace it with a poison that is carried back to the mound and kills the queen...supposedly.