Pest Management Professional, September 2010

Termites continued from previous page Flashlights probing tools sounding tools and moisture meters can only add to the quality of inspections Documentation Proper documentation is a big shortcoming for many PMPs Record what you found on the initial inspection and what was done on the initial treatment This will be the primary record and will set the stage for what happens later in the history of this account This is a good time to consider electronic data If 40 of infestations are inside and most of them are associated with cracks utilities entrances and expansion joints isnt just possible those termites on the outside of a structure may not be the same There are many studies on the number of colonies there are per acre if we accept the fact that there are different colonies Ive heard as low as three and as many as 43 so the truth must be somewhere in between Typically subterranean termites do not join up with other colonies Once a colony is removed however another colony of the same species or Formosan will use the same tunnels and area What that says is termites do not always find the outside monitoring station and termites that are inside a structure do not always return to the termites that are outside the structure If termites are content eating on a Southern Yellow Pine stud behind the shower stall where there is plenty of moisture why should they go outside to find the treated zone or bait monitoring station Inside inspections are certainly still needed One of the most frequently asked questions is Why do we have to trench the piers and pipes that touch the ground when using one of the non repellent liquid termiticides This makes me think some applicators may be skipping that part of the label in fact I heard someone say recently that all that was needed to control native subterranean termites was to trench and treat the outside in most case This really creates some concerns Forty percent of infestations reach the structure from something other than the foundation wall This means they locate the structure by following something roots pipes concrete edges soil types other animals insects and soil disturbance Trench and rod only would not result in controlling these termites Baits are great but you have to give them a chance by following the recommendations which includes a quality initial inspection followed by at least an annual inspection plus foundation inspections on each monitoring inspection Chlordane was considered the termiticide of a life time Dursban was thought to be the ideal termiticide and pyrethroids were very effective in repelling termites but many times this repelling actually worked against the control of the infestation Termites trapped inside would not and could not get out of the structure resulting in them lasting many months after a successful treatment As long as sufficient moisture was available they could continue to survive and cause additional tunneling looking for ways to reach ground This resulted in satellite colonies and failure to reach control without direct treatment and removing the colony Many of the younger PMPs have never used Chlordane or any of the termiticides used before 1995 Some of the technicians have never used anything but baits Its easy to not know where the pest management industry has came from in controlling insects and being successful in the business that we all love Today with the exception of bed bugs we seem to have won the battle but we need to remember what got us here inspections and documentation are whats going to help us win the war PMP You can reach Hardy senior technical director for Orkin at phardy@ rollins com 72 PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SEPTEMBER 2010 www mypmp net