Termite Protection - Do we really need it?

[GordyM]

Hopefully you can help me understand the whole "Termite Protection" plans that local vendors would like for you to purchase.

We live in a Courtyard Villa with poured walls. (Solid concrete with stucco exterior) The house was built on a concrete slab and foundation, then solid concrete walls were poured on top of that. Most of our interior walls are constructed with metal studs.

My question is this - Can termites chew through solid concrete to get into our home where wood products (furniture, doors, cabinets, etc....) are located? Nothing on the outside is wood.

Can termites fly and get into the roof trusses which are made of wood?

Thanks,
Gordy

[ureout]

Hopefully you can help me understand the whole "Termite Protection" plans that local vendors would like for you to purchase.

We live in a Courtyard Villa with poured walls. (Solid concrete with stucco exterior) The house was built on a concrete slab and foundation, then solid concrete walls were poured on top of that. Most of our interior walls are constructed with metal studs.

My question is this - Can termites chew through solid concrete to get into our home where wood products (furniture, doors, cabinets, etc....) are located? Nothing on the outside is wood.

Can termites fly and get into the roof trusses which are made of wood?

Thanks,
Gordy

I know of a premier home a few years ago in Harmeswood that had heavy termite damage and that was a block and stucco home....and yes they can fly

[SouthOfTheBorder]

Here (http://www.fightbugs.com/do-termites-fly/) is a good explanation of types of and treatments for termites.

We have the same questions you asked. Hard for me to understand how termites can get to roof rafters without some evidence of their journey.

I know the possibilities however we lived in GA (concrete stucco/wood frame/on slab) for 35+ years without any termite damage. And we paid for annual termite inspection the whole time.

If you look at TV new home construction, you can see how all inside wood is sprayed (about waist high) with a termite preventative that is dyed blueish-green. The dye is there so building inspectors know it has been applied.

We are surprised how much more expensive termite "protection" is here in TV and are still undecided about it's real value.

Don

[billethkid]

there is an obvious real value just like auto insurance...you may pay for your entire life and never have to use it....like we all do.

What is not of any value is the factor of an incremental amount for being a resident of TV.

[John_W]

I know the possibilities however we lived in GA (concrete stucco/wood frame/on slab) for 35+ years without any termite damage. And we paid for annual termite inspection the whole time.


I also grew up in the south, in St. Petersburg about a two hour drive from here. The house I lived in from 1960 to 1967 was stick built in the 1940's with shingles veneer. My dad and all our neighbors didn't use any termite companies, bug men, fertilizer people, etc., the homeowners did it all themselves.

I'm just like him and the OP. We live in a masonry CYV with stucco, poured concrete on both sides, the back and the driveway. I do my own spraying and haven't seen a bug since we moved here.

I just took a screen shot off Google Maps and the home in St. Pete looks pretty bad, but it's still standing after 65 or so years.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/9234gypsy/Untitled_zpsa30tntrm.jpg

[sunnyatlast]

"Still Standing" is not the condition residents, sellers, buyers, or LENDERS require the home to be in.

It has to be free of termites and wood-boring insects.

I can't believe people won't spend $120/year to insure against such a disaster that creeps to the neighbors' homes.

[Riccckkk]

Before moving to The Villages, I was a Building Inspector up north for twenty five years and also a licensed Termite inspector. I can tell you that the preventative maintenance done by termite Companies is 99% balony. They are designed to give a steady income to the Termite Companies. The building codes were changed in the ninties which make termite infestations much less likely. The sub teranien termites in this area swarm in the spring and if they have gotten in your house, you will see them at that time. They are very thick and obvious, the size of ants with wings, you can’t miss them. They leave piles of wings. The damage they do is very slow and there is plenty of time to treat the house before they do substantial damage.

If you are really worried, you can treat the soil around the perimeter of the house yourself with products purchased from Lowes etc every spring which works as well as any Termite Company. This will also keep other bugs from entering the house.

[sunnyatlast]

Before moving to The Villages, I was a Building Inspector up north for twenty five years and also a licensed Termite inspector. I can tell you that the preventative maintenance done by termite Companies is 99% balony. They are designed to give a steady income to the Termite Companies. The building codes were changed in the ninties which make termite infestations much less likely. The sub teranien termites in this area swarm in the spring and if they have gotten in your house, you will see them at that time. They are very thick and obvious, the size of ants with wings, you can’t miss them. They leave piles of wings. The damage they do is very slow and there is plenty of time to treat the house before they do substantial damage.

If you are really worried, you can treat the soil around the perimeter of the house yourself with products purchased from Lowes etc every spring which works as well as any Termite Company. This will also keep other bugs from entering the house.

What homeowner--especially ones over age 65--goes up into his/her wood-framed attic to look for termites down inside the walls?????

I'll gladly pay the $120/year to insure against termite damage that could be found upon inspection of a buyer when we sell it. NOBODY wants to buy a home with termite damage even if it's repaired!

[gomoho]

And I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'ld like to sell you. People it is such a small price to pay for security. By the time I saw the swarmers in the spring I had $25k in damage - yes they had been at work for a while and unfortunately no one spotted it including the inspectors. So get the annual inspection and a bond to cover any damage that might occur.

[Phanatic Luvr]

I don't LIKE to pay it either ... but I DO. Think about resale. I know I wouldn't buy a pre-owned home if the owner didn't keep up with their termite bond. Just my opinion ...

[tuccillo]

Our last house in GA only had one termite inspection in 10 years; when we sold it. The house had poured concrete walls and the only wood on the outside was pressure treated lumber framing the garage doors. In all fairness, I did "inspect" the outside of the house and attic regularly and treated the perimeter several times per year. With our new house in the Villages, I am torn whether to continue the same procedure or have regular professional inspections done and occasional professional soil treatments.

Before moving to The Villages, I was a Building Inspector up north for twenty five years and also a licensed Termite inspector. I can tell you that the preventative maintenance done by termite Companies is 99% balony. They are designed to give a steady income to the Termite Companies. The building codes were changed in the ninties which make termite infestations much less likely. The sub teranien termites in this area swarm in the spring and if they have gotten in your house, you will see them at that time. They are very thick and obvious, the size of ants with wings, you can’t miss them. They leave piles of wings. The damage they do is very slow and there is plenty of time to treat the house before they do substantial damage.

If you are really worried, you can treat the soil around the perimeter of the house yourself with products purchased from Lowes etc every spring which works as well as any Termite Company. This will also keep other bugs from entering the house.

[Topspinmo]

I have to question the insurance for protection after they treated my home and i signed contract WT? Am I paying them to treat my home, then they want more money for insurance which like all insurance when you file claim they will try to weasel out of it probably.

If I ever have to cut down on the budget that be the first to go.

[GordyM]

My original question was can termites chew through concrete?

If they can not chew through concrete..... then the only way into my home would be through the eves or roof vents..... correct? And I have yet to see roof trusses treated with any "green spray" termite control.

With $120 a year I can by a lot of "Snake Oil"....

[tuccillo]

I haven't quite figured out how it works in FL. Is there a recommended frequency for treating the soil around the perimeter that is part of the inspection and bond cost or is periodic soil treatment extra?

I don't LIKE to pay it either ... but I DO. Think about resale. I know I wouldn't buy a pre-owned home if the owner didn't keep up with their termite bond. Just my opinion ...

[tuccillo]

One typical way to gain entrance is through tunnels up the walls of your house. This is one of the things inspectors look for. I suppose they could also enter through cracks in the slab and gain entry to interior walls. Under those circumstances it might be sometime before any evidence is visible. Interior wood should have been sprayed, however. They cannot chew through concrete but they can get through cracks in concrete.

My original question was can termites chew through concrete?

If they can not chew through concrete..... then the only way into my home would be through the eves or roof vents..... correct? And I have yet to see roof trusses treated with any "green spray" termite control.

With $120 a year I can by a lot of "Snake Oil"....

[sunnyatlast]

Here's an instructional page from Florida Building Commission that illustrates/explains subterranean and other termite entries, with stats on infestations.

http://www.floridabuilding.org/FBC/commission/FBC_0506/Education_POC/4_ContractorsSchool_AdvTermite/0-SYLLABUS-Corrected_TERMITES_INSTRUCTOR.pdf

[GordyM]

I don't understand - "One typical way to gain entrance is through tunnels up the walls of your house" - My walls are solid concrete with stucco????

[tuccillo]

It could be up the inside walls of your garage if they gain entrance though a crack in the slab. I have actually seen this where they proceeded to eat cardboard boxes stacked along the wall. If you had a framed house the tunnels could be up the foot or so of foundation to where the siding starts.

I don't understand - "One typical way to gain entrance is through tunnels up the walls of your house" - My walls are solid concrete with stucco????

[gomoho]

I don't understand - "One typical way to gain entrance is through tunnels up the walls of your house" - My walls are solid concrete with stucco????

My house was stucco and they made it to the 2nd floor which is where they did most of the damage. Doesn't matter if you have concrete and metal studs they will also eat drywall.

[downeaster]

My original question was can termites chew through concrete?

If they can not chew through concrete..... then the only way into my home would be through the eves or roof vents..... correct? And I have yet to see roof trusses treated with any "green spray" termite control.

With $120 a year I can by a lot of "Snake Oil"....

A neighbor I had in Jacksonville had a block house. He thought he was immune. Five years later he discovered major damage in his attic. Did they chew through concrete? Don't know but I do know they got there and it cost him a lot of money.

For more details visit University of Florida's web site.

It is not a question of if. It is a question of when.

Let us know your decision.

[gomoho]

I don't understand - "One typical way to gain entrance is through tunnels up the walls of your house" - My walls are solid concrete with stucco????

My house was stucco and they made it to the 2nd floor which is where they did most of the damage. Doesn't matter if you have concrete and metal studs they will also eat drywall.

[gomoho]

A neighbor I had in Jacksonville had a block house. He thought he was immune. Five years later he discovered major damage in his attic. Did they chew through concrete? Don't know but I do know they got there and it cost him a lot of money.

For more details visit University of Florida's web site.

It is not a question of if. It is a question of when.

Let us know your decision.

Did this by any chance happen in Queens Harbour in Jacksonville? That is where I experienced my termite nightmare in a stucco house.

[Bonanza]

I originally moved to Florida in 1983. I have NEVER had a pest control policy or any type of termite protection either. To all the "followers" of every type of bug policy available, which is the "creation"ofy pest control companies, I can tell you without equivocation that you are wasting your money. You are paying a pretty high price for peace of mind, notwithstanding the damage you are doing to the environment.

In all my 30+ years of living in a warmer climate, I have only had one incident where I called in a professional company to treat the problem. The few little issues I had, I easily handled myself.

I've said it before and will say it again. If a termite problem appears, it is inexpensive to treat the problem, unless the problem is out of control, which is extremely rare. Usually, the problem can be spot treated. I have never seen a house here that had to be tented. I also have never seen a larger group of gullible homeowners more so than here in TV, who have fallen prisoner to the scare tactics of the local pest control companies.

[capecoralbill]

I also have never seen a larger group of gullible homeowners more so than here in TV, who have fallen prisoner to the scare tactics of the local pest control companies.

"TERMITE BOND" I have never heard this term before, I think it is just hype. I've lived in FL over 35 years and my parents 25 years before that, and I don't know anyone that's had termites. And since moving to the Villages last year it's the first time I've heard anybody mention a "TERMITE BOND", they make it sound like SINKHOLE Insurance, now that I might waste my money on!

[bagboy]

Homeowners have to do what they think is best for them. I can tell you that in SC, I have seen several homes that had significant damage from termites. In one case, a couple that I know did NOT pay for treatment, did not have a termite bond, and their repair bill was over $26,000.
I think many home owners who have a bond think it's a relatively inexpensive protection option. I believe a homeowner with no protection would wish they did have a bond if damage was found. Termites can go undetected for 5 to 10 years, and damage from them even longer. And then there are those who are far more intelligent than the rest of us, know everything about everything, and will tell you termite treatment and bonds are a scam.
I suggest you use the internet, research termites and damage caused by termites, preventative and post termite treatments, and make up your own mind. There is a lot of unbiased information available to you.
Yes, my opinion based on research and personal experience is to treat and keep a current termite bond..

[KeepingItReal]

I don't understand - "One typical way to gain entrance is through tunnels up the walls of your house" - My walls are solid concrete with stucco????

There is an area under your walk in shower where there is no slab...plus it is a likely place for moisture. Termidor is one of the better treatments, you can buy it at the link below but not at the big box stores.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/termites-c-3.html

[handyman]

Agreed the scare tactics are laughable .