03/04/2016
What Is The Best Pre Construction Termite Treatment Method?
One of the best ways to prevent termite infestations is to use a reliable pre construction termite treatment of the lumber used in your home. Many people constructing a new house or building (contractors or architects) don’t pay enough attention to this crucial aspect of building a new structure which could save the eventual home owner or building owner thousands of dollars, time, and energy.
What is a termite pre-treatment and how can they be used to during the construction phase of a building?
There are two basic types of termite, subterranean and drywood.
Typically subterranean termites have to stay in the confines of the dark unlit soil they live in as they are sensitive to light. In order to protect themselves as they attempt to venture into the lumber used to construct a building they make mud tubes. This is a key indicator that subterranean termites are trying to make their way into your home.
Drywood termites will typically make their way into your home when a group of swarmers, or winged termites, leave their current colony in search for a new one. You may have seen these before and confused them for winged ants as many people do. If you found them in or near your home though their is a good chance they were trying to find their way into your home, or have already been there for some time and are looking for “greener pastures.”
For subterranean termites pre-treatment involves digging a trench and applying a termeticide (an insecticide for termites) to the solid in the trench.
This trench must be deep enough to prevent these dirt-dwelling termites from going underneath and and still gaining access to the foundation to the building.
For drywood termites a common pre-treatment method is to treat the lumber with a coating or soak that will make the wood less appealing or even poisonous for termites.
These methods are often referred to as a pre-treat or pre-treatment by pest control professionals. There are specific authorized methods and termeticides that are authorized for pest control professionals to use that are regulated by the EPA of Ghana
These laws are meant to protect the consumer from ineffective termite pre construction treatment which can end up costing the home-owner thousands of dollars especially if an infestation reaches the foundation.
The foundation of a building, the foundation walls, and the support piers are all very vulnerable areas to subterranean termites. If you are unsure wether you area has subterranean termites just do a quick google search to see if they are a high risk in your area. They do not live in all areas of the States or the world for that manner, so a pre-treatment of your foundation area may not even be necessary.
If you do live in a high risk area for subterranean termites you will need an effective and consistent termite barrier applied around your foundation area with an effective termticide used in the right volume and concentration to provide your home adequate termite protection.
How much is this? Well it depends on the type of termiticide used and all of these will clearly state instructions and the concentration and volume to be used on the label of their product.
Again, pest control companies are required by law to follow certain protocol in protecting your home or building from termites by using the right chemical in the right amount in the right way to get the job done. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to have a general idea of what they are doing so you have a general idea if you are being ripped off or not.
How much does termite pre construction treatment cost?
There are several factor that come in to play when calculating the cost of pre-treating construction sites for termites including the following:
Soil type and compaction
Construction Materials
Size of Home
Foundation Layout and Type
Local Termite Risk
Chemicals Used for Pre-Treats
What are the types of pre-treatments available?
There are three basic types of foundations all requiring different poisoning procedures. They are poured slabs, crawlspace foundations, and basement foundations. We will go into each type of foundation and the basics of the treatments required.
