Termite and Wood Boring Insects - should one spot treatment of Premice cost $650
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eggbert
11-18-08, 09:16 PM
I had two small wood temite swarms on my son's room this past Aug and the year before but I couldn't find the source. I talked to pros and they wanted to tent the whole house but they wanted to wait until the warm weather next year. Today I called someone in and they asked a good question; was there was an old piece of furniture in the room which could have been the host for the termites and I said there was an old desk that someone had given us that we got rid of last summer (I stripped the room of wood after the first small swarm.
It turns out the termites were beneath the carpet directly beneath where the desk was. They were living and eating along the wood trim strip where the underside of the carpet attached to the floor.
It was a good find by the rep and he said a Termador treatment would cost $750 but he would charge $650 which he then lowered to $600.
His techs came and put down Premice (not Termador) on the 12" wooden strip that was infested with the termites and they removed it.
My husband says we were ripped off on the price. Can any one tell me does one spot treatment cost that much (note: perhaps more important he only guaranteed that one spot for 6 months). Can anyone tell me if all this sounds right on??
It turns out the termites were beneath the carpet directly beneath where the desk was. They were living and eating along the wood trim strip where the underside of the carpet attached to the floor.
It was a good find by the rep and he said a Termador treatment would cost $750 but he would charge $650 which he then lowered to $600.
His techs came and put down Premice (not Termador) on the 12" wooden strip that was infested with the termites and they removed it.
My husband says we were ripped off on the price. Can any one tell me does one spot treatment cost that much (note: perhaps more important he only guaranteed that one spot for 6 months). Can anyone tell me if all this sounds right on??
twelvepole
11-18-08, 10:57 PM
Whether you got ripped off or not is no longer important. You got the treatment. In the future, always get more than one quote before proceeding.
Chemicals are expensive and so are service calls because of such overhead costs as fuel. Exterminators have available to them products that are not available to homeowners. Premise offers a variety of products commercially. Premise Insecticide - Backed By Bayer (http://www.epestsupply.com/pest_control_products/premise_insecticide.htm)
Sounds like you had dry wood termites. Read your warranty carefully. Spot treatment does not guarantee that infestation, extent to which would be difficult to determine, because of the nature of the secretive drywood termite. Drywood Termites Management Guidelines--UC IPM (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7440.html)
Neither Premise or Termidor are repellants. Both have to be ingested by the termites. Premise is reportedly less expensive than Termidor. Termite.com > TERMIDOR vs PREMISE > Termite Control Products (http://www.termite.com/termidor.html)
If you live in a termite prone area, it's best to have an annual inspection and maintain the contract. It's worth it to protect the investment in your home. Since you have had drywood termites, this makes the need for a thorough inspection each year even more important.
In areas where there are drywood termites, preventive treatments during construction phase can be effective. Post construction poses a challenge because there are so many areas that are not accessible, such as in wall voids. Be ever vigilant for cone-shaped pellets which indicate infestation. http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/DrywoodTermiteControl.pdf
Keep all documentation re: termites, treatments, and repairs. When it comes time to sell your home, these will be important re: disclosure requirements.
Chemicals are expensive and so are service calls because of such overhead costs as fuel. Exterminators have available to them products that are not available to homeowners. Premise offers a variety of products commercially. Premise Insecticide - Backed By Bayer (http://www.epestsupply.com/pest_control_products/premise_insecticide.htm)
Sounds like you had dry wood termites. Read your warranty carefully. Spot treatment does not guarantee that infestation, extent to which would be difficult to determine, because of the nature of the secretive drywood termite. Drywood Termites Management Guidelines--UC IPM (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7440.html)
Neither Premise or Termidor are repellants. Both have to be ingested by the termites. Premise is reportedly less expensive than Termidor. Termite.com > TERMIDOR vs PREMISE > Termite Control Products (http://www.termite.com/termidor.html)
If you live in a termite prone area, it's best to have an annual inspection and maintain the contract. It's worth it to protect the investment in your home. Since you have had drywood termites, this makes the need for a thorough inspection each year even more important.
In areas where there are drywood termites, preventive treatments during construction phase can be effective. Post construction poses a challenge because there are so many areas that are not accessible, such as in wall voids. Be ever vigilant for cone-shaped pellets which indicate infestation. http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/DrywoodTermiteControl.pdf
Keep all documentation re: termites, treatments, and repairs. When it comes time to sell your home, these will be important re: disclosure requirements.