Termites outside the house- do we need to treat? (Waltham: to buy, inspector)

[haberstroh]

So I had a "free" termite inspection today and the inspector found termites outside the house. They live under some flagstones about 1 to 3 feet from the outside wall of the house. He did an inspection of the inside and there was no damage (but our basement is finished and there are only a few beams visible). My question is do I need to treat the whole perimeter of the house although there is no damage inside. And if so can you suggest a good company. The quote I got seems high ($1400) for liquid treatment. And please no panic, I already freaked out! ;-)

[scarletfire]

I've read that there are sand barriers you can use to keep out termites and avoid all those nasty chemicals but don't really know much about it.

Best of luck!

[in_newengland]

There is also a less toxic chemical called Pyrethrum or something like that, made from chrysanthemums. (It's been a long time since I had the termite problem so I'm not sure of the name.) Also, make sure you get the yearly check from the company -- it's cheap and they will re-treat for free as long as you don't skip a year.

[Beijing66]

You might want to treat it, to be on the safe side. Try a company called Waltham.

[Boomerang]

There are some good links here:
Massachusetts Dept of Food & Agriculture Pesticide Bureau Pest Facts (http://www.mass.gov/agr/pesticides/pestfacts/termites.htm - broken link)

"Free" inspections are never free. They provide the inspection to sell you a service.
Termites are a common problem in many areas of the country. Don't panic; read everything you can, make an informed decision, get multiple quotes.

If possible, locate a government or other non-profit organization to talk to as well.

[hcgCali]

Termites are outside in everyone's yard, just a fact of nature. The trick is to keep them out of your house, and if you never treat, you'll probably eventually get them. It's easier to put up a barrior to keep them out than to get rid of them once they are in your walls, where you may not discover them until they've done significant damage.

The best thing on the market right now according to my brother who is in the chemical supply end of the industry is Termidor. For Termite Control | Termidor Termite Defense, America's #1 Termite Defense Product

It's not toxic to humans or pets, and doesn't kill on contact. It gets on the termite's body and then they pass it along to every termite they touch, then they all die from it. It protects for about 10 years. You can do it yourself and save a thousand or more. If you don't have do-it-yourself pest control stores in your area you can buy it online. I got it here:
Termidor SC, Termador, Termidor Termite - FREE SHIPPING

Although the Termidor instructions tell you to dig a 6x6 trench around your property and fill it with the liquid mix, my brother told us the pros you pay just push a flat shovel into the ground against the foundation and pull back, making a narrower trench right against the house, then they spray the foundation, the trench, and the dirt that goes back into the trench, using less of the mixture than the sites tell you to buy. We kind of did a combination of the two methods... dug a narrow trench and flooded it and the fill dirt with liquid mix, and also sprayed wooden window trim. It also kills ants the same way.

[haberstroh]

Thanks so much for all the replies. Not sure what we are going to do yet, I will let the husband decide :-)