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Bengal
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I was minding my own business today when I noticed some bugs in the front flower bed... by "some" I mean like hundreds that were visible. We have treated mulch but it's surrounded by cheap landscaping timbers that were here when I moved in six years ago. The termites were only visible about 4-5 feet from the house.
My questions are: Is my house safe? How can I tell if they're in my house? Do you think I should get an inspection? Is there a treatment I can do on my own?
I hate to let it go and run into a bigger and more expensive problem down the road. But I hate to waste the money on an exterminator if I can do it for less.
I'm thinking take out the timbers and get some spray. It's just odd that they just showed up out of nowhere. I spend a lot of time out there and I have never seen anything until today... then suddenly there are tons of them!
Any thoughts?!
![[Linked Image from media.lehighvalleylive.com]](http://media.lehighvalleylive.com/tv_impact/photo/birds-of-war-3b1e411c023703c8_custom_120xauto.jpg) Birds of War
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http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef604.aspNot a bad info site here.. there is one paragraph that makes me think you should be on the phone tomorrow morning: "The swarmers are attracted to light and are often seen around windows and doors. Termite swarmers emerging from tree stumps, woodpiles, and other locations out in the yard are not necessarily cause for concern, and do not necessarily mean that the house is infested. On the other hand, if winged termites are seen emerging from the base of a foundation wall or adjoining porches and patios, there's a good chance the house is infested also and treatment may be warranted."
SaintDawg™
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Call Orkin, or any other exterminator, you wouldn't want to risk some serious repair bills for the home now would you??? JMO
LET'S GO BROWNS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/OldSixty-Two/new0400001.jpg) [b]WOOF WOOF[b]
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Bengal
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I read that same page when trying to decide if they were actually termites or just ants!  I haven't seen any inside, but I may cut out some drywall in the morning and do some investigating. 62, I'm debating just calling Orkin, if nothing else, it will get rid of the occasional spider too! What's that run, couple hundred?
Birds of War
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Quote:
I haven't seen any inside, but I may cut out some drywall in the morning and do some investigating.
If you have a basement go down with a flashlight and a screwdriver...Look around the perimeter of the TOP of the foundation wall...Particularly the wall where the critters are outside...The "Bandboard" is the top plate laying on top of the foundation wall...And look at the floor joists in the ceiling of the basement...
Look for 2 things...A mud looking tunnel on the wood and use the screwdriver to push on the wood...If it's soft or u see tunnels u have residual damage from "Activity"...The screwdriver will go right thru the wood since wood-boring critters conveniently start from the inside and eat outward...If there's "Activity" inside the house u will see critters in those mud tunnels...Poke the tunnels with the screwdriver...
No basement???...No need to cut drywall and have repairs...Do 2 things on the wall the critters were seen...Especially around any window...Push on the wall...If u have any flex in that wall u have damage (Critters have attacked the wall studs)...Also probe with the screwdriver on the baseboards and door trim...
And DON'T CALL ORKIN...Call who I said in your PM...You'll save a boatload... 
Go Browns!!!
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Legend
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Legend
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You should put this in the superglue thread, there's some sage advice there. My advise, torch the little critters, burn the whole house down, then you won't be worried about the termites.  I'd call for an inspection. Better safe than sorry.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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1st String
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1st String
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Termites are not good.. They will eventually destroy your foundation. An inspectiion would not cost that much as a new foundation, even if they have to treat, it is well worth it..
I don't mean to sound doom and gloom but I own a home and was in your shoes. Termites are never a good thing...
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Legend
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Quote:
Call Orkin, or any other exterminator, you wouldn't want to risk some serious repair bills for the home now would you??? JMO
I wouldn't call Orkin or Terminix....I'd stick with a reputable small hometown operation. Those big companies will try and sell you the farm.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
- John Muir
#GMSTRONG
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Quote:
Quote:
Call Orkin, or any other exterminator, you wouldn't want to risk some serious repair bills for the home now would you??? JMO
I wouldn't call Orkin or Terminix....I'd stick with a reputable small hometown operation. Those big companies will try and sell you the farm.
Depends on who ya get. My Orkin guy on my initial assessment said that I had the worst infestation of carpenter ants he's ever seen (took pictures of it on his phone and said he wished he had his digital with him). I believe him. The infestation was at least 20 years old and had eaten away at nearly one whole wall of my bathroom, as well as into my bedroom. My husband was removing the wall for supposed water damage when he punched through and had a literal downpour of ants all over him. He said it was like a nightmare.
Anyway, the Orkin guy did his initial assessment, recommended continued spraying (every other month). I asked if it was necessary, he said, maybe not every other month but at least twice per year. But that initially, I needed them to come 3 months in a row to ensure that they got rid of the ants.
2+ years later, I don't have ants, Orkin comes every couple of months and the "worst" bug I have in my house right now is spiders. I notice that when I miss an Orkin appointment, I'll start seeing some bugs (ants, flies, etc) showing up inside. But even those are kept at bay for a while. If I'm not home when Orkin shows up for an appointment, they still spray the outside of my home.
Costs me $80/visit (the initial was more, but I can't remember cost) but it's WELL worth it for my piece of mind.
Not to say I wouldn't recommend a hometown outfit, I just didn't know which one to trust and I knew I trusted the Orkin name and needed someone at my house ASAP. I didn't have time to research.
![[Linked Image from i75.photobucket.com]](http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i302/lrhinkle/d5eaf0b9-e429-4211-b53f-b843bfcf6aa9_zps2ac17420.jpg) #gmstrong
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Bengal
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No basement. After doing the tests you said, everything checks out. Although if you know anything about Huber Homes... ANYONE would have a hard time finding a stud, even a termite! lol. We took the bathroom apart to remodel and they used 2x1 boards in certain walls... they might be 10 inches apart or they might be 24... it's a joke how fast these homes were put up and how they pasted inspection... Whatever those were back in the 50s... When I moved in, just trying to hang pictures and mirrors made me feel like I was going crazy!
Anyway, after spraying the bugs with your typical store-bought can of bug killer yesterday... there is none I can see right now. No mud tubes on the house. I still feel like I should call the guy just to be safe... It's just been one thing after another lately. I was hoping somebody would say that it's not a big deal.
Thanks for the advice everyboody!
Birds of War
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Legend
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Legend
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No basement... are you on a concrete slab?
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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Bengal
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yup...
No crawl space or anything.
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Legend
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Then you're more likely than not going to be Ok.
It's my understanding that termites don't like to crawl up too high to get to their food, they'd rather just go after what they can get to easily.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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Quote:
Then you're more likely than not going to be Ok.
It's my understanding that termites don't like to crawl up too high to get to their food, they'd rather just go after what they can get to easily.
That is what I do! 
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Bengal
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I figured if they were so far away eating those timbers, they just hadn't found my house yet! The timber ARE more accessible.... No? Probably wishful thinking. You guys and ladies have convinced me that I'm screwed.
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1st. how old is the house? 2nd. Do you know for sure that it is termite's? and not carpenter ant's? both are very bad !
The way you described them sound's more like ant's no?
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Legend
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Quote:
You guys and ladies have convinced me that I'm screwed.
Let me rephrase my statement: "Then you're more than likely going to be Ok."
It sounds like you were given a private reference... give the guy a call and have him check it out for sure. But my guess is that if they were gnawing on lumber away from the house and you've got a concrete slab... I think you're probably Ok.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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Bengal
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I like your rephrased comment better. Shotty, during the whole shock of finding them, they looked like termites.. to be fair though I always think the worst when I find something like that! But the hubs told me they were termites. I should have taken one to show the extermitator, but didn't think about it. No matter which ones they were, I want them gone! I just always heard that termites are the expensive ones to get rid of... What makes you think they're ants? Do termites not die from ant spray or something??
Birds of War
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Quote:
I want them gone! I just always heard that termites are the expensive ones to get rid of...
What makes you think they're ants? Do termites not die from ant spray or something??
Well im no expert, but I always heard that a shotty was far more expensive to get rid off , also I always thought that ant's were far more common to see then termite's.
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I think you should really be worried into this turning into a bigger problem down the road. If the termites are left there they will cause a huge amount of damage. And it might seem light it would take them awhile to do any kind of damage, but when you have thousands upon thousands of them, it doesn't take too long. Here is an article which will help you check if you have a termite infestation. Good luck
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Hi, Matt...welcome to the board. You do realize this thread is from 2008, right?
#gmstrong #gmlapdance
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Man...i just read through that whole thread....I wondered whatever happened to OnB these past 3 years.....Termites must've got her....silly woodenheaded Bengal fan.
#gmstrong
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Legend
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And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
- John Muir
#GMSTRONG
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Bengal
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I may have a wooden head but my ears are golden. We got the critters taken care of then moved. Somebody elses problem now. 
Birds of War
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