A simple shower re-do (well not exactly simple) added another $1,700.00 to the already bloated cost of re-doing the shower in our master bath, when the tile man put his weight on the 8" high ledge stepping into the shower. It collapsed. The wood was thoroughly soaked, spongy and riddled with termite holes. And of course, he couldn't continue until the (whole) house was treated, which added another three days to the job. *sigh* and the above mentioned $1,700.00.

I see I scared everyone away, Emily. Termites are icky.

Our realtor told us there are two types of houses in KC. Those that have termites and those that don't yet. I'm on the "yet" side. Neighbors 3 doors down had 10K in damage due to the little buggers.

I was thinking about an alternative treatment good for the environment...any suggestions?

Yesterday I was working outside with the garage door opened. I turned around and saw a stream of termites rushing to the sunlight. I followed the trail and there is a wood block underneath the step leading into the house, that is where they came from. The baseline is cement, but for some reason, this wood block was added during construstion. I soaked the area with Raid and called Orkin immediately. Not sure how much it will cost me, but at this point, I have no choice but to pay whatever it cost.

Went into the study last week and looked up into a corner that joined the bathroom and the study and to my surprise I saw a termite trail. I just had this room done, the floor is not even two months. I had to go under the study and spray some treatment, going to call the pest controllers but my Grandma said it is an expensive job.

When we had our "termite crisis", our pest guy told us that when they are disturbed at one place, the survivors can just move on to infiltrate somewhere else. So he told us to advise our neighbors, and sure enough, another neighbor had found them too. But they wouldn't have, had we not aired our dirty laundry...:) Good to be vigilant and learn what to look for. Mitigate drainage problems at the foundations...termites need moisture and a stable environment to thrive. Keep woodpiles away from house. Communicate with the neighbors. Cut down dead trees as soon as possible. That was likely the source of ours... we had a neighbor who had let a dead tree stand for 4 or 5 years before they removed it. The crisis at our house was within a year after that tree finally fell in a storm and they had to remove the mess.

We uncovered a small tribe of pesky white ants - as Australians call them - in a shed outside the backdoor of my house. Luckily, we were going to tear that construction down anyway as it was made from asbestos. Neighbours later mentioned that termites turned up inside the house, having already devoured a window frame. Both of us exposed them to light before realising what they were so they all moved on to the next location, unimpeded.
It's important to have them dealt with professionally so they don't just show up elsewhere in a few months time.

We discovered them under our house in the cellar just as the for Sale sign was going up. We had a pine bed base on the dirt floor and as we lifted the bed up it just fell into splinters...... Very scary. We made a call to the Exterminators who checked it out. We lived in the bush at the time. They found them across the street in an old tree. They hadn't gotten into the house luckily as we were very aware of the problem and painted white lines around the perimeter of the inside of the cellar and checked it out quite regularly.
Thank god we sold, too scary for me lol

Ok -. "termites" is a word I pretty much ignored when we lived in the States in Virginia. That was something for other people to deal with. Then, we moved to Tanzania East Africa where there are safari ants and TERMITES! You know, here a termite mound can get to be eight feet tall!Being termite ignorant I put out my wicker furniture and painted it all black - very pretty. We have handmade chairs for outside sitting and a wooden little house for a generator, etc. Well, now, what does not have black trails running in and out all over - is gone!!! I picked up a pillow from one chair and underneath it was literally crawling with thousands of termite larvae! Yuk! We are constantly spraying (with chemicals - oh no!!) on every surface outside that is wood or wood's first cousin. We live up in the hills and there is no hope of ending this situation - but, if any of you know of a weapon that is safer for human beings - we would sure like to hear about it. We have since met larger members of the termite family that fly out when it rains and children and dogs jump into the air to catch - and eat!! (Now, that could be one solution.) Termites are creepy and hungry!!

I LIVE IN TORONTO AND TERMITES WERE BROUGHT UP HERE AFTER THE WAR ON LUMBER FROM THE SOUTH. THERE IS A NEW NON TOXIC EFFECTIVE TREATMENT COMING OUT THIS YEAR AND APPROVED SAFE BY THE GOVERNMENT. DO THE WHOLE HOUSE . YEAH!

I live in Brisbane Australia and went to replace what I thought was some rotted decking, it turns out that the deck is riddled with termites, the previous owner thought it best to build the frame of the deck in untreated pine! $3500 it costs to have a chemical barrier sprayed around the house. Very disappointing.

My son recommended this product, although we have yet to try it. We have both kinds of termites in our old house and are researching for alternative, effective treatments. Met52 Novozymes Granular Bioinsecticide

When I lived in Mississippi I found a colony in a tree next to my rental and notified the landlord who had the tree removed but did no other treatment. I did my own research and like Soccernutz discovered that in the deep south homes either have termites or they will get termites. Not a pleasant thought but definitely something to be aware of when my ex and I started house hunting. Of course now I'm back in Virginia where it's less of a problem. Now my parents have been dealing with carpenter ants which is a whole other story!

We have had termite swarmers before in our laundry room. It was impossible getting the Alabama red mud off the walls. The house was treated under our termite bond and the pest control company assured us that swarmers didn't eat things, but the ones who did eat things were nearby. Another pest control expert told me there were 12 colonies per acre where we live. Great.

However, I have a funny termite story. My brother lives in Florida. I was talking to him on the phone and he turned on his dishwasher. He said, "There goes those strange moths again. They come out whenever I turn on the dishwasher." I don't remember why, but I started questioning him, and I told him they were termite swarmers. He freaked out and called his termite bond company. They laughed saying that as a female, I couldn't possibly know anything about what a termite would look like and that if they came out that they charged $95 even if it was nothing. My brother told the man that he didn't know his sister. Turns out I was right and my brother got the last laugh on that guy! He was still giving my brother grief when he got to his house. My brother said the look on his face was priceless when those termite swarmers came flying out of the space around the dishwasher! I am sure my brother served him a large portion of crow.

In my state of California, termites are very prevalent. Always get a home inspection before buying a home would be my first suggestion, second would be to talk to several termite companies before committing to work being done. They are known for being rather excessive in their costs and suggestions for work to be done. Look for these very obvious signs you might have an infestation: wood stacked next to a house is the biggest, open invitation you can give termites, they'll leave sawdust looking deposits, swarm (but not always) and in worst cases you can put your ear against the wall and actually hear them.

Be aware that chemicals used for extermination are harmful to humans, pets and some plants. Research well, there are "green" companies that use an orange oil based insecticide which is much better.

I remember standing at the front window of my old house one day and noticing a tiny hole in the sill, then watched as a bug pushed some frass (termite poop) out of the hole and revealed itself in doing so. Not a great surprise.

try sprinkling cinnamon powder

Cinnamon powder soundly took care of an ant issue we had last year.

Thanks for the advice on cinnamon powder gorgeous ants. Have been trying black pepper for those pesky ants. Trying to avoid chemicals,

Another natural remedy that seems to work and maybe can be combined with cinnamon is Tumeric (a spice) powder.

We have had major termite infestations in our 10 year old home. The first one was when our home was only 3 years old. Last year was the worst one with 1/3 of our home having to be rebuilt. We live in Florida and have two types of termites subterranean and formosan. Formosan fly into the house and build nests in walls, they do not need to reach the ground for water and instead just use moisture from the air. Subterranean come up through the ground. We usually get the formosan. We have a termite insurance bond on our home so we do not have to pay for the repairs but I would guess that it has been close to 100k in repairs over the past 7 years. We are so sick of dealing with living in a renovation zone for several months a year that we have decided to build a new home. This time our house will be built of concrete! We will not have any wood in the house except for cabinets. Concrete walls, concrete roof, concrete everything, added bonus is that it will be very hurricane resistant and very very energy efficient which is helpful in Florida.

We were preparing to leave for vacation when I noticed the empty, white laundry basket in my basement laundry room had a few bugs in it. They were icky looking bugs with wings...I thought some kind of ant. I squished them and cleaned out the basket and went about my business. The next day there were more in the basket. At that point I had a lightbulb moment and did a quick internet search and found out they were termites! We looked and looked, but never saw any damage or traces, except in the basket. We called the exterminator, gave my house-sitting in-laws a blank check and went on vacation. $800 later, we were termite treated and came home to peace of mind.

At our other house, I found an "ant" with wings, took it to the hardware store and they told me it was a termite. So, I called a pest control company and they came out. I signed the contract. They sent a young man to do the treatment. The basement was a combination laundry and my husband's art studio. At one point I went down to put in a load of laundry fully expecting to find the guy at work. He had disappeared. I couldn't find him at all. Definitely not in the laundry area. I checked my husband's studio. Didn't see him. I went upstairs and, spooked, waited. Pretty soon he came upstairs and went out to his truck. He proceeded to treat the outside. About a half an hour later, he comes in and says he's run out of insecticide and would have to come back. He never came back. I called the company a couple times and they said they'd send someone but, no one came. I finally figured that I'd call another company the next spring and have them finish the job. At the end of the year about seven months after the worker walked away from the job, I heard from the office manager, a very nasty man who insisted on payment. I told him to send someone out to finish the job. He said it was marked as finished. I had taken pictures of where the guy had stopped drilling in the patio and told him so. The office manager reluctantly sent someone out who agreed that the job hadn't been finished. It was done in time for Christmas and I paid. I got a call later (not from the office manager but from the man who had come out) that the first man had used the insecticide at full strength and not diluted it which is why the job was half done. Never had another problem with termites in that house. And yes, it was a well known, national company. You just have to watch 'em like a hawk.

A very dear friend of ours was forced to sell his home as part of his divorce settlement. They had not lived in the home long enough to build up any equity and the real estate market had been dead for several years in our area. He knew he wasn't going to make much on the sale. The inspector found termites in the wood flower bed edging around the house. The lender would not approve the loan unless the whole house was treated for termites. He ended up writing a check at closing.........

We had cabinetry ordered through one of the big box home improvement stores. The cabinets came from a well known cabinet maker and they were higher end cherry wood. Two years later, we have termite droppings in several areas around the cabinets. To date, we have counted 12 termite droppings sites throughout the cabinetry. I called the seller and they immediately informed me that they have a policy on this topic (I see). I am supposed to contact the manufacturer, which I did. They told me that they build the cabinets in a termite free area (whatever that means), and after they leave the warehouse enroute to the buyer, it's no longer their responsibility. So buyer beware!

No termites yet-only a matter of time with our luck! However, when attempting to have a door replaced today, the installers found a colony of some very voracious carpenter ants. The extremely rotted (thanks to improperly installed gutters) wood was a welcome mat to the nasty buggers. Here's the temporary door installation. VERY classy!

My mother-in-law just finished a termite ordeal of almost two years. In May 2012 she was preparing to go overseas for five weeks, and two days before she left she saw a swarm of flying ants between her back door and screen door. She bug-sprayed them and took a dead one to the hardware store to ask for the most effective flying-ant spray. Surprise, the guy told her she had termites. When she got back from her trip, one of the big national termite companies came out and told her the (finished, guest-room) basement was totally infested and they were going to have to start removing the interior walls and floor to see how far the damage went. They ended up stripping everything down to the studs and saw beam and joist damage heading up to the next floor. Turns out the termites had partially eaten away the wood flooring in the dining room above and traveled inside the dining room wall up to the bedroom level. At this point she had a gutted basement, a big hole in the dining room floor and opened walls in the dining room. She had to have a structural engineer come in and assess the integrity of the damaged beams and joists. He also told her how to deal with her always-damp basement: repair the cracked cinder-block foundation of her house to keep the water out, build a drainage trench around the house and re-grade the driveway. It took months to confirm the termite damage was limited to the treated areas, more months of researching the engineer's ideas, then there was getting plans, interviewing contractors and getting bids for both the inside and outside work, securing permits from the city, having the first contractor do half the job and disappear....in the end, it was 23 months and around $70K to get the house back to its original condition.

We bought a fixer upper and had to tent for termites before moving in. While shopping for a contractor to do extensive repair and remodeling, I noticed a termite with wings flying out of the most termite damaged part of the house. I asked one woman contractor about it (I think she took over the business for her husband and was mostly a project manager) and she suggested bleaching the new termites out. We did end up with a female contractor (we like working with women in the construction and architecture trades because they tend to be great communicators), but not the woman who wanted us to bleach the new termites out!

When I lived down south, they arrested a guy a town over for fraud. He advertised for "Pest control" and would come over and spray your place. However they discovered he actually wasn't using anything but WATER to spray with. He'd apparently gotten away with it for years.

We got the termite treatment done before remodelling but after a few years I have seen them where crevices are ,I found a solution which is cheaper ,safer and works our grandma;s trick use turmeric,a whole new way of trating,just made a paste of turmeric andpasted them on the crevices inside the house ,absolutely safe and as we use it for food ,no problem in using it.

I have heard spraying will not get rid of termites. You need to build a trap which is a huge hole in the ground, metres from the house, fill it will timber and poison and cover it with soil. It apparently attracts them and that way kills them. It sounds a lot safer then spraying your house.

Try chili or cayenne powder...works with ants.

Termites are not going to be deterred by herbs and spices. They can eat a whole house in no time. You need to build a trap to keep them away from your home. Where I live they are a huge problem and you need to be one step ahead at all times........ They are ruthless! By the way Termites are attracted by water so if you have any leaks fix them ASAP!

I have found termites under my pillows and cushions of my outdoor concrete couch. There is no wood near this other than a little bark behind it in the planter. I haven't seen any near my house just on the couch and the wings are dropping all over as well. Any suggestions? I sprayed the orange oil about 2 weeks ago but they are still around. I do have a dog that sits on the couch every day but not sure that a dog would attract termites. If anyone has suggestions I would appreciate the feedback

Hi @Aimeeboyles, are you certain those are termites? The only kind i have seen don't look sunlight and avoid it by creating little tunnels in wood. If they are disturbed, they almost certainly move on.

Termites. What to do treated them last year and know we found we have them again. We have a warranty program And all but I like to see if anyone has any idea on some other prevention. Thank you

greetel, what kind did you have? subterranean or the flying ones that take up residence to your exterior wood (we just replaced a huge wall portion on the patio)

we had the new wood ready to go when the Orkin guy came out. he sprayed and treated all of the new wood w/his wood stuff. then before we put it up, we sealed, primed and painted both sides.

Three years ago (different house) had the termite plugs installed. Had them checked by the company the following year for a cost of almost what it cost to install! No evidence of any termites so the third year I didn't return the card to schedule a date to have the plugs checked. But, a man came out unannounced, checked the front ones before I could stop him. He demanded payment for half of the job. I refused. He threatened to pull the plugs. I told him there was nothing in the original contract that required a yearly checkup etc. (The initial installation of the plugs is quite reasonable. Where they make their money is on the rechecks.)

IMO, if you own a home, you need to schedule a regular termite check. If you're the homeowner, know what you're looking for or schedule through a pest company. Keep trees and bushes off your roof and walls (they provide pathways for pests), and keep gutters clean.

Here everyone uses Boron or Borax to treat log home and wood. Just mix 1/2 lb to a gallon of water and spray the wood surface.

I always use Tempo SC Ultra to treat my house inside and out. It will kill just about anything except a Pharaoh ant. Pharaoh ants are the very small ones that like to invade homes mainly in the late late summer and early fall. The problem with them is they only eat protein (meats, nuts, cat and dog food etc). Terro liquid ant killer works good on them. I like to crush cat food into a fine powder and mix it with Terro. They will carry it back to the nest and feed it to the queen and larva thus wiping out the nest. Boron and borax is also good to mix with finely crushed cat or dog food..