The last thread I could find on anything related to this was started by DAVEW0071 several years ago, and I didn’t think I should resurrect a 7+ year old thread.
So, This is in General Questions because I’m looking for factual answers about termite control; and some opinions too.
I don’t currently have any termite problems; but since i had the pest control guy out to spray from some bugs I found in my basement; I thought it might be a good idea to consider termite control; which seems to be primarily in two varieties. 1) Sentricon by Dow, and Chemical Treatment (don’t know if there’s a name for it) where they basically soak the ground around your house with some chemical.
First the factual question: Are there any non biased factual data out there comparing the effectiveness of Sentricon versus chemical treatment methods of controlling termites? It seems like all I find online is data sponsored by method or the other with an obvious bias to their product.
Sentricon is supposed to be the only solution proven to kill the colony; but a ‘chemical method’ supporter said that doesn’t matter because termites still just tunnel between the sentricon posts and eat at your house.
I don’t know of any good non-biased information (Consumer Reports, maybe?) comparing the different technologies available.
However, my parents used Sentricon on their house many years ago, and it worked very well. They did not like the idea of soaking the ground with chemicals, given that they have well water, a dog, and frequently have young family members over who play in the yard.
This guy is bullshitting you, or a total moron, or both. I’m sure there are arguments against Sentricon, but this is not one of them.
Sentricon is actually a very clever system. It is not supposed to form some kind of impenetrable wall that keeps the termites off your house. Rather, it consists of bait stations that are placed near your house, for the termites to find. The bait is some kind of material that termites find delicious, but is soaked with a chemical that slowly kills the colony.
The Sentricon guy will come out to your house and implant these bait stations in the ground. Periodically, he will come back and check the bait stations for signs that termites have found them. If the termites don’t find the bait stations, he may reposition them if necessary. Once the termites have found the bait station, Sentricon will continue to check them until the termites are dead.
It can take a while for the termites to find the bait stations (I remember with my parents it took most of a summer), so I suppose if you have some raging infestation the chemical spray method might be better. In other cases, I think Sentricon is a great, environmentally-friendly choice.
The Centricon stations are located so that termites can easily find them and take the bait back to the colony. The serial no. of each station is logged to insure that none are missed on each visit of the technician.
Chlorodane is no longer allowed by epa regulations as is every other treatment chemical. Prior to “Silent Spring” I found signs of termites under the concrete garage floor slab. A few holes were drilled and a few hundred gallons of chlorodane/water solution funneled into the area and the holes plugged with concrete. The outside foundation was treated by trenching all around and copious amound of the water solution applied. To complete the treatement the wood sills around the top of the foundation were saturated with a copper compound to prevent attack on the entry point to the wood structure.