In the last few days I’ve noticed some little creepy termite looking bugs crawling around outside my house (in Los Angeles), in particular, on the outside of the new trellis/arbor structure I recently built on the back patio. I used about half a can of Raid on the trellis/arbor, getting all the knot holes, cracks, etc. Is this the time of year that termites go hunting for a nice fat piece of wood to destroy all winter long? Is there anything else I should do to protect my new trellis/arbor structure (not to mention my house!)? Any input appreciated.
hmm i had or rather have an ants problem every summer so here is my advice
#1 fumigate the house area , like when they bring a tent and erect it over your house and surrounding land ,and pump in gas for a few hours , course it may leave nasty stuff behind
#2 stick concrete around the base of your house like rather than wooden contact with soil which from seeing a million
US movies many houses in the US are like that about 1-2ft off the soil i think
#3 introduce some natural predators ants eat termites for break fast , heh but then you will have an ant problem which you have to poison the queen using those carrier poisons , you could always try poison the queen using those
poison things that the workers carry to the queen
#4 replace the knobbled timber with chemically treated wood
course you do have to find out what kind of termites they are as some stuff works with one kind and not the other
I would consider engaging an exterminator. It’s hard to catch all termites, since much of the wood in a typical house is not exposed. When you go to sell the house, it will greatly help your position if you have a piece of paper from a reputable termite guy, showing that the house has been under a termite contract for the past x years.
If the termite guy recommends treatment you might consider looking for a second opinion. Also, keep in mind that there are many different chemicals available, and they vary in their effectiveness/harshness.