How to Treat Subterranean Termites: Liquid Treatment vs. Baits

If you’ve found termites in your home or swarming termites during the warmer months, you have to quickly deal with this potential issue. Termite damage can inflict billions of dollars in destroyed structures within a short period of time, so you must act fast to avoid a literal disaster. Termites are active all year, so there's no time like the present to begin planning your defenses against these wood-eating bugs.

So should you use liquid barrier treatments or baiting? There are many types of termite treatment but bait traps and liquid barriers are the two fundamental solutions to consider when dealing with termites. Meanwhile, both have advantages and disadvantages to consider while making the best option for your house, you, your family, and your pets.

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How Does Liquid Treatment Work?

Applying a liquid poison, known as a termiticide (or liquid insecticide for non-termites), under and around the building was the conventional method of controlling subterranean termites. The goal was to create a long-lasting chemical 'barrier' in the soil that would keep termites out of the construction. Foraging termites seeking to enter treated soil were either killed or repelled, while those already inside eventually died.

Since then, research has proven that barrier treatments that are non-repellent termiticides and termite deadly are the most dependable. There are more specific barrier treatments for certain aspects of your termite problem such as wood treatment, continuous barrier treatment, and physical barriers. 

Large amounts of termiticide are put around the perimeter of the structure, along with drilling/injection into nearby porches and patios, and these treatments are highly effective. In addition, today's liquid barrier applications are less obtrusive than previous generations. 

How Does Termite Bait Work?

Small quantities of wood or other cellulose materials are used as edible smart missiles to eliminate termite colonies foraging in and around the termite shelter with baits. Worker termites eat the bait within the bait stations and share it with their nestmates like reproductive and immature termites. 

This causes termite numbers to gradually drop and be killed off. The bait will eventually kill the worker termites as well through the slow-acting poison or termiticide found within the bait. 

Current termite baiting systems use termite bait that is made of cellulose material, a biological component of wood, and a slow-acting pesticide that inhibits termites' natural development process. 

Termites die when attempting to molt within weeks after swallowing the bait, acting as a growth inhibitor. The delayed response is critical because if the bait kills the termites quickly, sick or dead termites may gather near stations, increasing the risk of other termites in the region avoiding the bait. 

Delayed action also improves the spread of the fatal element to nest members, including those who have never eaten the bait or cellulose material. This method can be used to eradicate whole colonies, albeit termite colony eradication isn’t necessarily required for structural protection. Bait along with bait stations can easily be purchased in retail stores. 

Which One is For You?

Do you mind if floors and porches are drilled into or if the furniture is moved? 

Despite the fact that today's liquid chemical barrier coatings are less obtrusive than in the past, some homeowners still object to them. Customers who are considering bait treatment are frequently delighted to find that they won’t have to drill their floors or relocate their furniture to make way for barriers. 

In most cases, the technician will not need to enter one’s home to set up or monitor the bait stations, and drilling, dust, and other disruptive elements are avoided with the baiting method.

Are you opposed to pesticides being used in your home?

Many liters of termiticide are injected into the soil beneath and around the structure in liquid barrier treatments. Despite the fact that the health and environmental consequences of such therapies are normally regarded as insignificant, some people are nonetheless concerned. The amount of pesticide used in baits is minimal, and the bait is kept underground in tamper-resistant stations.

Is there anything about your property that makes it difficult to treat using liquid barriers? 

Wells, cisterns, neighboring ponds or streams, plenums, sub-slab heating ducts, drainage systems, inaccessible crawl areas, and other elements hinder soil treatment with liquid chemical termiticides in certain structures. Such situations aren't a concern with baits, and they may be the sole solution. 

Baits are a good option for houses that were unsuccessfully treated with liquids prior to construction as they don't require access to concealed or difficult-to-reach spaces within.

How fast do you need to get rid of the infestation? 

All termite baits have the disadvantage of being slow-acting in comparison to liquids. Termites may take weeks or months to discover the baits underground or in bait stations and even longer to distribute them to their nest members. 

As a result, the elimination process can take many months or more, and there may be termite damage caused before the bait takes effect. Homeowners with a significant termite infestation or those in the middle of a real estate transaction may decide to use a liquid instead of bait because of its faster application and effect.

How much are you willing to spend on the treatment? 

Termite services vary in price based on criteria such as the home's perimeter dimension, building type, and geographic location. Baiting can be more expensive than a liquid treatment since it requires more trips to check for termites and add or replenish baits. 

When making a purchase choice, homeowners should consider both the initial treatment cost and the annual renewal charge. If there’s no residual termiticide remaining in the soil or bait stations after the termites have been exterminated, failure to replenish bait and termiticide can cause extra hazards. 

Verdict: Which is the More Effective Method For You?

You will get faster results if you use a liquid termite treatment approach as the final product can be applied near the termite infestation. If you have a termite infestation already, using a liquid termiticide may require drilling to reach the termites. 

A homeowner may find drilling through concrete or a slab and pumping the completed solution volume necessary to install a termite barrier too time-consuming. Do note that this method might require professional service to be effectively utilized.

Baiting termite colonies is easy, and it may also be used as a monitoring technique to discover termites before they become a structural problem. Termite baits eradicate and manage circumstances where soil termiticides are ineffective, like near a water source, or when pesticide usage is an issue, even in structures where soil treatments have failed. 

Termite baiting gives you the potential to kill off the entire colony through a slower process, while giving you more control of where you put potentially dangerous chemicals, by using termite bait stations.

The simple answer: when it comes down to it, it all depends on a myriad of factors such as the degree of infestation, active infestations and current termite activity, potential future invasions, and the exterior perimeter of your target treatment area, chemical costs, and so much more. 

It's up to you or pest control professionals to decide what works best for your current position. Both options have impacts on the current control of termites, future termites and 

PermaKill Exterminating - The Best Pest Control Service To Get Rid of Subterranean Termites

A skilled eye is required to detect concealed termite infestations. PermaKill Exterminating’s team of pest experts carefully examines the extent of damage and infestation before recommending the best treatment plan and professional service for your property. 

PermaKill Exterminating is the best professional pest control company in the area. We have the right tools, methods, and techniques to prevent and stop all kinds of pests and insects from invading and taking over your space. PermaKill Exterminating has a slew of other services to free your home from pests, no matter the termite type or termite species.

Contact PermaKill Exterminating today to receive a free quote on our termite inspection. Call us now at (973) 584 – 6414.

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No matter what kind of pest problem you’re dealing with, you can count on Pinnacle Pest Control to provide top-notch pest extermination services. With decades of experience under our name, we have already helped hundreds of residents and business owners in Sacramento eliminate pests in their property and keep them away for good.

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