eChipmunks

Is there a different among methods used by pest control companies for termite treatment?

I had termites swarming on inside of screen door this morning and also saw them on the wooden threshold of the door. Its May in Virginia & time for them to swarm. I had my basement checked in March of this year and there was no evidence of termites then. But according to the Orkin guy the termites could be there undetected and he thinks because I had this swarm on the inside of the door then the termites definitely originated from my house has opposed to flying to the door from a neighbor's. Also since this swarm exists he says the termites had to be in the home for 4 years..as they do not swarm before that. He also advises me my basement's moisture levels are "too high". I told him I was going to research it & compare to other companies...he says the other companies would not do as thorough of a job etc. etc....and they will quote me a lower price but it will be a ripoff...he says he is a Christian man and would not work for any of those companies except Orkin because according to him Orkin has integrity, etc. and is just the best one there is...he went into great detail about the treatment procedure. He's been a salesman for 22 years and apparently knows the right things to say...but it is $1200 or so to get the termites treated...over $1000 to put plastic on the crawlspace floor to "stop the moisture"...and like $700 to paint the inside beams in basement with borax or something like that to kill mold or fungus....(I'm not going down there period - spiders - too scared)...also he said there was an opening tomorrow and if I went ahead & decided they'd knock of a certain amount (which made me suspicious there, and also since he touted his Christianity that made me suspicious). My house is a one level ranch, maybe 1100 or 1200 sq feet...with a crawl space. Has any one had experience with termites? What do you think? I

Public Comments

1. They are going to be pretty much the same but I would get quotes from three different companies for such an extensive job before making the decision. We have had Orkin on contract for inside and outside quarterly maintenance treatments in our homes for over 14 years. That has saved us many dollars as it diffused any problems that could have surfaced. When you have a job as large as yours and you have had no maintenance, it is going to cost some bucks so it's best to get the quotes and then decide.
2. Orkin didn't get to be that big an outfit by being overly generous. He may be fine, but you'd be wise to get another to inspect and several to quote the work. That sounds a lot for the plastic (unless it is chemically treated against termites). With a basement and crawl space your job may be tricky. You should look at ways to stop the water accumulating rather than just keep it in the soil (next to the basement where it will help the termites). Your house almost certainly has a significant attack by the native subterranean termite, so be very careful with what you do to control it as structural damage may become severe if you don't get them under control. The borax on the beans may be helpful if you can't increase the venting to get the water away but if they are already decayed, you'll need a builder or engineer to take a look at it.