Safe Termite Control

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If you insulate your crawlspace against heat loss, it's inadvisable to put foam insulation board against the inside foundation or stem walls, since termites could enter between foam and wall, hidden from view. A safer procedure is to install fiberglass insulation between the floor joists.

TERMITICIDE SAFETY

If your home has recently been treated with a chlorinated hydrocarbon termiticide, or if you have other reasons to be concerned that dangerously high levels of this type of chemical may be present, you can have the air in, under and around your dwelling sampled by professionals.

If high levels of chlordane are detected and you wish to neutralize the threat, countermeasures are available similar to those used to lower the levels of radon in homes: venting crawlspaces; "exhaling" crawlspace air (having it pumped out and replaced); sealing cracks in the central heating system, floor and other parts of the structure through which chlordane could enter the living space of your home; and topfilling or replacing contaminated surface soil.

To receive a list of approved air-sampling laboratories, place a toll-free call to the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network at 800/858-7378 and ask for a copy of the EPA's free "Chlordane Consumer Information Fact Sheet."

Counterattack

Good maintenance and building practices will go a long way toward protecting your home from termite infestation. Still, regular inspections are advisable. To perform your own termite check, put on some old clothes and grab a flashlight. Begin by inspecting the outside foundation of your house, looking for shelter tubes. Now be sure the downspouts of your guttering system discharge water well away from the building. (By the same token, avoid excessive watering of plants near the house.)

If your home has a basement or crawlspace, your next chore is to use the flashlight to search under the house for termites or their tubes. While you're down there and dirty, go ahead and repair any leaking faucets or pipes that are keeping the soil comfortably moist for termites.

Suppose your inspection indicates that your home is feeding the local termite hordes. Then what?

No need for panic. Your house isn't about to crash down on top of you. In most termite species, even a well-established colony eats only a fifth of an ounce of wood a day. So, though you certainly don't want to dally, you've got time to collect your thoughts and plan your counterattack—which generally means calling a licensed exterminator with specialized training and equipment.

Some homeowners who are determined to avoid chemical treatment are experimenting with biological control, using parasitic organisms called nematodes. These tiny, worm-like creatures invade termites through natural body openings, then release bacteria that kill their hosts within two or three days. The bad news is that studies by entomologists indicate that, although nematodes do kill termites when both are confined in a quart jar, they have little control potential in an area as large as that surrounding a house. Still, anecdotal evidence of nematode effectiveness persists, and some exterminators even provide the same guarantee with nematodes as they do with chemicals, giving you a second chance if the biological approach doesn't work.

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