We just discovered that we might have termites. From what I can figure out on the Internet, it sounds like we would have to have a termite fumigation. What does that involve? It sounds expensive.—W. M., North Andover, MA

We Don’t “Fumigate” for Termites in the Northeast

An example of termite fumigation in Los Angeles. Thankfully, this is not necessary in the Northeast.

Don’t worry, we do not fumigate for termites in this part of the country since we deal with subterranean termites that may feed on wood inside a home, but actually live in the ground. Fumigating a home would kill the termites inside the house but wouldn’t affect the rest of the colony underground. In other parts of the country and with other types of termites, fumigation of a structure is sometimes necessary.

You may have been confused because some people refer to any type of pesticide treatment as a “fumigation.” A structure fumigation involves completely covering or tenting the house with large tarps to create a sealed-off, enclosed space. Then a toxic gas is injected and large blowers are used to circulate the gas inside the home. And yes, it can cost many thousands of dollars.

Termite Bait Monitors Are the Best Control Option

Fortunately, in New Hampshire and Massachusetts we don’t have to do anything nearly that extreme. In fact, we usually don’t even have to spray or inject pesticides. Most of our termite control involves the use of in-ground termite bait monitors. The bait station tubes are installed around the perimeter of your home and are checked twice a year by our trained technicians. Termites traveling underground find the wooden bait stakes inside the tubes, feed on the toxic bait, and carry it back to the colony.

The first thing for you to do is contact an exterminator and have a professional termite inspection. Our technicians will check your home completely for evidence of termites or damage. We then set up a termite management program for your home that may include installation of termite bait monitors, along with limited spot treatment of infested areas. Give us a call to set up that inspection today. Visit our Service Page for more on Colonial’s Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System.

Photo credit: Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)