hmmmmm. I think strategic spraying in and around the house would be effective. The termidicides on the market today are extremely effective. Usually a 6" x 6" ditch along the foundation and you're termite-proof for 10-15 years. Pour the solution in the ditch, cover, done. It's the kind of pesticide where the termite walks on it and brings it back to the colony and spreads it around. Highly effective. Works on all subterranean creatures. Ants, spiders, Woods roaches, etc.. The product was called Termidor SC then Taurus SC. Those might have been replaced with something else. I'll get the name if you have any interest.
I have done some strategic Spot Spraying if I can see signs of what looks like Current termite activity. But at the end of the day it's not my house. So something like Trench Treatments isn't going to happen.
The House is also going to need some Plumbing and some Structural Work to shore up a floor that is getting soft in a Bathroom. So spraying Under the House now (where it would be the Most Effective) doesn't seem like a good idea.
Like I said, I'll be the one who will inherit the house (along with the Termites). So I can formulate a plan for the Work/Repairs/Upgrades that needs to be done Before they put a Tent over the house and fill it with Organophosphates.
That is, unless she Outlives me. Which is something I haven't completely ruled out. LOL.
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I had termites and got it treated with Termidor maybe 20years ago and haven’t seen any since. Good stuff.
Tenting might be necessary depending on species of termite and level of infestation. Research it and call a reputable local pest control company - if one is needed. Forget the national companies like Terminex and such, they cost way too much and always try to pressure sell you on various contracts and treatments you don't usually need and they charge an arm and a leg for absolutely everything.
Personally I would find some termites, take good pictures of them and then ID the species with google lens, inaturalist and other similar apps. Once ID'd, research if Termidor is an effective treatment for that species and at your level of infestation, then DIY Termidor or whatever other chemical that would be effective. DoMyOwn.com and DIYPestControl.com can be good resources for products and information on DIY pest control, but prices are usually much higher than other places so you shoudl shop around after you've found the best product for your situation.
After all, if you're going to inherit an asset, a couple few hundred on Termidor (or whatever) is probably worth the expense. A 6"x6" ditch isn't hard to dig even in dense clay soil. Basically maybe 2/3rds the depth of a regular garden shovel head.
JMHO
Personally I would find some termites, take good pictures of them and then ID the species with google lens, inaturalist and other similar apps. Once ID'd, research if Termidor is an effective treatment for that species and at your level of infestation, then DIY Termidor or whatever other chemical that would be effective. DoMyOwn.com and DIYPestControl.com can be good resources for products and information on DIY pest control, but prices are usually much higher than other places so you shoudl shop around after you've found the best product for your situation.
After all, if you're going to inherit an asset, a couple few hundred on Termidor (or whatever) is probably worth the expense. A 6"x6" ditch isn't hard to dig even in dense clay soil. Basically maybe 2/3rds the depth of a regular garden shovel head.
JMHO
The whole thing isn't an issue of Effort or of Expense. It's a Matter of Wishes.
The Homeowner just doesn't Doesn't want to have the house treated for Termites. And at Her Age, it can be Difficult to get Her to change Her mind over even relatively moderate things.
We have been having this Termite "Argument" for about 25 Years.
LOL
Yes Termidor is highly effective. My initial treatment that was done when the house was built (7 years prior to me buying the house) lasted 17ish years before I started seeing ants invade my home. Tolerated that for a few years then did the trenching and the ants and every other creature disappeared in a few weeks. Did it 7 years ago and haven't seen any bugs. Termidor required a licensed pest control pro to purchase but they dropped that requirement back in the late 2010s. My BFF was a licensed pest control guy and that's how I got. I think Termidor has been largely replaced with something else. These bugs grow an immunity over the years so these insecticide companies are always developing alternatives. The chemical in Termidor is fipronil and i think you can still find brands with this chemical in it. I spray the foundation (outside) twice a year too. Also, my foundation is made of cinder block with a crawl space. They drilled holes inside every few feet so you can spray that crap in there too. Again, that lasts years if not decades.
I’m putting in a fence in our backyard. My daughter’s boyfriend came to help set posts. He picked up this hydraulic auger with his trailer for me. It’s still a lot of work but after using this one I can’t imagine using a regular power post hole digger.
Heh.... Back in the day when I was living up in Canada, we had to put in some gates on the property we had to prevent dumping and trespassing. Rented one of those "normal" power augers to set the 8 inch fence poles to attach the gates to. Generally it went fine (until you hit a freaking rock). The last gate we were working on was in an area where the drainage wasn't as good as the rest of the entrances. Fired up the auger and that sucker cork screwed straight into the ground. Took me forever to get that damned thing back up out of the ground (no reverse on the stupid machine)!
Ours did have reverse which made it easy to clean off the auger. We have a lot of clay so some holes were difficult. The very last hole we had to dig out two big rocks. Then when we proceeded, we hit the wire and pipe for my sprinkler system. I have a guy coming tomorrow to fix it.
Ugh, don't you just hate stuff like that? Similar situation when I was helping a neighbor repair something on his home. Ended up driving a nail through a water line in the wall.
It doesn’t end there. The sprinkler guys came and fixed it today. So I mowed tonight and tested the sprinklers. Evidently we nicked the pipe on the opposite side of the house. I turned that zone on and water started bubbling out of the ground right beside the gate post. I texted the sprinkler guy and he’s going to send them back.Ugh, don't you just hate stuff like that? Similar situation when I was helping a neighbor repair something on his home. Ended up driving a nail through a water line in the wall.
After installing 22 posts for the fence, I had enough. So I just called the sprinkler guy. The runners and pickets were delivered today so I’m going to try to finish up this weekend.
Well, I hit the line on the other side of the house too. I’m getting good at it. I have one more hole that I have to hand dig where I hit the first one. I called the sprinkler guy and asked how they ran the pipe and he said that they ran it around the hole that was there so I should be able to set my post where I wanted it. I’m still going to be extra careful digging though.
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