Argh! Is my house standing on a giant termite colony?

[keestha]

Just one poster mentioned Chaindrite, any building supplies store has it, Thais pronounce it like "shelldry". It is an unpleasantly smelling brown liquid, Thai people treat wood with it using a paint brush, before putting the wood in place. What is often forgotten is that the treatment in order to be effective should be repeated yearly, and definitely it doesn't give full protection.

By the way the first time I used it in Thailand, the smell brought back childhood memories, helping my father to do maintenance on wooden fences. In Holland at the time it was called Carbolineum, they banned it in the sixties or the seventies because applying the stuff yourself isn't exactly good for your health.

[KC 71]

I have noticed they have been everywhere flying round in the house the last couple of days . It seems to only happen once a year so it might not as bad as you think

[LivinginKata]

Just one poster mentioned Chaindrite, any building supplies store has it, Thais pronounce it like "shelldry". It is an unpleasantly smelling brown liquid, Thai people treat wood with it using a paint brush, before putting the wood in place. What is often forgotten is that the treatment in order to be effective should be repeated yearly, and definitely it doesn't give full protection.

By the way the first time I used it in Thailand, the smell brought back childhood memories, helping my father to do maintenance on wooden fences. In Holland at the time it was called Carbolineum, they banned it in the sixties or the seventies because applying the stuff yourself isn't exactly good for your health.

I use chaindrite quite often for pest control. Works well, but I need to use a face mask, close doors, and leave for at least an hour. Else I end up coughing for a long time, seems quite toxic.

[khunPer]

»Now, our house is constructed of inedible materials. The only wooden things are the internal door frames and a couple of shutter doors way up in the roof.

Do I need to be concerned?«

I would be concerned and do something.

Termites also love some wooden furniture and even cardboard (boxes), and can “build” tunnels many meters to get access to delicious wood – amazing how fast even fairly hard wood become soft like a sponge.

[Tapster]

Indeed, Chaindrite!!

Now, I have already bought a 20-litre (-ish....can't read Thai yet) of..

Chaindrite 1 (CL) Wood preservative....................which, their website says is for immersion, dipping, brushing and spraying.

Contains Bifenthrin.

I bought it for some wooden stuff that I'd brought over from South Africa and which needed protection.

Now, please can you advise me, can I put this in a sprayer and spray it on the soil under my house and on the walls, or do I need a different formulation?

Edited May 5, 2015 by Tapster

[hansgruber]

They hate used motor oil. Go to a garage and ask for a few litres or keep your own when you service the car. They won't go near it and flee the nest in droves if you pour it directly in.

Has to be used motor oil.

Wow Hans.

Such a great suggestion from someone who frequently comments here about the pollution washing out to Phuket's beaches from its klongs.

To the Op, as the wise NKM suggests, if you rent, cruize on. If you own, be aware that termites can also eat concrete and gypsum. There is also the problem of concrete foundations settling and cracking because of nesting beneath.

It's just a suggestion. I know it works but I've never done it as I use a monthly pest control service.

Not sure why Chaing mai pest control hasn't been suggested.

[Tapster]

Are Chiang Mai Pest Control good, Hans?

Is preventive treatment expensive? I haven't got much money left after our move and house renovations!!

[beechbum]

Re Chiang Mai Pest Control: Our house is 2 story on 1 rai, we paid 9300b for a year, they visit monthly.

White ant, mozzie,roaches ect

Edited May 5, 2015 by beechbum

[NamKangMan]

Re Chiang Mai Pest Control: Our house is 2 story on 1 rai, we paid 9300b for a year, they visit monthly.

White ant, mozzie,roaches ect

Is the treatment successful?

What chemicals do they use?

Remember The Downtown Inn up in Chiang Mai????

[hansgruber]

Are Chiang Mai Pest Control good, Hans?

Is preventive treatment expensive? I haven't got much money left after our move and house renovations!!

Yes they are good. No nests on my property but the Thai neighbours don't do anything and I sometimes see the telltale dirt tunnels along the outside perimeter wall.

Pest control just wipes them out each month if they surface.

I get mosquito fogging, snake dust and termite treatment squirted through the pipes built into the house. Also the gardens get some non toxic to human spray and all sorts of bugs come scurrying out of the shrubs.

I just wish the geckos would die, they seem immune and shit everywhere.

[The Deerhunter]

I get the occasional termite infestation, usually around the door frames or snaking across/down the wall from an opening in the ceiling or wall (like electrical sockets and where the roof drain pipe comes in in the back of the house). A friend suggested I get a contractor to drill holes throughout the house and pour the insecticide in.

I said to him "That's great, but what about the termites that come in from the neighbour's house, or the queens that fly though the front door from outside somewhere. Or the termites that apparently come in from the gap between the ceiling and the roof ?". He was under the impression that they only came in from under the house. I actually caught one (with wings) while we were sitting in a coffee shop one day and showed him.

When ever I see a telltale sign of a new infestation I immediately soak the snot out of the budding "tube" with bug spray from wherever it started to the end. Leave if for a couple days then scrape the junk off and give the area a wipe with Windex.

Roof drain pipe where it comes in from the ceiling at the back of the house.

In other areas were I've seen the little buggars but they haven't started making their "tubes" yet, I'll dose the area with that white powder that is good for termites, ants, cockroaches and some kind of beetles apparently.

I just did a quick read on termites and yeah, at a certain point in their cycle a pair of "winged" termites will fly off and try to find a suitable place to make a new colony. A 2007 study done in China seems to indicate that the "alate" (winged mating pairs) can travel up to 500 meters from their original colony (in some cases almost 800 meters, depending on wind/weather conditions). Every so often I've noticed a bunch of large discarded "wings" in the carport. I figured they'd just blown in with the wind, until the other day when I moved a shoe stand and a rather large mouse ran out (fortunately he ran away from the door and out into the street instead of into the house) ! It looks like he was catching and eating the winged termites and the breezes would swirl the left-over wings into a corner of the carport. At least, that's what I hope was happening !

Needless to say, I'm not going to pay someone to drill holes in my home to kill bugs that are just going to fly in through the roof/doors/windows/etc. However, there are a number of subterranean species that do live in the ground and if you are in an area with lots of termite "mounds" around, then the drilling/chemical treatment may be of use.

Your discarded wings could well be from termites sometimes, but most commonly are from Malang Mau. "Drunk flies" that Isaan & Cambodians eat. They swarm in thousands at night after rain & look like big ants crawling around on the ground in pairs in the morning, casting wings as they crawl around following one another & mate. (M & F and look quite different) Locals put up lights, fabric screens & basins of water to catch & drown them at night, Feb to late April. The first time I saw the screens I could not figure it out. We have to sweep thousands of wings in our courtyard sometimes & the Jing Joks are so full they look sick.

[The Deerhunter]

Indeed, Chaindrite!!

Now, I have already bought a 20-litre (-ish....can't read Thai yet) of..

Chaindrite 1 (CL) Wood preservative....................which, their website says is for immersion, dipping, brushing and spraying.

Contains Bifenthrin.

I bought it for some wooden stuff that I'd brought over from South Africa and which needed protection.

Now, please can you advise me, can I put this in a sprayer and spray it on the soil under my house and on the walls, or do I need a different formulation?

Chaindrite white powder in big sachets. Puff it on. White thick liquid mix water 1/60 & spray with 295 baht blue & yellow "house & garden sprayer" from Homepro etc. Black liquid. Thin with mineral turps & paint or dip/ soak. I guess it could be sprayed but have not tried that. We use it on Eucalypt poles to be used in the garden or shed construction. Peel poles first for best penetration. I use the white liquid for spray. Re pix below I have used 1-3. #4 woodstain appears to be a ready to use formulation. No experience with it. Use protection & wash hands after use ASAP. this stuff is potent

Edited May 5, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[Linzz]

I've seen termites chewing through gypsum.

My Thai wife says they can eat concrete so maybe you need a steel house...

[biggles45]

"I think termites are just recycling old wood. Kind of janitors of the nature, just like ants. "

I rented a beautifully decorated 2 storey house in Pattaya. Downstairs was a really lovely ornately carved bureau, floor to ceiling almost. I noticed the wood inside the doors was soft and suspected termites and told the owner. Of course nothing was done and within about six months the whole thing was destroyed and she had to get the pest people in. They drilled holes in her lovely tiled floors and put poison down under the concrete.

[JetsetBkk]

Re Chiang Mai Pest Control: Our house is 2 story on 1 rai, we paid 9300b for a year, they visit monthly.

White ant, mozzie,roaches ect

My landlord paid about 9,000 baht for a year's treatment by 7 Pest Control.

They came 4 times, re-drilled the holes that were already in the tiles in the corners of the rooms, and pumped in a white liquid containing chlorpyrifos. They then fill the holes with matching coloured cement.

I don't know if they have to come back again - it's been a year since they came, and no problems since (that I have discovered ).

They also spray around the outside of the house, and in the garden which is a bit of a pity as this year's batch of Cicada skins has gone down from dozens:

to three. Here's one:

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

Use protection & wash hands after use ASAP. this stuff is potent

That's the stuff I used to use when I found ant trails outside the house. Fortunately, haven't needed it for a while.

[NamKangMan]

Re Chiang Mai Pest Control: Our house is 2 story on 1 rai, we paid 9300b for a year, they visit monthly.

White ant, mozzie,roaches ect

My landlord paid about 9,000 baht for a year's treatment by 7 Pest Control.

They came 4 times, re-drilled the holes that were already in the tiles in the corners of the rooms, and pumped in a white liquid containing chlorpyrifos. They then fill the holes with matching coloured cement.

I don't know if they have to come back again - it's been a year since they came, and no problems since (that I have discovered ).

They also spray around the outside of the house, and in the garden which is a bit of a pity as this year's batch of Cicada skins has gone down from dozens:

cicada skins.jpg

to three. Here's one:

Cicada 2015.jpg

You may like to have a look at these links.

Chlorpryifos was the chemical suspected of poisioning and killing 7 people in The Downtown Inn - Chiang Mai. Google it - there is a lot of information about it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385518/Bed-bug-pesticide-poisoning-caused-death-California-woman-tourists-Thailand.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpyrifos

Relevant paragraph:

"Chlorpyrifos is moderately toxic to humans, and exposure has been linked to neurological effects, persistent developmental disorders, and autoimmune disorders. Exposure during pregnancy retards the mental development of children, and most use in homes has been banned since 2001 in the U.S.^[5]"

[KarenBravo]

I've seen termites chewing through gypsum.

My Thai wife says they can eat concrete so maybe you need a steel house...

That's an urban legend, though they can use cracks to get around. Maybe that's what she saw?

[buggerlugs]

The best chemical for getting rid of termites and ants is 'Fipronil' It has various brand names such as 'Termidor'. I don't know where you will get it over the counter in Thailand though as it is used professionally rather than domestically. It is 100% effective and very safe to use. I've used it many times and there is nothing else that comes close in effectiveness. It works on a different principle to regular poisons in that it takes a few days to kill and during that time any other termite/ant it comes into contact with is also affected. They then spread it on themselves. It spreads through a colony in 2-3 days and wipes it out. Golf course suppliers sell it.

Just spray it in the area where they are and they will take it back into the nest on their bodies and the jobs done.

[JetsetBkk]

You may like to have a look at these links.

Chlorpryifos was the chemical suspected of poisioning and killing 7 people in The Downtown Inn - Chiang Mai. Google it - there is a lot of information about it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385518/Bed-bug-pesticide-poisoning-caused-death-California-woman-tourists-Thailand.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpyrifos

Relevant paragraph:

"Chlorpyrifos is moderately toxic to humans, and exposure has been linked to neurological effects, persistent developmental disorders, and autoimmune disorders. Exposure during pregnancy retards the mental development of children, and most use in homes has been banned since 2001 in the U.S.^%5B5%5D"

Yes, I know, and that's why I made a note of the chemical's name on the container with the skull and cross bones warning label on it.

[ehw200]

had this problem in Panama

replaced the plywood fostwood etc with a good hard wood

I used Cedar and another wood called Coiba

termites won't touch it,,,too hard