Very good video, very detail, best lesson. I need watch a few times to understand and remember what you showed. Have so many people watching your videos, hope UA-cam reward you some. Your selfless dedication is worthy of rewards.
@@lynn6999 Thank you for those kind words. I love what I do and just knowing that I was able to help someone is more than enough reward for me. Please feel free to ask all the questions you like. I am always here to help.
Hello Guy! Love your videos. I live in Pembroke Pines and I am pretty sure I am seeing termites inside my house. The Termite killer in the blue jug..i assume you can't sprinkle that along your baseboards? Thank you so much.
You are correct. You should not use this product indoors. Since you live in Florida, you can be dealing with either drywood termites or subterranean termites. You mentioned baseboards, which would suggest subterranean termites, but you need to be sure. Please watch my video on DIY Termite Identification to get an idea of what you are dealing with. I will place a link below. Hopefully, these are subterranean termites. If they are, then they are easily treated with BioAdvanced Termite Killer. It sounds like you watched that video already, but I will place a link below just in case you didn't. With subterranean termites there is no need to treat inside the house, unless they are formosan termites. Most of the time they are not formosan. To be sure of what you have, just call any pest control company that specializes in termites and ask for a free inspection. Naturally, they are going to give you a sales pitch after the inspection, but don't sign anything until you talk to me first. Don't fall for the old, "The price is only good for today" routine. It isn't. Just ask them what kind of termite you have and what their proposed treatment plan is. If they plan to bait or trench the outside of your house, then you have subterranean termites and you don't need to hire them. If they are planning on treating from the inside of the house or they want to tent and fumigate, then you most likely have drywood termites. If they want to do the exterior and the interior treatments, then you most likely have formosan termites. If you ask, they will tell you the species. Once you have this information, thank them for their time and tell them you want to think about it for a day or two and then send them on their way. Then get back to me and I will be happy to advise you further on if and how you can handle this yourself. Trust me. I will not steer you wrong. I hope that helps. DIY Termite Identification video: ua-cam.com/video/mY4FMvAHrMA/v-deo.html DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions I don't mean to be a third wheel, but I find the information you just shared very informative. I was told I need to have my home tented.. I've got issues going on, on my balcony and on the fascia around the roof.. as far as I know this is where the issues are. But I really don't trust the exterminators that have come out. Each one starting with Terminex have told me different areas. I do see the areas on the roof trim. I've seen the droppings at my slider in the back of the house. I live in Morro Bay, California (Central Coast Beach area). Is there a way to avoid the tenting? It's an expensive route, as well as, very toxic to both me and animals living indoors. What I've been doing for the past 2 years is spraying the indoors and outdoors is using a pressure sprayer with a water mixture of TALSTAR. Which is a blessing to begin with. It draws out the spiders like a magnet. And lasts months. This is the ONLY thing I know that was successful in killing all kinds of spiders. Which is a wonderful thing. When I moved in 5 years ago the home was like walking into a haunted house decorated for Hallows eve. It was down right creepy how many burgundy spiders there were. Not sure what it's doing for Termites. Thank you, Jenn
@@jennoaks1934 Based on where you live and the fact that the pest controllers are suggesting that you tent, my best guess is that you have drywood termites. That is the only species of termite that you would tent for in your area. Let me begin by saying that tenting is the only sure way to get rid of drywood termites. You know I am all about DIY and it pains me greatly to admit that, but it's the truth. That being said, tenting is very expensive, inconvenient, and dangerous. I have never done it and I cannot even imagine what the insurance must cost for the companies that do it. So, you can attack the problem by spot treating yourself, but doing it correctly is hard work and it's somewhat time consuming. Also, there is no guarantee that you will find all the galleries. I do not have a video on it, but I will share one that someone else did that is pretty good. The hardest part is finding all of the galleries. Some of them are obvious because you will see the tiny kick out holes that they leave and you will be finding termite waste, called frass, under the holes. The problem is that there may be galleries inside the walls that are not detectible because the kick out holes are in the wall studs where you cannot see them. That's why they tent. The gas they use goes right through the walls and it kills every living thing in the building. Nothing can survive it. Anyway, to do it yourself you need to spot treat all kick out holes with a fipronil foam and then treat the attic and basement wood with Bora-Care. This is explained in the video, but please do let me know if you have questions. The Talstar P is a very good pesticide, but it will not treat your problem. Also, even though it is approved for indoor use, I do not recommend it for continued use indoors. It's okay for a one time treatment inside to get control, but should then just be used outside. Also, I recommend switching back and forth between Talstar P and Taurus SC and do three month treatments. So, treat the outside with Taurus SC, then three months later with Talstar P, then the Taurus SC three months later and so forth. I have a video on it and I will place a link below. The good news is, after you get rid of the drywood termites, the exterior treatments I suggest will prevent them from becoming a problem again. Also, you should treat annually with BioAdvanced Termite Killer in granular form to prevent subterranean termites and treat any that you may already have. I have a video on that and I will place a link below. I know this is all a lot to take in and I feel really bad that you have this problem. I wish I had a simple solution for treating drywood termites, but I don't because there just isn't one. The good news is that, if you are willing to do the work, there is a reasonable possibility that you can exterminate all the galleries if you take your time and do it right. Also, this does not need to be done in one day. You can do it a little at a time and take a few days or even weeks to finish the job. So, you can work a couple of hours a day on it or you can devote one Saturday a month to it. The Bora-Care lasts forever, so once treated, it's a permanent treatment. The FiPro foam is not permanent, so do that part first and try to get it done in one or two days. Finally, keep in mind that this is a slow kill process. We don't want the termites to die right away. We want them to take the pesticides back to the galleries and share it with the other termites and the queen. Then it's lights out for the colonies. So, total elimination can take several weeks after full application is completed. Oh, one last thing. Mix the Bora-Care in a bucket and not the sprayer and always thoroughly clean the sprayer after each use. Failing to do this will result in a clogged sprayer and you will need to buy a new one. I hope that helps. Sorry for the lengthy explanation. How to treat for drywood termites: ua-cam.com/video/QlR4-fDFT9A/v-deo.html DIY Termite Treatment Video with BioAdvanced Termite Killer: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html DIY General Exterior Pest Control video: ua-cam.com/video/3ESGJsn3MLk/v-deo.html FiPro foam: www.solutionsstores.com/fipro-foaming-aerosol Bora-Care: www.solutionsstores.com/bora-care
So I've treated my garage and taken away all logs laying around. I dug into a small section and found what looked like tiny ants. I've treated my garage with terro granuals, termicide spray, and foam. My question is, do normal ants take up residence in termite cave systems, and do termites appear to be black and really small? I live in Iowa.
Ants often take up residence in termite tunnels. Termites are cream colored, except for the reproductives, which have black bodies and four wings of equal length. Ants have jointed antennae, but termites have straight antennae with no bends in them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
I haven't seen any insects nor have I seen any sawdust or anything else but in my basement when I look up towards the ceiling, I hear kind of like a chewing sound. I'm assuming that's termites or carpenter ants?
I think there is a very good chance that you are correct. Look on the floor. If you are seeing something that looks like sawdust or wood shavings, then you most likely have carpenter ants. You may also see them in the open, especially near walls and at night. If you don't see any ants and there is no "frass" on the floor, then you may be looking at termites. Sometimes you have both because carpenter ants love to eat termites. I recommend inspecting your home for termites. I have a video on how to do that. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to inspect your home for termites: ua-cam.com/video/oGyAVT7Zyro/v-deo.html
So I searched on UA-cam for what sounds do termites make and what sounds do carpenter ants make and it's definitely carpenter ants. And I just had an electrician here and he drilled some holes and that's actually where I hear the carpenter and yes, they're all like shavings or sawdust on the floor, so I think I'm gonna go to get some stuff to spray right in those holes, do you think that something I could do or should I call an exterminator, the UA-cam video. I watched it said I could pretty much do it myself. Let me know your thoughts.
@@superrenter6535 It is important to understand that, in all likelihood, the carpenter ants in your house are just a satellite colony. The main colony is probably outside someplace. Therefore, even if you treat the infestation inside, you are going to get reinvested unless you treat the outside of the house as well. So, you may want to consider either treating the outside yourself or hiring somebody to do that. You should do the exterior treatment at least every 90 days. If you would like to get rid of the main colony, then you should probably treat your yard as well. Personally, I treat my house and the yard every 60 days. I do this with a hose and sprayer, and that makes it quick and easy. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you the link. If you are using the hose and sprayer, you may as well also treat the outside of your house while you have it in your hand. This makes the job go really fast. As for the ants in the house, you can spot treat them, which is actually pretty good idea. However, you should NOT go to your local big box store to get something to do this. They do not sell the correct products. The best way to do this is to use a product that contains fipronil. I will give you a link to it. The right way to do it is to drill holes halfway through the wood at 4-inch intervals along the entire infested area. The holes only need to be wide enough to insert the applicator tip of the foam can. You should shoot the foam into each hole for about 5 seconds, or until it is coming back out of you, or it is coming out the other holes that you drilled. All holes should have foam either going into or out of them. Most pest controllers do not do this correctly. Don't worry, if you do this yourself, you will find it not all that difficult. Just let me know if you run into any problems, and I will do my best to talk you through it. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Video on how to treat your yard: ua-cam.com/video/wifoTU5dmp0/v-deo.html Termidor Foam: www.domyown.com/termidor-foam-p-3528.html
I watch this couple times and spent couple hundreds bucks and brought all your recommendation products and my ants problem went down to 98%. Before there’s lines or any everywhere especially at night. I also foun and got rid of the nest. I didn’t drill holes and use the powder but I spray around the nest area and I was searching where they came in at night because another UA-camr recommended it. I found out they came from a tree stump next to my house. So I sprayed that and I have to take care of the stump later. Btw I used terror baits and borax etc and nothing works. They kept coming back
It sounds like you put a pretty big dent in the problem. The thing is though that there is a reason for absolutely everything I tell you to do in the video. If you deviate from it at all, then I cannot guarantee that it's going to work. The most important thing to know about carpenter ants is that the ants that are in your house are probably coming from a colony that is located outside. Most of the time, there is a sub-colony inside your house and a main colony outside somewhere. In your case, that could very well be that tree stump. However, that tree stump could also be a sub colony. It's kind of hard to know for sure. That is why it is very important to do the three-month exterior treatment on your house. If you do that exterior treatment every three months, then you are not going to get re-infested. Therefore, if you are seeing any ants inside the house, after you do the exterior treatment, then that simply means that you have not killed off all the ants in that sub colony that is inside your house. The ants like to travel inside your walls and that is why I recommend puffing the dust alongside the outlets into the wall voids. The Terro bait comes with mixed reviews. I have never used it myself, but some people have reported back to me that it works very well, while others have reported that they didn't think it was all that effective. That is why I recommend the specific baits that I've listed my video. Also, it is important to remember that some ants do not like sweet baits and so you also need to also use a protein bait as well. Again, there is a reason for everything that I tell you to do. Try to think of it like baking a cake. If you leave out one or two of the ingredients, then it is quite likely that the cake is not going to turn out so good. So, my recommendation would be to have another go at it with the exact products and methods that I am recommending and see how that works out. I think you will be happy with the results. As for that tree stump, if you want to get rid of the ants, then you need to treat it properly. It is very important that you treat the tree stump with a non-repellent pesticide, such as Taurus SC. I would spray the entire outside of the stump with Taurus SC, mixed at a ratio of 0.8 oz per gallon of water. Also, I would buy a fipronil foam and I would shoot it into any kick out holes that you find in the stump. If you already treated that stump with something other than a non-repellent pesticide, then you need to wait about three months for the effects of that pesticide to diminish. The majority of pesticides on sale today are repellent pesticides and the carpenter ants are going to avoid that material. I'm guessing that you already watched my video on how to treat for carpenter ants, but just in case you didn't, I will put a link below for you. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. DIY Carpenter Ant Treatment: ua-cam.com/video/Te9BUCaIQZY/v-deo.html
There are termites under my kitchen granite top . The termites are also between the granite top and the kitchen sink. They are probably between the walls and the kitchen cabinets too. I am staying at an apartment in Singapore. Please advise what type of pesticide us safe to use on the termites in my kitchen cabinet.
You have a kind of termite in Singapore that is called “Kalotermitidae.” They are basically a drywood termite. Unlike their subterranean cousins, drywood termites do not colonize in the ground, but rather they colonize in the wood that buildings are made out of. It is very common to see these guys in cabinetry and also inside your walls. So, it sounds to me like this may be the species of termite that you are dealing with. The question is then, “How do you go about getting rid of them?” While I hate to be the bearer of bad news, the truth is that the only surefire way to get rid of these guys is to completely tent the building and fumigate it with a gas. You can spot treat for them, but the problem is finding all of them. You see, they create multiple galleries throughout the building and it is very difficult to find those galleries. With fumigation, you do not need to find the galleries because you are just going to kill every living thing in the building. Now, you indicated that you are in an apartment, so this would seem to be something that the building owner should attempt to take care of. You could try to spot treat this yourself, but I am not aware of which pesticides are available in Singapore. I do have a video on how to spot treat drywood termites and I will place a link below if you would like to have a look at it. I show you in that video which pesticides are needed to address the problem. I also explain, right up front in the video, that the only surefire way to eliminate the problem is tenting and fumigating. I really do hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I can tell you that this particular species of termite is very common in Singapore. My first thought would be to simply report this problem to the landlord and see if they will take care of it. I am so sorry. I wish I had better news for you. Be well Judy. How to Treat a Drywood Termite Infestation Yourself video: ua-cam.com/video/U7ck7zhS0Xo/v-deo.html
Hello Guy! Love your videos. I live in Kendall area in Miami and I am pretty sure I am seeing termites inside my house. The "Termite killer" in the blue jug ..can I sprinkle that along the perimeter of the house and I have bushes (Podocarpus) outside that are all in front of my house. Will this product harm the Podocarpus? Also, can this be used inside? Thank you so much.
How you handle that will depend on the species. You have three different species of termites where you live and they each get treated differently. The granules only work for subterranean termites. They will not harm your bushes, but they will only help if you have subterranean termites. You could also have drywood or Formosan termites. So, you need to start by determining the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Be well my friend. Video on how to identify termite species: ua-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/v-deo.html
Sir, I live in Oklahoma with my 81-year-old mom and haven't been able to sleep since discovering what I believe to be termites eating her hardwood floors. The walls and baseboards are firm and appear pristine, but there are holes with tiny droppings. In one area everything is eaten other than the very top layer and there is dirt underneath. A couple of the boards have cracks thru them, tiny holes, and appear unlevel now. Is our entire floor doomed? What kind would be causing this damage?
@@debrafoley1668 I would almost bet the ranch that you have subterranean termites. Parts of Oklahoma also have Formosan termites, but this is mostly in the southern portion of the state and not all that common. So, I'm thinking that you most likely have a much more common variety that are easy to kill. The problem is that it sounds like this infestation has been going on for some time. These guys are slow eaters, so the amount of damage you are describing would suggest that they have been at it for quite some time. if they are in the hardwood floors, then you cannot rule out the possibility that they are also in the walls and, if you have a basement or crawlspace, then in the floor joists as well. So, this may not be limited to cosmetic damage to the hardwood floors. You could be looking at structural damage as well. Therefore, I would recommend that you have an inspection done by a qualifies home inspector to see if there is structural damage. You will need to pay for that inspection, but it's worth the money. You should also watch my video on how to determine the species, just to be sure that you don't have Formosan termites. I will place a link below. If you do not have Formosan termites, then you can treat this yourself. I have a video on that as well and I will place a link below for that video as well. You can probably kill these guys with granules, but in your case, I would also use a fipronil foam. I will explain how to do all of that after you watch the videos and you confirm that these are not Formosan. Meanwhile, do not attempt to treat the termites with over the counter products. That will make it worse. Also, do not attempt repairs until the infestation is gone. Finally, please stop worrying. Worry does nothing to improve tomorrow. It just ruins today. I promise that I will walk you through this. I will stay with you every step of the way and my service is always free. It's going to be okay. How to determine termite species video: ua-cam.com/video/mY4FMvAHrMA/v-deo.html DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thank you so much for the response. So far I see two boards with damage. I see no damage on the wall or baseboard. Does that sound like a lot of damage? Will they spray something on the floor to keep those stinkers from damaging more boards?
@@debrafoley1668 Here is the thing about subterranean termites, they do not colonize in your home. They always colonize in the ground, somewhere within a 300 foot radius of the center of your home. That is to say, they are not living in your floor. They just go there because it's their favorite restaurant. The have no choice but to return home to the colony fairly often to feed the other termites in the colony. That is why we put down a termiticide barrier around the house. When the termites go home, they pass right through the termiticide and then take it back to the colony and share it with the other termites. Then it's lights out for the entire colony. No colony, no infestation in your floors. Simple. You can do this yourself by using the granules around the perimeter of your house and you can also shoot a fipronil foam directly into the affected flooring. This will eliminate the problem. If you hire a pro, they will certainly approach it differently and not all of them do it the same way. Some companies will just bait for them by placing bait stations around the outside of your house. Others will dig a trench around the entire perimeter of the house and pour in a termiticide and then burry it up again. They will also drill holes in all the concrete slabs around your house and inject a termiticide under the concrete. This will include the driveway, patios, sidewalks that meet the foundation, and so forth. Some of the pros will also treat the floor with a fipronil foam, but many will not. It's a very good idea to do that, but many of the pros were not trained to do it. Prices for all of this can vary greatly, so if you want to hire a pro, then you need to get several estimates, along with the treatment plans. Termites will die when exposed to air for very long, so you almost never get to see them. They never come out in the air like ants do. You usually only find out that you have them when you start to see the damage or if you start to see swarmers coming out. So, even though your walls and baseboards may feel solid, that does not mean that the termites are not eating away at them. Since, they are eating the hardwood flooring, it is also concerning that they may be eating the floor joists, unless you have a concrete slab home. You never know for sure with this stuff, but I think it is quite likely that there are termites eating other areas, such as the walls, subflooring, joists, baseboards, and so forth. I cannot tell you how extensive the damage is without inspecting. You could get lucky and the damage is just isolated in the hardwood flooring. That does happen. The thing is though that termites, like most living things, are lazy. Why go a longer way for food than you need to? So, they will usually start eating the first wood that they come to and that is generally not the hardwood flooring. It all depends upon how your home was built. You don't want to remove the hardwood flooring yet though because, if you take away their food source at this point, they will begin to eat in another area. So, since the flooring is already damaged, just let them go on eating the damaged area for now, so they don't move to a different area. After the colony is dead, then you can do the repairs. I cannot tell you how many people make this mistake or they try to kill the termites quickly with some Raid or something like that. Very bad idea. You want to kill them slowly or they will just move to another area of the home. Termites require a bit of patience. You must do this correctly. You can definitely do it yourself and save a lot of money, but you do need to do it right. I hope that helps.
@@GuysPestSolutions You get to keep the ranch! It is the ole subterranean devil's eating our floor. I hired an older gentleman who has been doing this for 50 years. Thank you again for everything!
Could you please tell me a product that I can legally use that is a non-repellent carpenter ant insecticide concentrate that I can put in a tank sprayer and apply on my house foundation? I ask this because, regardless of the state I am in, the labels of this type of product all seem to say: "For sale to, use and storage only by individuals/firms licensed or registered by the state to apply termiticide and/or general pest control products. It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling." Like, probably most the viewers of your youtube video, I am not an "individuals/firms licensed or registered by the state", so I would very much appreciate your help in identifying a product I can use.
Whether or not you can legally apply pesticides is dependent upon the laws in your particular state. As far as I know, there are only about 13 states that restrict unlicensed people from applying any pesticides that they wish. I know that what I am about to tell you defies all logic or common sense, but if you live in a state that does not restrict the application of pesticides to licensed applicators, then you can completely ignore all that gobbledy goop on the label the pertains to this subject. The application of pesticides is governed by state law and not federal law. The language on the label is simply covering states that have laws against you applying these pesticides. The states that I am aware of are AK, CA, CT, HI, IN, MA, MI, NY, OR, RI, SC, VT and WA. If you live in one of these states, then it is illegal for you to apply a lot of, if not all, pesticides. However, if you live in any other state, then you can get Taurus SC shipped to your address and you can legally apply it. This is a wonderful nonrepellent pesticide and I will place a link below for it. Trust me. The pesticide police are not going to raid your house and throw you in jail for 30 years for treating your house for carpenter ants. I am not licensed in my state and I have been doing it for years. Of course, I don't live in one of the states mentioned above. The truth is though that I don't think the states above would arrest you either. It's kind of like drugs. They pretty much go after the people that sell it illegally. The consumers generally get a pass. The problem for folks living there is obtaining it. It would be somewhat funny though if the police showed up and said, "What do you have in the sprayer sir/madam?" Yeah, I don't really see that happening anytime soon. Lol. If you would like a real eye opener on this subject, have a look at the video I just posted on "12 Things Pest Controllers Do Not Want You to Know." I will place a link below. You won't believe the truth about how safe these products are and why they are probably restricted to licensed applicators in some states. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. Taurus SC: www.solutionsstores.com/taurus-sc-termiticide 12 Things Pest Controllers Do Not Want You to Know: ua-cam.com/video/7o5AK2svUUA/v-deo.html
I just wanted to thank you for your fast, very helpful, and thorough response to my concern about legally using a non-repellent carpenter ant insecticide concentrate. I tried to order Taurus SC from "Solutions Pest & Lawn", but they would not accept my order due to the state in which I reside. I ended up getting the product from a different excellent internet store. I have already responsibly applied Taurus SC to my house foundation. Thanks again for your generous response, and your great UA-cam videos for us DIY people.
@@unifieduniverse3902 Unfortunately, Solutions Pest & Lawn are very strict about not shipping to certain states. I find that domyown.com will ship to more places, so you may want to give them a try going forward. The good news is that you were able to find the product, so all is well. I hope it all works out well for you. Please feel free to call on me any time. Be well my friend.
Got a question about termites and roots in the yard ! How to treat the roots to stop termites with out digging up the whole yard ! It’s a very large silver maple roots extending around a 60 foot radius!
I can probably hep you with that, but I need to know if the termites are attacking the tree and I need to know where you live. The species of termite is important and termite species vary somewhat by geographical location. Please let me know and I will do my best to assist.
@@GuysPestSolutions the tree has just been cut down 5/10/21 in wheeling wv , just want to be ahead of the bugs there was termites in wood pile on neighbors wood pile about 100 ft away last year ! Thanks so far !
@@littlehuey5679 Actually, that is good news. If the stump is not infested you are in a good position to be proactive. My recommendation is to have the stump removed. It's cheaper than you may think. They come in with a stump grinder and turn it into wood chips. No stump, no termites. You should also be proactive with your home as well and do the treatment in my DIY Termite Treatment video. You can treat your entire home for $50 a year and, if you want, you can use the same product around the tree stump until you get it removed. In your area you are pretty much dealing with common varieties of subterranean termites that are easy to prevent with the treatment that I recommend in my video. I will place a link below. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. I am always here to help. DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
I'm so sorry about that. That video was taken out of service and replaced with an updated video. Thanks for pointing it out. I have now fixed the problem. The link to the correct video is below. Thanks for watching. Be well my friend. Termite identification video: ua-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/v-deo.html
Ok...so I haven't seen frass & I haven't heard them but I've seen big black ants pantry area, kitchen, bathroom🙄. I live in the wa state area are there other big black type of ants or do you think they are carpenter ants? Also is Diatomaceous effective? Also if we have carpenter ants does that mean we have or will get termites? Sorry to ask so many questions 😅 but I'm stressed w/ finding them!
Hi Nicole. Carpenter ants are pretty much the largest ant species in the US and, except for the deep south, they are generally black. They range in size from about 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 of an inch in length. So, based on your description of them, these are most likely carpenter ants. Unlike termites, that stay hidden, carpenter ants do not eat wood and so they must come out to forage for food. So, it is very common to see them in areas where water and/or food are available. I have found that these things tend to be rather lazy and they don't like to tunnel through dry wood. They much prefer soft, wet wood that is easier to tunnel through and may also offer moisture for them. When you have carpenter ants, it is also possible that you may have some sort of water or moisture problem that has degraded the wood in your home, so you need to check for plumbing leaks, roof leaks, etc. Diatomaceous Earth will kill carpenter ants, but that is not the best way to do it. You need a much more aggressive approach. I have a video on how to get rid of carpenter ants and I will place a link below for it. While it is true that carpenter ants do eat termites and it is not unusual to find carpenter ants in areas that are infested with termites, the fact that you have carpenter ants does not necessarily mean that you have termites too. However, you cannot rule it out. In the State of Washington, the only kind of termite you will find are subterranean termites, so check around the entire home for mud tubes that will either be outside or under the house in the basement/crawlspace. They come from the ground up on the exterior and you may see them on the basement/crawlspace walls or even the floor joists. If you don't see any mud tubes, that's a good thing, but you still may have termites that found their way inside the block foundation to the wood and the tubes are not visible. So, I always recommend that you treat for termites every year to prevent them. It only costs about $50 to do the treatment and it will kill any termites that may already exist and it will prevent new infestations, so why not just do it? I have a video on that as well and I will place a link below for it. The bottom line here is that I recommend that you do both the carpenter ant treatment and the termite treatment. Also, look for leaks and also areas where there is condensation. Sometimes there may not be sufficient air flow in the attic or crawlspace and that can lead to wet wood. I hope that helps. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Thanks for watching. DIY Carpenter Ant Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/Te9BUCaIQZY/v-deo.html DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Come to think of it I think we did hear them & they are very loud in the walls. We were afraid it was a rat or whatever...but then it just stopped. I just forgot about it because it was a couple mnths before we ever saw one. We will have to check for leaks and everything. Thank you so much for all the info🙂👍!
Pincher bugs are really earwigs. These guys are an outside pest, but can enter the home when they are not happy with the climate conditions outside. When that happens, they enter through cracks and crevices, much the same way that American cockroaches do. For the most part though it is unusual to see many of them inside the home. If you do, then it will most likely be where there is water, like bathrooms. So, if you want to keep them, and all sorts of other pests, out of your home, then it is important to do a perimeter treatment every three months. Taurus SC will definitely do the job, but you are only permitted to use it every six months. The problem is though that it does not last six months. You are lucky to get three months out of it. So, what I do is treat with Taurus SC, then three months later I treat with Talstar P, then three months later back to the Taurus SC, and so forth. I happen to have a video on exactly how to do a proper treatment on your home and I will place a link below for it. This was the first video I ever did, so it's not my best work. Still, it will explain exactly how to do the treatment. You should note that the sprayers that I recommend in the video are no longer available. If you would like a recommendation on a cost effective, battery operated sprayer, just let me know and I will provide you with the best options. I hope that helps. Be well my friend. DIY General Exterior Pest Control: ua-cam.com/video/3ESGJsn3MLk/v-deo.html
I'm afraid that I have more questions than I do answers. To properly assist you I am going to need a bit more information. The first thing I need to know is where you live. This is important because there are different species of insects in different parts of the US and the world. Knowing where you live will be of great assistance in narrowing this down. Next, make sure that the shredded wood that you are seeing is coming from the floor and not from the window. Take a flathead screwdriver and try to push it through the floor where you are seeing that shredded wood. If the floor is soft or if the screwdriver goes right through, then that will be very important information. However, if the floor is solid and has no give to it, then I need to know that as well. Finally, let me know if you are actually seeing any ants. Carpenter ants do not eat wood the same way that termites do. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood, but they do not actually eat it. That means they need to find another food source and you will often see them near the walls because they are out foraging for food. They are mostly active at night and it is very common to see some dead bodies near the wall. Please let me know if he was seeing any of this activity. After you provide me with this information, I should be able to help solve this mystery. I look forward to hearing from you. Be well Tai.
You can send photos to my email. It's guysyoutube@mail.com. Please note that this is not gmail. Just mail. Be sure to get as close to the insects as possible and focus on them. The photos need to be up close and very clear and focused. Most of the time folks send me photos that are not very clear and it can be hard to make a positive ID. I can easily tell if you have ants or termites, but it is much harder to tell what species of termites you have if the photos are not really up close and in focus. If you have a macro filter on your phone, then you should use that feature. I hope that helps.
Thank you Sir for all these informations. I want to ask about the termite bait station and how to do and install ? I have termite at my home, i discovered it 1 month ago behind my furniture . I think its subterranean type ( I live in Iraq). So, i consult a special pest control company and they advised to drill in and out home. They use Ultrathor (fibronil). I bought 2 pieces of ultrathor hope to do it by muself without drilling by : 1. Inspection. 2. digging a trench around home. 3. I want to do ( homemade) bait stations.. My question is can i use fipronil in these bait stations? Best ragards
First of all, I cannot tell you how humbled I am that someone from Iraq is even watching one of my videos. That's amazing. I am also humbled that you have chosen to come to me for help and I will do my best not to let you down. Now, I am not an entomologist, so I am not familiar with all species of termites around the entire world. There are about 2000 different species in the world and I am only familiar with the ones in the US. However, as a general rule, most subterranean termites function the same way, so the treatment is pretty much the same. However, not always. Almost all subterranean termites MUST return to the ground fairly often to obtain the moisture they need to survive and to bring food back to the rest of the colony, but there is at least one species that I know of that also has the ability to colonize in the walls. Since I don't know the specific species that you are dealing with, I need to assume the worst. Since the pros are telling you to treat inside and outside, then there is a possibility that the species you have may be able to colonize inside the house. Therefore, I would treat both the inside and outside of the home. Let's start with the outside. You do want to trench. To do this, you should only dig the trench in three meter sections at a time and you want it about six inches deep. Once you dig three meters, then pour in about four gallons of the mixed Ultrathor or whatever the label indicates. Then fill a garden sprayer with the Ultrathor mixture and treat all the backfill dirt with it as you are filling the trench back in. You want all the backfill dirt nice and soaked. This is easier with two people. One spraying the dirt, while the other is filling it back in. A battery operated sprayer saves a lot of time. After you complete one three meter section, then dig the next one. If you are treating a slope, then you need to make the sections much smaller so that the liquid does not run off. If you have a concrete slab, like a patio or sidewalk that abuts the house, then trench around the concrete like you would if it were the side of the house. For the inside, you need to locate the termites. If there is drywall in the home, then look for areas that are discolored or sunken in a little. Also, go around and simply push on the drywall near the floor to see if it's soft. These are the areas that you need to treat. I don't know if you can get this or not in Iraq, but I would treat with fipronil foam. The applicator tip is very small, so you just need to drill a small hole into the affected area and then shoot the foam in for about five seconds or until it comes back out at you. The tiny holes you drill are easily repaired with a little spackling compound. Here in the US we have Formosan termites that build satellite colonies in the wall voids and we need to actually remove the drywall to get to them. They build "cartons" in the walls that must be removed. I do not know if you have these guys in Iraq. I did a Google search and I was not able to find any information on it. If you have a species like that, then you too may need to remove the drywall. I just don't know, so you would need to find out locally what you are dealing with. Hopefully, you just have a species that is not capable of colonizing inside the walls. If that is the case, then the exterior treatment alone would do the job. With regard to bait stations. I have never made homemade ones, but they could work. Most bait stations contain either a bait or just a food source, like wood, to monitor activity. One bait station that works well here are "Red Eye" bait stations. You can Google it to see how they work. Basically, they are wood baits without any pesticide. When there is activity, you then shoot in the fipronil foam and that will kill off the colony. You may be able get some ideas from it. Also, try Googling "home made termite bait stations." I did that and there are some folks who are doing it with PVC pipe and bait soaked in fipronil. It could work, but again, I have never tried it. However, if you trench, then you should not need bait stations at all. That's about all I've got. I hope that was somewhat helpful to you. Thank you so much for watching and for contacting me. Be well my friend.
@@GuysPestSolutions really i don't know how to thank you Sir, i will follow your instructions and inform you about the results. Thank you so much Sir 🌹
Sorry about that. I updated that video and there is a new and improved version that is shorter and provides better information. I will give you a link to it. Be well my friend. ua-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/v-deo.html
When I was in the Marine Corps they always used to say that, “The only stupid question is the one that isn’t asked.” The truth is that carpenter ants like to eat termites, so it is not unusual to see both at the same time. Since they require different treatments, it is certainly possible to kill the carpenter ant colony and leave the termite colony alive and well. So while it may appear as though the termites took over the same territory, it is more likely that the termite infestation coexisted with the carpenter ants. So you see, not a stupid question at all. Actually it is a very good question. Thanks for asking it and thanks for watching
Very good video, very detail, best lesson. I need watch a few times to understand and remember what you showed. Have so many people watching your videos, hope UA-cam reward you some. Your selfless dedication is worthy of rewards.
This comment is for DIY carpenter ant treatment. I watch videos from TV but have to write a comment from my phone.
@@lynn6999 Thank you for those kind words. I love what I do and just knowing that I was able to help someone is more than enough reward for me. Please feel free to ask all the questions you like. I am always here to help.
Hello Guy! Love your videos. I live in Pembroke Pines and I am pretty sure I am seeing termites inside my house. The Termite killer in the blue jug..i assume you can't sprinkle that along your baseboards? Thank you so much.
You are correct. You should not use this product indoors. Since you live in Florida, you can be dealing with either drywood termites or subterranean termites. You mentioned baseboards, which would suggest subterranean termites, but you need to be sure. Please watch my video on DIY Termite Identification to get an idea of what you are dealing with. I will place a link below. Hopefully, these are subterranean termites. If they are, then they are easily treated with BioAdvanced Termite Killer. It sounds like you watched that video already, but I will place a link below just in case you didn't. With subterranean termites there is no need to treat inside the house, unless they are formosan termites. Most of the time they are not formosan. To be sure of what you have, just call any pest control company that specializes in termites and ask for a free inspection. Naturally, they are going to give you a sales pitch after the inspection, but don't sign anything until you talk to me first. Don't fall for the old, "The price is only good for today" routine. It isn't. Just ask them what kind of termite you have and what their proposed treatment plan is. If they plan to bait or trench the outside of your house, then you have subterranean termites and you don't need to hire them. If they are planning on treating from the inside of the house or they want to tent and fumigate, then you most likely have drywood termites. If they want to do the exterior and the interior treatments, then you most likely have formosan termites. If you ask, they will tell you the species. Once you have this information, thank them for their time and tell them you want to think about it for a day or two and then send them on their way. Then get back to me and I will be happy to advise you further on if and how you can handle this yourself. Trust me. I will not steer you wrong. I hope that helps.
DIY Termite Identification video: ua-cam.com/video/mY4FMvAHrMA/v-deo.html
DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions
I don't mean to be a third wheel, but I find the information you just shared very informative.
I was told I need to have my home tented.. I've got issues going on, on my balcony and on the fascia around the roof.. as far as I know this is where the issues are. But I really don't trust the exterminators that have come out. Each one starting with Terminex have told me different areas. I do see the areas on the roof trim. I've seen the droppings at my slider in the back of the house.
I live in Morro Bay, California (Central Coast Beach area).
Is there a way to avoid the tenting? It's an expensive route, as well as, very toxic to both me and animals living indoors.
What I've been doing for the past 2 years is spraying the indoors and outdoors is using a pressure sprayer with a water mixture of TALSTAR. Which is a blessing to begin with. It draws out the spiders like a magnet. And lasts months. This is the ONLY thing I know that was successful in killing all kinds of spiders. Which is a wonderful thing. When I moved in 5 years ago the home was like walking into a haunted house decorated for Hallows eve. It was down right creepy how many burgundy spiders there were.
Not sure what it's doing for Termites.
Thank you,
Jenn
@@jennoaks1934 Based on where you live and the fact that the pest controllers are suggesting that you tent, my best guess is that you have drywood termites. That is the only species of termite that you would tent for in your area. Let me begin by saying that tenting is the only sure way to get rid of drywood termites. You know I am all about DIY and it pains me greatly to admit that, but it's the truth. That being said, tenting is very expensive, inconvenient, and dangerous. I have never done it and I cannot even imagine what the insurance must cost for the companies that do it. So, you can attack the problem by spot treating yourself, but doing it correctly is hard work and it's somewhat time consuming. Also, there is no guarantee that you will find all the galleries. I do not have a video on it, but I will share one that someone else did that is pretty good. The hardest part is finding all of the galleries. Some of them are obvious because you will see the tiny kick out holes that they leave and you will be finding termite waste, called frass, under the holes. The problem is that there may be galleries inside the walls that are not detectible because the kick out holes are in the wall studs where you cannot see them. That's why they tent. The gas they use goes right through the walls and it kills every living thing in the building. Nothing can survive it. Anyway, to do it yourself you need to spot treat all kick out holes with a fipronil foam and then treat the attic and basement wood with Bora-Care. This is explained in the video, but please do let me know if you have questions. The Talstar P is a very good pesticide, but it will not treat your problem. Also, even though it is approved for indoor use, I do not recommend it for continued use indoors. It's okay for a one time treatment inside to get control, but should then just be used outside. Also, I recommend switching back and forth between Talstar P and Taurus SC and do three month treatments. So, treat the outside with Taurus SC, then three months later with Talstar P, then the Taurus SC three months later and so forth. I have a video on it and I will place a link below. The good news is, after you get rid of the drywood termites, the exterior treatments I suggest will prevent them from becoming a problem again. Also, you should treat annually with BioAdvanced Termite Killer in granular form to prevent subterranean termites and treat any that you may already have. I have a video on that and I will place a link below. I know this is all a lot to take in and I feel really bad that you have this problem. I wish I had a simple solution for treating drywood termites, but I don't because there just isn't one. The good news is that, if you are willing to do the work, there is a reasonable possibility that you can exterminate all the galleries if you take your time and do it right. Also, this does not need to be done in one day. You can do it a little at a time and take a few days or even weeks to finish the job. So, you can work a couple of hours a day on it or you can devote one Saturday a month to it. The Bora-Care lasts forever, so once treated, it's a permanent treatment. The FiPro foam is not permanent, so do that part first and try to get it done in one or two days. Finally, keep in mind that this is a slow kill process. We don't want the termites to die right away. We want them to take the pesticides back to the galleries and share it with the other termites and the queen. Then it's lights out for the colonies. So, total elimination can take several weeks after full application is completed. Oh, one last thing. Mix the Bora-Care in a bucket and not the sprayer and always thoroughly clean the sprayer after each use. Failing to do this will result in a clogged sprayer and you will need to buy a new one. I hope that helps. Sorry for the lengthy explanation.
How to treat for drywood termites: ua-cam.com/video/QlR4-fDFT9A/v-deo.html
DIY Termite Treatment Video with BioAdvanced Termite Killer: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
DIY General Exterior Pest Control video: ua-cam.com/video/3ESGJsn3MLk/v-deo.html
FiPro foam: www.solutionsstores.com/fipro-foaming-aerosol
Bora-Care: www.solutionsstores.com/bora-care
So I've treated my garage and taken away all logs laying around. I dug into a small section and found what looked like tiny ants. I've treated my garage with terro granuals, termicide spray, and foam. My question is, do normal ants take up residence in termite cave systems, and do termites appear to be black and really small? I live in Iowa.
Ants often take up residence in termite tunnels. Termites are cream colored, except for the reproductives, which have black bodies and four wings of equal length. Ants have jointed antennae, but termites have straight antennae with no bends in them. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
I haven't seen any insects nor have I seen any sawdust or anything else but in my basement when I look up towards the ceiling, I hear kind of like a chewing sound. I'm assuming that's termites or carpenter ants?
I think there is a very good chance that you are correct. Look on the floor. If you are seeing something that looks like sawdust or wood shavings, then you most likely have carpenter ants. You may also see them in the open, especially near walls and at night. If you don't see any ants and there is no "frass" on the floor, then you may be looking at termites. Sometimes you have both because carpenter ants love to eat termites. I recommend inspecting your home for termites. I have a video on how to do that. I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to inspect your home for termites: ua-cam.com/video/oGyAVT7Zyro/v-deo.html
So I searched on UA-cam for what sounds do termites make and what sounds do carpenter ants make and it's definitely carpenter ants. And I just had an electrician here and he drilled some holes and that's actually where I hear the carpenter and yes, they're all like shavings or sawdust on the floor, so I think I'm gonna go to get some stuff to spray right in those holes, do you think that something I could do or should I call an exterminator, the UA-cam video. I watched it said I could pretty much do it myself. Let me know your thoughts.
@@superrenter6535 It is important to understand that, in all likelihood, the carpenter ants in your house are just a satellite colony. The main colony is probably outside someplace. Therefore, even if you treat the infestation inside, you are going to get reinvested unless you treat the outside of the house as well. So, you may want to consider either treating the outside yourself or hiring somebody to do that. You should do the exterior treatment at least every 90 days. If you would like to get rid of the main colony, then you should probably treat your yard as well. Personally, I treat my house and the yard every 60 days. I do this with a hose and sprayer, and that makes it quick and easy. I have a video on how to do that and I will give you the link. If you are using the hose and sprayer, you may as well also treat the outside of your house while you have it in your hand. This makes the job go really fast.
As for the ants in the house, you can spot treat them, which is actually pretty good idea. However, you should NOT go to your local big box store to get something to do this. They do not sell the correct products. The best way to do this is to use a product that contains fipronil. I will give you a link to it. The right way to do it is to drill holes halfway through the wood at 4-inch intervals along the entire infested area. The holes only need to be wide enough to insert the applicator tip of the foam can. You should shoot the foam into each hole for about 5 seconds, or until it is coming back out of you, or it is coming out the other holes that you drilled. All holes should have foam either going into or out of them. Most pest controllers do not do this correctly. Don't worry, if you do this yourself, you will find it not all that difficult. Just let me know if you run into any problems, and I will do my best to talk you through it.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Video on how to treat your yard: ua-cam.com/video/wifoTU5dmp0/v-deo.html
Termidor Foam: www.domyown.com/termidor-foam-p-3528.html
Thank you
You are very welcome. Be well my friend.
I watch this couple times and spent couple hundreds bucks and brought all your recommendation products and my ants problem went down to 98%. Before there’s lines or any everywhere especially at night. I also foun and got rid of the nest. I didn’t drill holes and use the powder but I spray around the nest area and I was searching where they came in at night because another UA-camr recommended it. I found out they came from a tree stump next to my house. So I sprayed that and I have to take care of the stump later. Btw I used terror baits and borax etc and nothing works. They kept coming back
It sounds like you put a pretty big dent in the problem. The thing is though that there is a reason for absolutely everything I tell you to do in the video. If you deviate from it at all, then I cannot guarantee that it's going to work. The most important thing to know about carpenter ants is that the ants that are in your house are probably coming from a colony that is located outside. Most of the time, there is a sub-colony inside your house and a main colony outside somewhere. In your case, that could very well be that tree stump. However, that tree stump could also be a sub colony. It's kind of hard to know for sure. That is why it is very important to do the three-month exterior treatment on your house. If you do that exterior treatment every three months, then you are not going to get re-infested. Therefore, if you are seeing any ants inside the house, after you do the exterior treatment, then that simply means that you have not killed off all the ants in that sub colony that is inside your house. The ants like to travel inside your walls and that is why I recommend puffing the dust alongside the outlets into the wall voids. The Terro bait comes with mixed reviews. I have never used it myself, but some people have reported back to me that it works very well, while others have reported that they didn't think it was all that effective. That is why I recommend the specific baits that I've listed my video. Also, it is important to remember that some ants do not like sweet baits and so you also need to also use a protein bait as well. Again, there is a reason for everything that I tell you to do. Try to think of it like baking a cake. If you leave out one or two of the ingredients, then it is quite likely that the cake is not going to turn out so good. So, my recommendation would be to have another go at it with the exact products and methods that I am recommending and see how that works out. I think you will be happy with the results.
As for that tree stump, if you want to get rid of the ants, then you need to treat it properly. It is very important that you treat the tree stump with a non-repellent pesticide, such as Taurus SC. I would spray the entire outside of the stump with Taurus SC, mixed at a ratio of 0.8 oz per gallon of water. Also, I would buy a fipronil foam and I would shoot it into any kick out holes that you find in the stump. If you already treated that stump with something other than a non-repellent pesticide, then you need to wait about three months for the effects of that pesticide to diminish. The majority of pesticides on sale today are repellent pesticides and the carpenter ants are going to avoid that material.
I'm guessing that you already watched my video on how to treat for carpenter ants, but just in case you didn't, I will put a link below for you.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
DIY Carpenter Ant Treatment: ua-cam.com/video/Te9BUCaIQZY/v-deo.html
There are termites under my kitchen granite top . The termites are also between the granite top and the kitchen sink. They are probably between the walls and the kitchen cabinets too.
I am staying at an apartment in Singapore. Please advise what type of pesticide us safe to use on the termites in my kitchen cabinet.
You have a kind of termite in Singapore that is called “Kalotermitidae.” They are basically a drywood termite. Unlike their subterranean cousins, drywood termites do not colonize in the ground, but rather they colonize in the wood that buildings are made out of. It is very common to see these guys in cabinetry and also inside your walls. So, it sounds to me like this may be the species of termite that you are dealing with. The question is then, “How do you go about getting rid of them?” While I hate to be the bearer of bad news, the truth is that the only surefire way to get rid of these guys is to completely tent the building and fumigate it with a gas. You can spot treat for them, but the problem is finding all of them. You see, they create multiple galleries throughout the building and it is very difficult to find those galleries. With fumigation, you do not need to find the galleries because you are just going to kill every living thing in the building. Now, you indicated that you are in an apartment, so this would seem to be something that the building owner should attempt to take care of. You could try to spot treat this yourself, but I am not aware of which pesticides are available in Singapore. I do have a video on how to spot treat drywood termites and I will place a link below if you would like to have a look at it. I show you in that video which pesticides are needed to address the problem. I also explain, right up front in the video, that the only surefire way to eliminate the problem is tenting and fumigating. I really do hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I can tell you that this particular species of termite is very common in Singapore. My first thought would be to simply report this problem to the landlord and see if they will take care of it.
I am so sorry. I wish I had better news for you. Be well Judy.
How to Treat a Drywood Termite Infestation Yourself video: ua-cam.com/video/U7ck7zhS0Xo/v-deo.html
thanks so much
You are very welcome. Thanks for watching. Be well Dana.
Hello Guy! Love your videos. I live in Kendall area in Miami and I am pretty sure I am seeing termites inside my house. The "Termite killer" in the blue jug ..can I sprinkle that along the perimeter of the house and I have bushes (Podocarpus) outside that are all in front of my house. Will this product harm the Podocarpus? Also, can this be used inside? Thank you so much.
How you handle that will depend on the species. You have three different species of termites where you live and they each get treated differently. The granules only work for subterranean termites. They will not harm your bushes, but they will only help if you have subterranean termites. You could also have drywood or Formosan termites. So, you need to start by determining the species. Figuring out the species is actually pretty easy and I have a video on how to do that. I will provide you with a link below. After watching this video, you should be able to identify the species. Just get back to me after you watch it and let me know what you found out. At that point, I can tell you exactly what you need to do. Let me know if you have any problems identifying the species, but I do not think that you will. It is much easier than you may imagine. Be well my friend.
Video on how to identify termite species: ua-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/v-deo.html
good job (im commenting to help manipulate the algorithm)
Thank you Josh. That was very kind of you. Greatly appreciated.
Sir, I live in Oklahoma with my 81-year-old mom and haven't been able to sleep since discovering what I believe to be termites eating her hardwood floors. The walls and baseboards are firm and appear pristine, but there are holes with tiny droppings. In one area everything is eaten other than the very top layer and there is dirt underneath. A couple of the boards have cracks thru them, tiny holes, and appear unlevel now. Is our entire floor doomed? What kind would be causing this damage?
The only holes are in the floor and not the walls/baseboards.
@@debrafoley1668 I would almost bet the ranch that you have subterranean termites. Parts of Oklahoma also have Formosan termites, but this is mostly in the southern portion of the state and not all that common. So, I'm thinking that you most likely have a much more common variety that are easy to kill. The problem is that it sounds like this infestation has been going on for some time. These guys are slow eaters, so the amount of damage you are describing would suggest that they have been at it for quite some time. if they are in the hardwood floors, then you cannot rule out the possibility that they are also in the walls and, if you have a basement or crawlspace, then in the floor joists as well. So, this may not be limited to cosmetic damage to the hardwood floors. You could be looking at structural damage as well. Therefore, I would recommend that you have an inspection done by a qualifies home inspector to see if there is structural damage. You will need to pay for that inspection, but it's worth the money. You should also watch my video on how to determine the species, just to be sure that you don't have Formosan termites. I will place a link below. If you do not have Formosan termites, then you can treat this yourself. I have a video on that as well and I will place a link below for that video as well. You can probably kill these guys with granules, but in your case, I would also use a fipronil foam. I will explain how to do all of that after you watch the videos and you confirm that these are not Formosan. Meanwhile, do not attempt to treat the termites with over the counter products. That will make it worse. Also, do not attempt repairs until the infestation is gone. Finally, please stop worrying. Worry does nothing to improve tomorrow. It just ruins today. I promise that I will walk you through this. I will stay with you every step of the way and my service is always free. It's going to be okay.
How to determine termite species video: ua-cam.com/video/mY4FMvAHrMA/v-deo.html
DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Thank you so much for the response. So far I see two boards with damage. I see no damage on the wall or baseboard. Does that sound like a lot of damage? Will they spray something on the floor to keep those stinkers from damaging more boards?
@@debrafoley1668 Here is the thing about subterranean termites, they do not colonize in your home. They always colonize in the ground, somewhere within a 300 foot radius of the center of your home. That is to say, they are not living in your floor. They just go there because it's their favorite restaurant. The have no choice but to return home to the colony fairly often to feed the other termites in the colony. That is why we put down a termiticide barrier around the house. When the termites go home, they pass right through the termiticide and then take it back to the colony and share it with the other termites. Then it's lights out for the entire colony. No colony, no infestation in your floors. Simple. You can do this yourself by using the granules around the perimeter of your house and you can also shoot a fipronil foam directly into the affected flooring. This will eliminate the problem. If you hire a pro, they will certainly approach it differently and not all of them do it the same way. Some companies will just bait for them by placing bait stations around the outside of your house. Others will dig a trench around the entire perimeter of the house and pour in a termiticide and then burry it up again. They will also drill holes in all the concrete slabs around your house and inject a termiticide under the concrete. This will include the driveway, patios, sidewalks that meet the foundation, and so forth. Some of the pros will also treat the floor with a fipronil foam, but many will not. It's a very good idea to do that, but many of the pros were not trained to do it. Prices for all of this can vary greatly, so if you want to hire a pro, then you need to get several estimates, along with the treatment plans.
Termites will die when exposed to air for very long, so you almost never get to see them. They never come out in the air like ants do. You usually only find out that you have them when you start to see the damage or if you start to see swarmers coming out. So, even though your walls and baseboards may feel solid, that does not mean that the termites are not eating away at them. Since, they are eating the hardwood flooring, it is also concerning that they may be eating the floor joists, unless you have a concrete slab home. You never know for sure with this stuff, but I think it is quite likely that there are termites eating other areas, such as the walls, subflooring, joists, baseboards, and so forth. I cannot tell you how extensive the damage is without inspecting. You could get lucky and the damage is just isolated in the hardwood flooring. That does happen. The thing is though that termites, like most living things, are lazy. Why go a longer way for food than you need to? So, they will usually start eating the first wood that they come to and that is generally not the hardwood flooring. It all depends upon how your home was built. You don't want to remove the hardwood flooring yet though because, if you take away their food source at this point, they will begin to eat in another area. So, since the flooring is already damaged, just let them go on eating the damaged area for now, so they don't move to a different area. After the colony is dead, then you can do the repairs. I cannot tell you how many people make this mistake or they try to kill the termites quickly with some Raid or something like that. Very bad idea. You want to kill them slowly or they will just move to another area of the home. Termites require a bit of patience. You must do this correctly. You can definitely do it yourself and save a lot of money, but you do need to do it right.
I hope that helps.
@@GuysPestSolutions You get to keep the ranch! It is the ole subterranean devil's eating our floor. I hired an older gentleman who has been doing this for 50 years. Thank you again for everything!
Could you please tell me a product that I can legally use that is
a non-repellent carpenter ant insecticide concentrate that I can put
in a tank sprayer and apply on my house foundation? I ask this because,
regardless of the state I am in, the labels of this type of product all seem to say:
"For sale to, use and storage only by individuals/firms licensed or registered by
the state to apply termiticide and/or general pest control products.
It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent
with its labeling."
Like, probably most the viewers of your youtube video, I am not an
"individuals/firms licensed or registered by the state",
so I would very much appreciate your help in identifying a product
I can use.
Whether or not you can legally apply pesticides is dependent upon the laws in your particular state. As far as I know, there are only about 13 states that restrict unlicensed people from applying any pesticides that they wish. I know that what I am about to tell you defies all logic or common sense, but if you live in a state that does not restrict the application of pesticides to licensed applicators, then you can completely ignore all that gobbledy goop on the label the pertains to this subject. The application of pesticides is governed by state law and not federal law. The language on the label is simply covering states that have laws against you applying these pesticides. The states that I am aware of are AK, CA, CT, HI, IN, MA, MI, NY, OR, RI, SC, VT and WA. If you live in one of these states, then it is illegal for you to apply a lot of, if not all, pesticides. However, if you live in any other state, then you can get Taurus SC shipped to your address and you can legally apply it. This is a wonderful nonrepellent pesticide and I will place a link below for it.
Trust me. The pesticide police are not going to raid your house and throw you in jail for 30 years for treating your house for carpenter ants. I am not licensed in my state and I have been doing it for years. Of course, I don't live in one of the states mentioned above. The truth is though that I don't think the states above would arrest you either. It's kind of like drugs. They pretty much go after the people that sell it illegally. The consumers generally get a pass. The problem for folks living there is obtaining it. It would be somewhat funny though if the police showed up and said, "What do you have in the sprayer sir/madam?" Yeah, I don't really see that happening anytime soon. Lol.
If you would like a real eye opener on this subject, have a look at the video I just posted on "12 Things Pest Controllers Do Not Want You to Know." I will place a link below. You won't believe the truth about how safe these products are and why they are probably restricted to licensed applicators in some states.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
Taurus SC: www.solutionsstores.com/taurus-sc-termiticide
12 Things Pest Controllers Do Not Want You to Know: ua-cam.com/video/7o5AK2svUUA/v-deo.html
I just wanted to thank you for your fast, very helpful, and thorough response to my concern about legally using a non-repellent carpenter ant insecticide concentrate.
I tried to order Taurus SC from "Solutions Pest & Lawn", but they would not accept my order due to the state in which I reside.
I ended up getting the product from a different excellent internet store. I have already responsibly applied Taurus SC to my house foundation.
Thanks again for your generous response, and your great UA-cam videos for us DIY people.
@@unifieduniverse3902 Unfortunately, Solutions Pest & Lawn are very strict about not shipping to certain states. I find that domyown.com will ship to more places, so you may want to give them a try going forward. The good news is that you were able to find the product, so all is well. I hope it all works out well for you. Please feel free to call on me any time.
Be well my friend.
Got a question about termites and roots in the yard ! How to treat the roots to stop termites with out digging up the whole yard ! It’s a very large silver maple roots extending around a 60 foot radius!
I can probably hep you with that, but I need to know if the termites are attacking the tree and I need to know where you live. The species of termite is important and termite species vary somewhat by geographical location. Please let me know and I will do my best to assist.
@@GuysPestSolutions the tree has just been cut down 5/10/21 in wheeling wv , just want to be ahead of the bugs there was termites in wood pile on neighbors wood pile about 100 ft away last year ! Thanks so far !
@@littlehuey5679 Actually, that is good news. If the stump is not infested you are in a good position to be proactive. My recommendation is to have the stump removed. It's cheaper than you may think. They come in with a stump grinder and turn it into wood chips. No stump, no termites. You should also be proactive with your home as well and do the treatment in my DIY Termite Treatment video. You can treat your entire home for $50 a year and, if you want, you can use the same product around the tree stump until you get it removed. In your area you are pretty much dealing with common varieties of subterranean termites that are easy to prevent with the treatment that I recommend in my video. I will place a link below. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. I am always here to help.
DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions thanks ,I have done your treatment around my home and waiting for the grinder to show up . Thanks very much again !
@@littlehuey5679 You are very welcome my friend. Be well.
The termite identification video is private. (I can’t watch it unless it’s changed to public).
I'm so sorry about that. That video was taken out of service and replaced with an updated video. Thanks for pointing it out. I have now fixed the problem. The link to the correct video is below. Thanks for watching. Be well my friend.
Termite identification video: ua-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/v-deo.html
Ok...so I haven't seen frass & I haven't heard them but I've seen big black ants pantry area, kitchen, bathroom🙄. I live in the wa state area are there other big black type of ants or do you think they are carpenter ants? Also is Diatomaceous effective? Also if we have carpenter ants does that mean we have or will get termites? Sorry to ask so many questions 😅 but I'm stressed w/ finding them!
Hi Nicole. Carpenter ants are pretty much the largest ant species in the US and, except for the deep south, they are generally black. They range in size from about 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 of an inch in length. So, based on your description of them, these are most likely carpenter ants. Unlike termites, that stay hidden, carpenter ants do not eat wood and so they must come out to forage for food. So, it is very common to see them in areas where water and/or food are available. I have found that these things tend to be rather lazy and they don't like to tunnel through dry wood. They much prefer soft, wet wood that is easier to tunnel through and may also offer moisture for them. When you have carpenter ants, it is also possible that you may have some sort of water or moisture problem that has degraded the wood in your home, so you need to check for plumbing leaks, roof leaks, etc. Diatomaceous Earth will kill carpenter ants, but that is not the best way to do it. You need a much more aggressive approach. I have a video on how to get rid of carpenter ants and I will place a link below for it. While it is true that carpenter ants do eat termites and it is not unusual to find carpenter ants in areas that are infested with termites, the fact that you have carpenter ants does not necessarily mean that you have termites too. However, you cannot rule it out. In the State of Washington, the only kind of termite you will find are subterranean termites, so check around the entire home for mud tubes that will either be outside or under the house in the basement/crawlspace. They come from the ground up on the exterior and you may see them on the basement/crawlspace walls or even the floor joists. If you don't see any mud tubes, that's a good thing, but you still may have termites that found their way inside the block foundation to the wood and the tubes are not visible. So, I always recommend that you treat for termites every year to prevent them. It only costs about $50 to do the treatment and it will kill any termites that may already exist and it will prevent new infestations, so why not just do it? I have a video on that as well and I will place a link below for it. The bottom line here is that I recommend that you do both the carpenter ant treatment and the termite treatment. Also, look for leaks and also areas where there is condensation. Sometimes there may not be sufficient air flow in the attic or crawlspace and that can lead to wet wood. I hope that helps. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Thanks for watching.
DIY Carpenter Ant Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/Te9BUCaIQZY/v-deo.html
DIY Termite Treatment video: ua-cam.com/video/H7rW_TSBHJ4/v-deo.html
@@GuysPestSolutions Come to think of it I think we did hear them & they are very loud in the walls. We were afraid it was a rat or whatever...but then it just stopped. I just forgot about it because it was a couple mnths before we ever saw one. We will have to check for leaks and everything. Thank you so much for all the info🙂👍!
@@nonyabusiness7 You are very welcome. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Will the Torus SC kill pincher bugs?
Pincher bugs are really earwigs. These guys are an outside pest, but can enter the home when they are not happy with the climate conditions outside. When that happens, they enter through cracks and crevices, much the same way that American cockroaches do. For the most part though it is unusual to see many of them inside the home. If you do, then it will most likely be where there is water, like bathrooms. So, if you want to keep them, and all sorts of other pests, out of your home, then it is important to do a perimeter treatment every three months. Taurus SC will definitely do the job, but you are only permitted to use it every six months. The problem is though that it does not last six months. You are lucky to get three months out of it. So, what I do is treat with Taurus SC, then three months later I treat with Talstar P, then three months later back to the Taurus SC, and so forth. I happen to have a video on exactly how to do a proper treatment on your home and I will place a link below for it. This was the first video I ever did, so it's not my best work. Still, it will explain exactly how to do the treatment. You should note that the sprayers that I recommend in the video are no longer available. If you would like a recommendation on a cost effective, battery operated sprayer, just let me know and I will provide you with the best options.
I hope that helps. Be well my friend.
DIY General Exterior Pest Control: ua-cam.com/video/3ESGJsn3MLk/v-deo.html
Yes, it’s expensive!
You should always shop though for all services, including pest control. Be well my friend.
Hi Guy.
I found a mountain of shredded wood by the window, coming from the floor, I do not see any ants there yet. are these carpenter ants??
I'm afraid that I have more questions than I do answers. To properly assist you I am going to need a bit more information. The first thing I need to know is where you live. This is important because there are different species of insects in different parts of the US and the world. Knowing where you live will be of great assistance in narrowing this down. Next, make sure that the shredded wood that you are seeing is coming from the floor and not from the window. Take a flathead screwdriver and try to push it through the floor where you are seeing that shredded wood. If the floor is soft or if the screwdriver goes right through, then that will be very important information. However, if the floor is solid and has no give to it, then I need to know that as well. Finally, let me know if you are actually seeing any ants. Carpenter ants do not eat wood the same way that termites do. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood, but they do not actually eat it. That means they need to find another food source and you will often see them near the walls because they are out foraging for food. They are mostly active at night and it is very common to see some dead bodies near the wall. Please let me know if he was seeing any of this activity. After you provide me with this information, I should be able to help solve this mystery.
I look forward to hearing from you. Be well Tai.
Hello Guy! Am I able to send you a picture for clarification?
You can send photos to my email. It's guysyoutube@mail.com. Please note that this is not gmail. Just mail. Be sure to get as close to the insects as possible and focus on them. The photos need to be up close and very clear and focused. Most of the time folks send me photos that are not very clear and it can be hard to make a positive ID. I can easily tell if you have ants or termites, but it is much harder to tell what species of termites you have if the photos are not really up close and in focus. If you have a macro filter on your phone, then you should use that feature. I hope that helps.
Thank you Sir for all these informations.
I want to ask about the termite bait station and how to do and install ?
I have termite at my home, i discovered it 1 month ago behind my furniture . I think its subterranean type ( I live in Iraq).
So, i consult a special pest control company and they advised to drill in and out home. They use Ultrathor (fibronil).
I bought 2 pieces of ultrathor hope to do it by muself without drilling by :
1. Inspection.
2. digging a trench around home.
3. I want to do ( homemade) bait stations.. My question is can i use fipronil in these bait stations?
Best ragards
First of all, I cannot tell you how humbled I am that someone from Iraq is even watching one of my videos. That's amazing. I am also humbled that you have chosen to come to me for help and I will do my best not to let you down. Now, I am not an entomologist, so I am not familiar with all species of termites around the entire world. There are about 2000 different species in the world and I am only familiar with the ones in the US. However, as a general rule, most subterranean termites function the same way, so the treatment is pretty much the same. However, not always. Almost all subterranean termites MUST return to the ground fairly often to obtain the moisture they need to survive and to bring food back to the rest of the colony, but there is at least one species that I know of that also has the ability to colonize in the walls. Since I don't know the specific species that you are dealing with, I need to assume the worst. Since the pros are telling you to treat inside and outside, then there is a possibility that the species you have may be able to colonize inside the house. Therefore, I would treat both the inside and outside of the home.
Let's start with the outside. You do want to trench. To do this, you should only dig the trench in three meter sections at a time and you want it about six inches deep. Once you dig three meters, then pour in about four gallons of the mixed Ultrathor or whatever the label indicates. Then fill a garden sprayer with the Ultrathor mixture and treat all the backfill dirt with it as you are filling the trench back in. You want all the backfill dirt nice and soaked. This is easier with two people. One spraying the dirt, while the other is filling it back in. A battery operated sprayer saves a lot of time. After you complete one three meter section, then dig the next one. If you are treating a slope, then you need to make the sections much smaller so that the liquid does not run off. If you have a concrete slab, like a patio or sidewalk that abuts the house, then trench around the concrete like you would if it were the side of the house.
For the inside, you need to locate the termites. If there is drywall in the home, then look for areas that are discolored or sunken in a little. Also, go around and simply push on the drywall near the floor to see if it's soft. These are the areas that you need to treat. I don't know if you can get this or not in Iraq, but I would treat with fipronil foam. The applicator tip is very small, so you just need to drill a small hole into the affected area and then shoot the foam in for about five seconds or until it comes back out at you. The tiny holes you drill are easily repaired with a little spackling compound. Here in the US we have Formosan termites that build satellite colonies in the wall voids and we need to actually remove the drywall to get to them. They build "cartons" in the walls that must be removed. I do not know if you have these guys in Iraq. I did a Google search and I was not able to find any information on it. If you have a species like that, then you too may need to remove the drywall. I just don't know, so you would need to find out locally what you are dealing with. Hopefully, you just have a species that is not capable of colonizing inside the walls. If that is the case, then the exterior treatment alone would do the job.
With regard to bait stations. I have never made homemade ones, but they could work. Most bait stations contain either a bait or just a food source, like wood, to monitor activity. One bait station that works well here are "Red Eye" bait stations. You can Google it to see how they work. Basically, they are wood baits without any pesticide. When there is activity, you then shoot in the fipronil foam and that will kill off the colony. You may be able get some ideas from it. Also, try Googling "home made termite bait stations." I did that and there are some folks who are doing it with PVC pipe and bait soaked in fipronil. It could work, but again, I have never tried it. However, if you trench, then you should not need bait stations at all.
That's about all I've got. I hope that was somewhat helpful to you. Thank you so much for watching and for contacting me. Be well my friend.
@@GuysPestSolutions really i don't know how to thank you Sir, i will follow your instructions and inform you about the results.
Thank you so much Sir 🌹
@@aloosh7683 You are very welcome. It's always my pleasure to help in any way I can. Be well my friend.
Your #1 video on identifying terminates is set private and can’t be seen.
Sorry about that. I updated that video and there is a new and improved version that is shorter and provides better information. I will give you a link to it. Be well my friend.
ua-cam.com/video/dIs_a0nfVjg/v-deo.html
If you kill carpenter ants will termites take over the territory hope it's not a stupid question and hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Lol
When I was in the Marine Corps they always used to say that, “The only stupid question is the one that isn’t asked.” The truth is that carpenter ants like to eat termites, so it is not unusual to see both at the same time. Since they require different treatments, it is certainly possible to kill the carpenter ant colony and leave the termite colony alive and well. So while it may appear as though the termites took over the same territory, it is more likely that the termite infestation coexisted with the carpenter ants. So you see, not a stupid question at all. Actually it is a very good question. Thanks for asking it and thanks for watching