Drywood Termites

Whole-structure fumigation is the only termite treatment that can ensure 100 percent elimination of drywood termites. Any building with wood in the structure is susceptible to infestation.

Fumigation penetrates all air spaces inside the structure, including inside the infested wood. It’s why structural fumigation is the only proven way to get 100 percent drywood termite elimination.

It is important to know the difference between drywood and subterranean termites. The critical distinction is where they live. As the name implies, subterranean termite colonies live in underground nests where they get the moisture needed to survive — they will rapidly die if exposed to open air. In contrast, drywood termite colonies live completely inside wood in coastal areas where humidity is high.

Because subterranean termites live in the soil and must move from there into the home for the wood they attack, detection is possible by focusing the inspection on the gap between the ground and the wood above. Treatment is done either by creating an insecticide soil barrier around and beneath the home or by installing termite bait stations to eliminate the colony altogether. 

Because a drywood termite infestation is contained entirely inside the wood, detection can be difficult for even an expert. Common evidence of a drywood infestation may include small piles of “frass” (termite excrement) found directly below “kick-out” holes in the wood or the wall above. Other evidence includes live termite “swarmers” (reproductives), discarded wings or visible damage to wood. However, if the infestation is in roof rafters or other areas where physical inspection is impossible, the colony will continue destroying wood from the inside out until the infestation becomes severe enough to finally be observable. Only structural fumigation is proven to eliminate all infestations.

As bedbug populations have developed resistance to insecticides used by professionals, they have increasingly become a public scourge. Additionally, their ability to hide during the day, prevalence worldwide and need to control all life stages — egg, nymph and adult — make this pest a true test to effectively control.

Fumigation penetrates all voids of a home, including deep behind walls and in bedding and upholstered furniture. In contrast, an insecticide treatment may not reach deep into those areas where bedbugs live or in items that cannot be treated, such as televisions and computers. Additionally, if the bedbug population is resistant to the insecticide used, the treatment will be ineffective. Even if adults and nymph-stage bedbugs are killed, surviving eggs make it only a matter of time until the population rebounds.

Research done at Kansas State University showed that Vikane used at a 1.9x dosage rate can eliminates all life stages of bedbugs, including eggs. This means a whole-structure fumigation with Vikane according to label directions can completely eliminate a bedbug population. A moving truck or special fumigation chamber can be used for a fumigation if only infested furniture, mattresses and other household belongings need to be treated.