I would like to find a local company if possible. Anyone to avoid?

I know the bait things will take poison back to the nest but understand I need a "chemical" barrier to protect the house.
Anyone know how dangerous that stuff is? That's why I've been avoiding it, but I'm a little worried about termites, too!

Thanks and happy planting!

Rebecca

I'm in Nashville. I'm game for "friendly" if they work. Is that what you use? Thanks!

Anyone in Nashville ya'll can recommend? I've heard one for Cook's but that's it.

I have a good amount of cedars around my house with several very large pin oaks on my property as well and I've seen no evidence of termites within 100 yards of my property and until I do, I'm not going to do anything to encourage them to set up shop nearby. Which includes being very selective in my source of fuel-wood for my fireplace and where I keep it stored in ricks/cords on my property.

The bait traps are an alternate first line of defense. You have to check them monthly. Forever. If you see any sign of termites eating the bait strips, you replace the bait strip with a poison strip and that gets carried back to the hive, killing others. Hopefully all of them. In that nest.

The chemical barrier mentioned above is the traditional method of stopping termites. Termites get to your house by tunneling undergound and building little mud tubes up the foundation. Either inside (under the house) or sometimes on the outside. They travel through these tubes because they can't take sunlight. They build the tubes up to your wooden plates and dig in.

By pumping the soil around your house with chemicals every year, you can stop them from getting to your house. When they encounter the chemicals in the soil as the tunnel, they will turn and go elsewhere.

I would also like to hear more about these "friendly" methods. But for another reference, our house (Goodlettsville) was treated by Angel Pest Control as it was being built.

Your responses may be limited by the fact that this is the Tennessee Gardening Forums... ;-p

Just thought I'd pass this along from a colleague who...wait for it...does termite research! He said:

I would recommend that you go to www.sentricon.com and enter your zip code. I know the Sentricon training person for middle Tennessee and she does an excellent job in training local PCOs towards certification using the Sentricon system. Sentricon kill termite colonies using an insect growth regulator that basically stunts their growth and the active ingredient does not harm other animals.

So...that latter part made me feel better!