Termites... Sweet Jesus

My hubby and I (been married almost 5 years) finally bought our first house. After MUCH trial and tribulations we closed on the house and moved in. We've been there less than a month, and Sunday I found termites in the old mulch up against the house. We are on a slab so there is nothing but concrete under the walls, and I freaked out. We went to the hardware store and bought some over the counter stuff, and applied it as per the directions. Monday morning, the beasts were still chewing away on the old mulch... My hubby called the pest guy that did the inspection and he came out on Memorial Day to treat the affected area. The affected area was small, just a little around the bay window and a little down the side. No mud tubes on the slab or anywhere else. The pest guy dug down to the footing all down the side and across the front where mulch had been put down at some point. The termites had not extended far, and he spot checked the non-mulch sides and found no termites. He flooded the trench with Premise 75. He literally flooded the trench before covering it back. He advised not to remove the mulch that was already rotten because it would disturb the treatment, and now nothing could live there anyhow. He also advised we never put mulch along the house and to use rocks or pine straw. He said in the spring we need to have bait traps or treatment done for the house, but the stuff he put out was good for 6 years, but he recommended something as a preventive. He also explained that the inspection looks for visible mud tubes or damage, but they don't dig down beside the foundation, so that was why the termite inspection was clear. My research on the matter corresponds with what he said. He only charged 60 bucks to treat the areas affected (much less than quoted). To set out the preventative stuff next spring will cost 650-900 depending on the cost of the bait and the number of traps. Then it will be 175 a year after the first year to monitor and rebait.

Anyone else in the south of the US every had issues with these little buggers? Anyone have any advice?

 

they are these tube like things they put into the ground with bait that attract any termites to them and they come out each month and inspect them and empty them as needed.

 

that was the other option. Drilling into the concrete and around the house and filling it with chemicals

 

pricing was about the same. around 700 bucks, give or take a little depending on how many bait traps they had to put out. One had more chemicals involved than the other.

 

so far I haven't seen anymore of the little buggers. And I am glad for that.