Termite Protection Explained, Product By Product
Termites, moisture, construction details, and inspection access belong in the same conversation. Phoenix offers termite control through inspections, baiting, labeled wood treatments, and liquid soil treatments for Southern Indiana and Middle Tennessee. We explain which approach fits your home, commercial property, government facility, or construction project—and why. Our termite service is month-to-month with no long-term contract required.
Table of Contents
Termite control from Phoenix is built around inspection and the structure in front of our technicians, because termites can feed within wood while leaving an outer surface intact. We match baiting, labeled wood treatments, or liquid soil treatments to the building, explain the renewal obligations, and document the work, so you know exactly what protects your home, commercial property, government facility, or construction project, and why. Tell us what you are seeing and we will explain the recommended scope, service frequency, and quote before work begins. For broader pest coverage, see our residential pest control service, and for businesses, see our commercial pest control service. For common questions, see our frequently asked questions page.
What Termite Activity Looks Like In Wood
Termites can feed within wood while leaving an outer surface intact. Visible insects and galleries are reasons to investigate further; the condition of one piece of wood does not establish how far activity extends through a property. Phoenix inspects accessible areas and explains the findings before recommending a termite control method: baiting, wood treatment, or a liquid treatment.
Swarmers Around A Window
Finding winged insects indoors does not automatically mean termites. Preserve a few specimens and note where and when they appeared. We examine identifying features and inspect the surrounding property to distinguish termite activity from an ant swarm and recommend the appropriate next step.
The $20 Billion Truth About Termite Damage
You have heard the number. Termites cause $5 billion in property damage every year. It is on every pest control website in America, and the man who created it says it is far too low.
In 2006, the Professional Pest Management Alliance asked Greg Baumann, then technical director of the National Pest Management Association, to update the industry’s old $2 billion estimate. His math actually came out closer to $7 billion, and he chose the lower $5 billion figure on purpose, because he wanted a conservative number nobody could argue with. It went out in a press release, and in his own words, it has “become gospel” ever since.
Baumann has also said the real damage is “probably 10 times higher” than $5 billion. “You probably only see about 10 percent of termite damage, and most homeowners only fix what they see.” The $5 billion counts documented treatments and visible repairs. It was never adjusted for the growth in the number of homes, and it misses the decay spreading quietly behind drywall and beneath foundations. University of Florida termite researcher Nan-Yao Su, who has studied termites since the 1980s, puts the total United States cost of termite control and repairs at about $20 billion a year.
And almost none of it is insured. Standard homeowners policies exclude termite damage as a preventable maintenance issue, so the repair bill lands on the homeowner.
Termites do not care about statistics. They care about wood. The only real protection is catching them early, and that starts with an inspection.
Source: Pest Control Technology Magazine, “A-maze-ing Journey,” February 2015
The Problem We Address
Concealed activity can continue before obvious damage appears. The inspection must consider the structure, soil contact, moisture, and inspection access.
How Phoenix Solves It
We match baiting, wood protection, or soil treatment to the building and explain the renewal obligations. Product selection and installation details matter as much as the brand on the container.
Three Termite Control Methods To Protect A Structure
- Bait systems use termite feeding and colony behavior to deliver a slow-acting active ingredient.
- Wood treatments protect accessible, suitable wood from labeled wood-destroying organisms.
- Liquid soil treatments establish a treated zone where subterranean termites may travel between soil and structure.
These tools are not interchangeable. Soil access, slabs, crawlspaces, construction stage, water conditions, and evidence of activity affect the recommendation. Some properties benefit from a combined plan. We identify the selected products and scope in writing instead of assuming that every property needs every product.
Trelona ATBS: Baiting For Colony Elimination
Trelona ATBS uses low-profile stations installed in the soil around a structure. Foraging subterranean termites discover the station and feed on a cellulose bait containing novaluron. Workers share food and recruit other termites, bringing the colony into contact with the bait.
Novaluron is an insect growth regulator that interferes with chitin formation during molting. Chitin is a key part of a termite’s outer skeleton. When exposed termites cannot complete this vital growth process, the bait can work toward colony elimination. It is deliberately different from an instant-contact spray.
Trelona ATBS Annual stations contain active bait from installation. BASF’s annual-station label permits annual inspections, with additional attention when site conditions or the agreement require it. Phoenix documents station findings and maintains the system under the selected service plan. An active bait station still has to be found and fed on; colony elimination does not prevent every future colony from moving into the area.
BASF: Trelona ATBS Products And Labels
Read The Trelona Homeowner Brochure
BASF Research On Bait Station Discovery
BASF reports a study with 20 replicates, stations placed within 0.5 meters of active termites, and daily checks for 46 days. Termites discovered 50% of Trelona stations by day 8 and 85% by day 33; 50% of the comparison stations were found by day 46. “Never found” refers to that study’s observation period.
The chart’s footnote states that the comparison was not statistically significant at p<0.05, but was significant at p<0.10. These are station-discovery results under the study conditions, not a timetable for colony elimination at your property.
Bora-Care: Protection Applied To The Wood
Bora-Care is a liquid borate wood treatment from Nisus. Its active ingredient is disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. Applied to suitable bare wood, it penetrates the material and targets labeled termites, carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles, and decay fungi. This places protection on the wood rather than relying only on treatment in surrounding soil.
New construction offers an important opportunity: framing is accessible before insulation and finishes cover it. Bora-Care can serve as a primary new-construction termite treatment when the application meets its label and applicable project requirements. It can also be used for labeled remedial termite control treatment in existing structures.
Access matters. Finished surfaces, replacement lumber, concealed wood, and moisture conditions can change what can be treated or protected. Phoenix evaluates those conditions and documents the areas included. A borate application does not repair existing structural damage or solve a leak. We address the moisture source and the treatment scope as separate parts of the plan.
Nisus: Bora-Care Product, Label And SDS
Bora-Care Specimen Label
Tim-Bor Professional: Another Borate Tool With Its Own Label
Tim-bor Professional is a water-soluble borate powder containing disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. Depending on its label and application, it can be used as a solution, foam, or dust to control listed wood-destroying insects and decay fungi. It has applications for suitable wood in existing structures and for labeled preventive termite control work.
The product belongs on appropriate unfinished material. Its label advises bare wood and excludes application to painted, varnished, or sealed wood. Treated material must be protected from excessive rain and direct soil contact. Phoenix evaluates the wood, access, existing infestation, and moisture exposure before choosing it.
Bora-Care and Tim-bor share a borate active ingredient but have different formulations and directions. We do not substitute Tim-bor for a specified Bora-Care builder pretreatment or attach Bora-Care’s 30-year warranty to a Tim-bor application. The selected label, treatment objective, and written agreement determine the scope.
Nisus: Tim-Bor Professional
Tim-Bor Professional Specimen Label
Termidor SC: A Non-Repellent Soil Treatment
Termidor SC is BASF’s fipronil-based liquid termiticide. SC refers to its suspension-concentrate formulation. Unlike a repellent treatment designed to discourage entry, a non-repellent allows termites to move through properly treated areas and pick up the active ingredient without detecting and avoiding it.
Exposure occurs through contact or feeding, and exposed termites can transfer the material through interactions with others. BASF calls this the Transfer Effect. Correct application around the structure’s access routes is essential; a small surface spray is not a substitute for a complete termite control treatment.
The property may require trenching, rodding, or drilling to reach the prescribed treatment areas. Construction type, slab penetrations, foundations, water sources, and other site restrictions influence the work. Phoenix explains the access and disturbance involved before treatment and follows the current label. Subsequent excavation, additions, and plumbing changes can disturb treated areas and should be reported.
BASF: Termidor SC Product And Label Resources
BASF: Termidor Facts For Property Owners
Termidor HE: High-Efficiency Application Technology
Termidor HE also uses fipronil and non-repellent Transfer Effect technology, but its formulation and label are designed for a different application pattern. HE means high efficiency. The product can allow lower application-water volumes, smaller trenches, and different drilling or treatment-depth requirements than conventional liquid treatment approaches.
For an owner, the practical benefit can be less disruption around the property while the technician completes the required treatment. These efficiencies come from the product’s own directions; they are not permission to use less material or skip necessary areas when applying another termiticide.
Phoenix considers the structure, soil access, label requirements, and treatment objective before recommending HE or another liquid termite control treatment. Termidor SC and HE contain the same active ingredient, so switching between them is a formulation or application choice—not a change to a different resistance-management mode of action.
Taurus SC: Fipronil From Control Solutions
Taurus SC is a non-repellent liquid termiticide from Control Solutions, Inc. Its concentrate contains 9.1% fipronil, and the manufacturer identifies it as IRAC Group 2B. It is labeled for pre-construction and post-construction termite work, including specified applications around foundations, basements, crawlspaces, and other structural areas.
As with other non-repellents, the goal is to place the treatment where termites encounter it as they forage. Taurus SC can be a practical choice for a properly designed liquid termite control program. The inspection, preparation, and completeness of the labeled treatment remain central to the result.
Taurus SC and Termidor SC share fipronil as an active ingredient. A different brand is not a different mode of action, and their directions and manufacturer programs must be checked individually. We identify the actual product in your records and explain the treatment and renewal terms. A manufacturer product pledge should not be confused with an unlimited structural-repair warranty.
Bora-Care’s 30-Year Limited Warranty For Qualifying Builder Pretreatments
Nisus offers a 30-year limited warranty program for qualifying Bora-Care new-construction treatments. It requires participating-company registration, trained technicians, proper treatment, home registration, and documented annual inspections. Coverage depends on whether a qualifying perimeter or whole-house treatment was performed; a bottle purchase or one spray visit does not automatically enroll a home.
The linked manufacturer agreement provides limited reimbursement to the pest-management company for eligible retreatment and damage repairs, with a $2,500 total limit per structure. Exclusions and continued compliance apply. Ask Phoenix about eligibility and the written certificate for your specific build. Phoenix’s service agreement and renewal terms are explained separately.
Nisus: Warranty Registration And Required Forms
Read The Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty Agreement
Services For Builders And New Construction
Protect Your Termite Coverage Before Covering The Wood
Spray foam applied over joists and sill plates can void many pest companies’ termite warranties.
Covering rim joists, sill plates, foundation inspection areas, or other accessible wood with spray foam or rigid foam board can conceal the mud tubes, damage, and entry points a termite professional needs to see. An installation may look finished while making the structure harder to inspect or treat.
Phoenix considers termite access and existing coverage when designing crawlspace and insulation work. We plan inspection gaps and accessible areas, discuss the current termite agreement, and coordinate proposed changes before wood is concealed. The coverage decision belongs to the warranty provider under its written terms; get that provider’s approval in writing before changing an insured or bonded area.
NPMA: Spray Foam And Other Structural Alterations
Phoenix Crawlspace And Waterproofing Solutions
What Your Inspection And Renewal Records Should Explain
- What was found, which areas were accessible, and which areas could not be inspected.
- The selected system or products, treatment locations, and installation details.
- The inspection schedule, station servicing, and follow-up responsibilities.
- The difference between retreatment coverage, damage-repair coverage, and manufacturer product terms.
- What changes to construction, landscaping, drainage, or insulation should be reported.
We keep product selection and service documentation connected. Your termite control agreement states the coverage you purchased. Crawlspace renewal and termite renewal are separate programs unless your written agreement expressly combines them.
Watch How The Trelona Annual System Works
Termite Protection From The Field
See the station hardware, bait cartridge, and inspection conditions behind a termite control program. We explain what we find and record the work performed.
Let’s Build The Right Plan For Your Property
Tell us what you’re seeing and which services interest you. We’ll explain the recommended scope, service frequency, and quote before work begins.
No Contract Required
Our termite protection is month-to-month with no contract required.