Termite - Insecticide

I've used Termidor on my house and a friends out building that houses a storage area/utility room and that stuff does the job.

Can't comment on the other two.

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I've used Termidor on my house and a friends out building that houses a storage area/utility room and that stuff does the job.

Can't comment on the other two.

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Termidor and Taurus are the same thing. I read up on it a couple years ago. I learned that Termidor's patent protection ended a few years ago and when it did, generics were able to be produced. That's when Taurus SC hit the scene at a lower price for the same exact thing. Fipronil is the active ingredient and is what does the job so well.

Taurus/Termidor will not treat wood. It is meant to treat soil around the perimeter of buildings and as a spot treatment of an active infestation. The polymers will stick to and remain in/on soil for 10 years or more (some claim it remains effective up to 20 years but that's not proven. Reapplication every 10 years is recommended). Trench treat perimeters with Termidor/Taurus SC, spot treat active infestation areas with Termidor/Taurus SC, and treat untreated wood with Boracare (make sure you get the wood treatment version of Boaracare) in order to ensure wood is treated against termites (by the way, Boracare, once it soaks into wood, will last forever).

There is some talk in the termite industry of fear among pest control companies that now that Taurus and Termidor are available to the public without having an expensive contract, termites would be completely eradicated in this country if enough people bought it and trench treated their properties. That's how effective it is. Keep in mind, however, that it takes roughly 90 days to completely kill the colony.

I know all about this shite after going through a huge infestation of my own recently. Any other questions, just let me know.

Nope. Liquid barrier and spot treatments may interrupt the home invasion and imminent destruction but will not eliminate the colony. They will reappear elsewhere. These methods are premptive only until inevitably disturbed due to weather landscaping etc.

A deliberate bait based treatment system like sentricon is the only current method available that will destroy the colony and end the consistent threat.

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Nope. Liquid barrier and spot treatments may interrupt the home invasion and imminent destruction but will not eliminate the colony. They will reappear elsewhere. These methods are premptive only until inevitably disturbed due to weather landscaping etc.

A deliberate bait based treatment system like sentricon is the only current method available that will destroy the colony and end the consistent threat.

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You need to do some more research. Termidor/Taurus is extremely effective in killing off the entire colony. If you don’t believe that, you don’t fully comprehend how fipronil works. Yes, sentricon and fipronil (Termidor/Taurus) are the two most effective chemicals, when applied correctly, to have proven to be extremely effective at killing the colony.

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Taurus/Termidor will not treat wood


Partially true. I spray Termidor on wooden buildings/deer stands all the time to kill wasp and carpenter bees. It will last for about 3 months then you will need to reapply.

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You explained why Termidor/Taurus is not an effective WOOD treatment chemical in your post and you don’t even realize how.

It will not penetrate the wood like Boracare does. Termidor/Taurus will remain on the wood, effectively killing termites and most other insects that come into contact with it, for up to a few months (if that) but once the polymers break down, the wood must be treated again.

Termidor/Taurus is meant to stick to soil for up to 10 years (though many argue it lasts for longer). It will not remain stuck to wood for more than a few months.

It is for that precise reason that you must use Boracare (the type meant for wood destroying insect treatment, not mold care) on untreated wood for permanent protection. It soaks into the piece of wood and remains for the life of the wood. Any wood destroying insect that bores into a piece of wood treated with Boracare will die off. Termites, upon eating wood treated with boracare, will be transformed by the Boracare and won’t be able to get nutrients from the wood. Other termites then eat that termite’s thrown up “food” and are then “infected” as well. They also bump into one another in their trails/tubes and get the chemical on each other that’s at as well.

Both Termidor/Taurus and Boracare, I believe, take up to 90 days to be effective. It’s best to trench treat with Termidor/Taurus and if you can, treat untreated wood with Boracare for complete protection.

Boracare is probably the least toxic of all these chemicals. Basically boric acid in a slurry. When it dries, it leaves boric acid crystals that kill off the insects.

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Now that you mentioned it, would Boracare be better for that purpose? I have never heard of it before, and is it as harmless as Termidor if it gets on people and pet?

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Honestly, Boracare is more costly than Taurus and others such as Lambdastar. I use Lambdastar for the exterior surfaces to kill literally all insects that land or crawl on it - including wasps. It’s the only thing I’ve used that helps to prevent wasp nests from popping up. If you’re looking for something to prevent/kill regular insects, I’d go with Lambdastar or Suspend. If you’re looking for something to take care of all insects including termites, Taurus is excellent. When I spray Taurus along my foundation (once every year) for termites that may get through the soil and into my house) I find dead roaches, spiders, everything all over the place outside.

Boracare is expensive and I’ve only used it to treat wood studs during a renovation project to prevent termites in the future. Taurus/Termidor will eliminate termite colonies when applied via trench treatment but will also kill just about everything else. For regular pest/wasp control, I use Lambdastar Ultracap 9.7 both indoors and out.

I don’t think Termidor/Taurus should be used indoors. All others I believe are safe after they dry.

Nope.

Countless articles like this one

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Liquid termite treatments also degrade over time and are not designed to eliminate the colony, leaving an opening for termites to return. Essentially there is a greater amount of pesticide used, plus a large effort to make it actually effective. In our opinion, this does not provide adequate results for our customers who are dealing with termites.

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And the only reason I am responding is that I have first hand experience here with an immediate family member owning a pest control company and having 2 (not 1) houses where the barrier failed. Sure liquid is effective for the quick kill and scales as a pre-construction treatment (and when homeowners are given options and consider cost) but long term, the colony just relocates. Termites are smart little bastards.