possible termites

[NeHomesteader]

We have lived here going on 8 years and are finally getting to redoing our weak floors. Floor joists were put 24 inches apart and just weak,plus we have water issues due to drainage and needing rain gutters. One thing is leading to another expense. We found a couple of boards that had previous termite damage but saw no signs. How can you tell if you need to get an exterminator? We sprayed the boards before we layed down the flooring but I don't know if that is enough . We can't afford to hire someone but I want to do the right thing. This summer we found a swarm of what my husband thought was carpenter ants in an open shed and he sprayed them all dead. Maybe they moved from the house? If anyone can give me any ideas or tell me what to do i'd appreciate it.Right now it is SO overwhelming with just the floors........Dawn

[Beeman]

Termites will leave trails as they need to go back to the dirt for water. look at all piers and walls for trails. Search the net, plenty of pictures. I would try and slide floor joists in to cut the spacing and sister the damaged ones.

[Shrek]

Termites are a naturally occuring pest everywhere. A termite bond spray service technician who got to be friends with my father said advertising sensationalizes the risks.

He said when folks see those commercials saying "millions of dollars worth of property damaged by termites annually" most think of a house completely falling in, when in reality ,truth in advertising allows them to claim over a million dollars worth of property damaged by termites if five homes worth over $200k each had a small easily repaired area with a termite track in it.

If your home is valued at $100k and your wooden deck post had termite damage to a 8 dollar post, $100,000 worth of property was damaged by termite bond company standards.

He told us to just spray our attics , crawl spaces and foundation exterior with malathion or other adequate pesticide once a year and ensure the crawlspace was dry and well ventilated and if we ever saw a wood pecker pecking on the house to inspect where the wood pecker was pecking because that area had a insect infestation of some sort and would need a spraying and possible patch repair work.

[NeHomesteader]

You guys made me feel better,thanks. I am one of those people who featured the house falling down.....I know we have a real drainage problem and have contacted someone to put on gutters. There is no other way to really fix the problem. It is how they added on to the old part of the house that is the problem,too close to the ground with no drainage and cement all around. We did spray the boards with Bonide insect control,it can be used for termites. we do have melathion though,do you recommend that more? I'm not sure we can get under all parts of the house or in the attic,then what do you do? I have noticed the chickens pecking around the bottom boards of the house but thought they were just eating the paint. So maybe it is a problem. Thanks for any and all help. We have so much invested in the new floors due to having to gut them that we really don't need more. Dawn