Concrete termites

There are 2 ways that house foundations are built here. The old and more traditional method is to use strip footings made of rock and then once the walls are built to pour an unreinforced slab, called a firme inside the footings. And a lot of the time they pour this in small batches which creates innumerous cold joints. This method leaves the house far more vulnerable to termites. The crack between the rock foundation walls and the firme provides a great entry point for termites.

The other method is poring a reinforced concrete slab on top of poured concrete strip footings and then place the take off beam for the walls on top of the slab. The termites can't penetrate a properly constructed slab. They will climb the outside of the house until they find an opening. They also take advantage of places are around water and gas lines and conduit.

When we pour a foundation we spread boric acid below the plastic moisture barrier. A kilo is sufficient to cover about 10m2. We also throw some along the outside of the footings but I am not sure how much gets leached away with the rain. Its cheap so I figure why not give it a shot.

I buy boric acid at the hardware store - very cheap. A lot of people make the mistake buying it in the farmacia which is much more expensive.

Thank You all.....I found point of entry....having wood replaced, affected area treated, etc. Will the termites in concrete die, or do we need to drill into affected area also?

Thanks again

jim w

"Will the termites in concrete die, or do we need to drill into affected area also?"

Why not expend a little effort and read some of the treatment plans explained in some of the provided links?

I have friends who had holes professionally drilled throughout their house. And the termites came back.

Unless you find the nest (which is probably under your house) all you can do is keep treating. I sprinkle boric acid under my shelf liner and as I said all my wood has been treated with contra termita from Prisa. If the cement cracks are on the floor level you can mix boric acid with water and pour into the cracks. Then later when it is dry pour a sealer like sellacril into the cracks - it will harden and should seal in the boric acid.

A review of this topic going back to the very beginning would reveal one viable/credible member (Solovino) providing advice based on a great deal of experience and a few links to credible information by people one hell of a lot smarter and far more experienced that others making comment! Unless one has actual and personal experience, wouldn't it be better to cease showing what one doesn't know? Even anecdotal stories of what happened with a friend or your neighbor's brother's sister means very little unless you were physically there to check the techniques used and the actual viability of any chemicals used.

It is often difficult for people to admit or recognize what they don't know. Since Jim W posted the topic in the first place, we know he has a computer. Mr GOOGLE is a great deal better than most of us at finding credible and accurate information. All it takes is just a little patience and a small bit of work. With the exception of Solovino's advice based upon his actual experience from being in the business, very few other comments have much credibility.

It is beyond me how any one person can have so many ongoing and repetitious problems:
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CheenaGringo wrote:A review of this topic going back to the very beginning would reveal one viable/credible member (Solovino) providing advice based on a great deal of experience and a few links to credible information by people one hell of a lot smarter and far more experienced that others making comment! Unless one has actual and personal experience, wouldn't it be better to cease showing what one doesn't know? Even anecdotal stories of what happened with a friend or your neighbor's brother's sister means very little unless you were physically there to check the techniques used and the actual viability of any chemicals used.

It is often difficult for people to admit or recognize what they don't know. Since Jim W posted the topic in the first place, we know he has a computer. Mr GOOGLE is a great deal better than most of us at finding credible and accurate information. All it takes is just a little patience and a small bit of work. With the exception of Solovino's advice based upon his actual experience from being in the business, very few other comments have much credibility.

It is beyond me how any one person can have so many ongoing and repetitious problems:
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Could not agree more. BTW we too had termites in two locations. The advice from others included tenting the house, drilling, etc. I found an internet article which stated exactly what Solovino said. The only difference was painting it on and in obscure places such as behind the woodpile, to mix up a mixture of grape jelly, cat food and boric acid. This is tempting enough to take back to the nest, and kills them all. Worked just fine thank you very much. We had a massive pile of deader than dead termites in the casita.

Termites have been burrowing thru concrete world wide. Their horrible in Hawaii where we lived and in New Orleans as well.
You really can't stop them but just make their little lives harder with proper vapor barriers and frequent checking for signs around your place then you get after em.

larryc wrote:Termites have been burrowing thru concrete world wide. Their horrible in Hawaii where we lived and in New Orleans as well.
You really can't stop them but just make their little lives harder with proper vapor barriers and frequent checking for signs around your place then you get after em.

They don't burrow through concrete.

thats exactly what several structural engineers told us in hawaii?
It was their testimony in a very expensive lawsuit against a developer

larryc wrote:thats exactly what several structural engineers told us in hawaii?
It was their testimony in a very expensive lawsuit against a developer

Another poster posted a boatload of links. Open them and see what you find.

don't really need to . just like so many folks think concrete is waterproof.

Point is you need to pat attention no matter where you live. mother nature has lots of surprises in store

larryc wrote:don't really need to .

Yeah, you do. Because you don't know what you are talking about.

I never said i knew what I was talking about, i was repeating the exact testimony from 2 certified structural engineers and it really doesn't matter does it as a Federal Judge certified their testimony back then

The day that we cease to "want to learn" from others with more scientific evidence and practical knowledge, our world becomes closed and quite limited! Two declared "scientific experts" do not an absolute make. Especially when we are talking about experts in a lawsuit. Why were they hired and paid to testify? Could it have been because they were willing to slant their testimony towards whichever side was paying them? Now that would never happen in the US legal system!

Thank You Solovino...my home is 4800 sq ft 2 levels...based on your comments....discovered ...since the problem occurred in the center of slab...the only entry point...was center slab ... the only reason I started this thread....was to make members aware.....As I have found solution.....I am sure CG will beat my ass over this I always Google and share....Maybe wrong....as I view OUR web as informational

BTW CG....I have four ft. concrete walk surrounding my home....google what? I had already done that....no tubes....Please don't preach again to me...unless you are inhaling pesticides...

jim w

No they don't eat concrete...Solo is right on....I live @ Lake Chapala....there are no tubes...like AZ.....or new mexico.....