Building a Home

If you are building a new home, you have a perfect opportunity to help prevent a termite invasion. During planning and construction, consider a termite pre-treatment, which is a chemical application to the soil near the foundation of the new structure. This pre-treatment is an important step in shielding your new home from termites, particularly in areas of the country with high termite pressure.

In these termite hot zones, some states and municipalities, as well as lenders and insurance companies, require termite pre-treatment for new construction. And even if pre-treatment is not required, it is frequently recommended by building code authorities, designers and builders.

When you do the math, the cost of an effective, long-lasting termite pre-treatment is small compared to the overall investment you are making in your home – and the potential cost to treat and repair damage from termites.

Termite Pre-Treatments

The range and effectiveness of available termite pre-treatments varies, so it's best to evaluate your options with a pest control professional.

The most common types of termite pre-treatment products are:

Physical Barriers
Products like Termimesh™, which is a woven stainless steel mesh, are installed prior to pouring a home's concrete slab, targeting potential termite-entry points, such as areas around plumbing and electrical pipes. Physical barriers can be expensive and time-consuming to install.

Liquid Barriers
Liquid barrier treatments involve applying a liquid termiticide around and beneath the new home, which creates a chemical barrier to help prevent termites from entering the structure or kills termites that come into contact with the treated area. Learn more about liquid barrier treatments.

Wood Treatments
Borates, such as Bora-Care® or Tim-Bor Professional®, are sprayed onto all wood surfaces in a new home to help eliminate the wood as a food source for termites. Borates destroy the microorganisms in a termite's digestive tract, so the termite can't break down wood cellulose and ultimately starves to death.

Bait Systems
Baiting systems are generally installed after the final grading and landscaping is complete. Baits do not create a treated zone around the structure the way liquid barriers do. Click here for more on termite bait systems.