> (1.) I don't think I can help you with this historic structure, I
> have my hands full preserving my own.
(2.) Nope. I meant poop. It may be frass too, but it is definitely
poop. Ask anyone, I do know my poop.
(3.) Lots of people find termites where they ain't, and miss them where
they are. Many are inspectors and toxin salesmen. This is not a
problem that simply goes away with one application of super goo. There
better be something mighty special about this house. Perhaps you were
to pretend you approved of the house, she would have second thoughts.
> (4.) The ones you saw were looking for a new place to start a new
> colony. Probably the next is overcrowded. This is not a good sign.
> I once came upon a colony that ate its way from the basement to the
> attic via a central staircase. Interesting project. But the basics
> held true, lots of chemistry liberally applied, but more importantly,
> redirecting the gutters, downspouts and stormwater away from an inside
> corder.
> (5.) North is where you get the ground frozen rock solid a minimum of
> 3'0, EVERY winter. Even when this doesn't outright kill the termites,
> it slows 'em down real good!
> (5a.) Middle child graduates from college Saturday. Son graduates
> from High School the following Saturday. I've been at this fatherhood
> thing a long time. I have no more idea what I'm doing now than I did
> when the kids were little, and am not better at predicting what they
> will or will not want to do. They pick up all my bad habits, but I
> only know this because its been brought to my attention.
> (6.) It ain't what it used to be, but I wouldn't drink it.
> (7.) It can be very difficult to find entry points. Any opening in
> the foundation in the top three feet of the soil is an opportunity.
> As long as there is anything organic in the top three feet of topsoil
> in the landscape, there will be termite pressure. I don't know how
> else to put it, these are very formidable adversaries. You have to
> use your best weapon to beat them, and that is your brain and your
> long life-span, your ability to change their envirnoment from
> welcoming to toxic and harsh. If you go to folks like Terminex
> they'll want to give you a program of yearly applications. They'll
> keep knocking them down, but may never change the environment.
> (8.) That's kind of sad.
> (9.) Don't close. At the very least knock a large chunk of change off
> the price, something that makes it worthwhile. You are in a bad spot
> here. If she listens to you and backs out, it will be your fault. If
> she buys it, its still going to be your fault. Things really don't
> change much, do they?
On May 20, 2004, at 11:37 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> In a message dated 5/20/2004 11:38:22 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
> (1.) If you've This depends on the definition of "you." This is the
> soon-to-be-ex-Mrs. Ralph, and she ain't me. got an active infestation
> of termites, then you have rot everywhere they are working. That'll
> make her happy. You might think of it as rot is what they create.
> The little buggers are dragging mud and water into the wood parts of
> the house and eating and pooping you mean "frassing," don't
> you?(2.) the wood. Rot organisms just love the juicy wet left-overs.
>
> Note "IF" you have an active infestation. Get an opinion from someone
> who has nothing to gain whether you do or not. (3.)The house
> inspector has nothing to gain from this; he's a one-shot guy. I
> suggested she talk to my friend Bob down at The Mall, who is also a
> 'sterminator, but she didn't seem interested, or at least thought that
> this was the seller's problem, not hers, which may be true NOW, but if
> she buys the place, it seems to me it becomes HER problem. Notice I
> didn't use the terms "our" or "my." Also, identify where they have
> built their tunnels that give them access to the ground,
> water and your building. They really don't often go to elaborate
> length to defy gravity and build long tunnels over long distances of
> inedible materials. (4.)This is why it seems to me that having SEEN
> the little fuckers in the middle of the house is not a good sign.
>
> BUT, IF you have a real honest to God termite infestation, you are
> dealing with a delicate, but superior critter. Don't underestimate
> your adversary. In southerly climates they can eat a normal ranch
> house in a season or two. Best defense...move north. (5.)What's your
> idea of North, John? She's moving west, but only a mile or so. Just
> long enough that the Little Ralphs will not want to walk to High
> School, from which they now live about 2 blocks.
>
> If you do have an infestation, you will have to identify how they are
> accessing the building and cut that access off. How about a
> flamethrower for that? The little bastards. With luck you can kill
> off the ones that have set up housekeeping in the house. But, you
> will
> have to dig trenches and fill them with toxic materials She'll love
> that. (6.)Can you still GET toxic chemicals anymore? Doesn't
> everything in the world now have to be made of organically-shredded
> teddy bears? to prevent new
> infestations. You need to cut off their water supply. Grading and
> redirecting you downspouts will help. (7.)The grading and leaders are
> pretty good, according to the home inspector. I only saw this place
> once, and in the dark. Get the damned vegitation away from the
> building This is apparently a problem only in one area, and it is
> somewhat remote from the infestation. Unless of course, the little
> fuckers get in through the growies and have spread everywhere, which
> is what I'm afraid of. Not for myself, of course, but one
> (theoreticallY) doesn't wants one's (ex-) wie to buy a pile of frass
> for soemwhere north of $500 grand and for goodness sake, don't store
> your (8.)My scrap lumber will be a mile away, and she won't have no
> scrap lumber, since she's a girl, and my kids wouldn't have anything
> to do with lumber, scrap or otherwise. scrap lumber and firewood
> beside the building. The bait station approach makes some
> sense as a prophylactic. But grading and water management are
> critical.
>
> As for your real question...Yup. Start taking the building apart.
> That's what I was afraid of, and is what I consider the right answer.
> But how does she make this happen before she buys the house (and if it
> does, how does she trust the seller to fully investigate and repair),
> or how does she get the sellers to put a billion dollars in escrow
> until after she's bought it and then starts The Great Termite
> Safari?(9.)
> Thank you.
> Ralph
>
> Better yet, do what the termite would do, find another victim.
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