HOUSE QUESTION

[WAHOONBOX]

EXTERMINATORS

HERE IS THE SITUATION:

MY HOME IS 14 MONTHS OLD....I HAVE A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH A LOCAL EXTEMINATOR....

I HAVE MOSTLY HARDWOOD FLOORS

IS IT CUSTOMARY FOR AN EXTERMINATOR TO SPRAY INDOORS ALONG THE BASE BOARDS ? I GO BEHIND HIM AND I SEE THIS GOO LINE OF SHIT HE SPRAYS ON MY HARDWOODS.......THEN IN THE BEDROOMS I ASSUME HE DOES THE SAME ON THE CARPET?

I HAVE A SLAB FOUNDATION

IS THIS THE WAY SPRAYING IS DONE? IS THERE ANOTHER METHOD I SHOULD USE..? SEEMS LIKE I COULD MAKE THIS MESS JUST AS EASY AS HE DOES FOR LESS MONEY

AT LEAST I COULD GLOVE UP AND "WIPE" THE 'CIDE ONTO THE THE FLOOR INSIDE OF SPRAYING A MESS!

ANY BETTER IDEAS?

[O-SEA-D]

Depends on what you are trying to remove. Do you have a bug problem or something along those lines? If you are doing it as a preventive thing why not just can the exterminator dude and go buy some foggers and set them off in the house when you guys are at work one day.

[KEY-LIME-PIE]

WAHOO..BECAUSE YOUR HOME IS ON A SLAB, HE COULD HAVE SPRAYED OUTSIDE AND THEN GONE INTO THE CRAW SPACE "IF YOU HAVE ONE" AND SPRAYED THERE. IF YOU DONT HAVE A CRAW SPACE THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO PROTECT YOUR HOME IS AROUND THE BASEBOARDS, AS WELL AS OUTSIDE. TOM...KEY-LIME-PIE

[Cowboy]

Marty unless you have bugs in the house it seems like your guy is overkill. Up here we have major termite problems but they do most of the preventative stuff from outside the house IE: making sure there is no attractants like mulch or dead wood in contact with the ground. I have a contract as well and they do a yearly inspection in and around the house but they don't do any treatment unless they find signs of a problem IE: bugs, sawdust, tunnels or nests.
I would say that you may be getting more than you need in the treatment area for preventative treatment but all the specialists have different methods, maybe check with another exterminator to see if there are different methods.The best worldwide company's up our way seems to be Paramount or Erlich.

[Bert Rodgers]

I don't think the goo harms the hardwood but you can get everything they use at home depot and save your self a few pennies for your Diet Dr. Peppers.

Bert

[BTH284]

Marty,

Find out what he is treating for too, either ants (tiny sugar ants which are a big problem down there), termites, roaches, etc.
Most of the construction work I do is commercial and I have seen the initial termite treaments put down before forming and pouring the slab as well as soon as the slab is cured then again with annual applications along the exterior slab edges and interior baseboards like you said.
I think that this type of application is pretty typical for structures with no crawl space or structures with no type of foundation I.E. slab on grade.
Most of the 'cide used nowadays if water based. Even though there is residue and it looks like he did a crappy job of aiming the stuff where it needs to be it will/should not harm anything. But I agree it does look like crap when applied.

[Glenn W]

Marty, this was discussed a while back. I worked for an exreminator for 2 years many many moons ago.
To answer your question--- yes, this is how it is done.
The monthly service is for roaches, ants, Silverfish. It has nothing to do with termite prevention. As spick and span as you and Jane keep the house I would say the monthly contract is a waste of money for you. However, your area is eat up with ants so periodic spraying inside is a good idea, particularly in the warmer months.
Long and short, you can probablly get by by not spraying the floors in the living and dining room, but would stiil apply to the kitchen and bathroom floors--- but any good exterminator will tell you that's not the best way to go to ensure your home is bug free.
BTW, spraying outdoors won't do squat for you except for spider and cricket control

[Tuna Taxi]

Marty,

Our exterminator did the same thing. The spray never hurt the wood floors. It wasn't a termite thing, that spraying around the baseboards and such was to keep the ants, spiders, and anything else my wife didn't like from crawling around the house. You can certainly buy the stuff and make the same mess yourself.......in fact I can see a video of the 'BOX decked out in chem-warfare gear bringing a new "death from above" on unsuspecting 6 & 8 legged critters.

[Glenn W]

Marty,

..in fact I can see a video of the 'BOX decked out in chem-warfare gear bringing a new "death from above" on unsuspecting 6 & 8 legged critters.

This has JD written all over it

[Deep C]

I don't trust exterminators. My wife insists on having a service and yes they spray along the baseboards etc... I think the skunk bastards are using bug chum though instead of stiff to kill or repll them. Every once in a while we get a heavier dose of carpenter ants, palmetto bugs, fire ants...

When we call them. The problem doesn't seem to get solved. When i mix up some Deep concoction and go to work myself, the bugs not only croak but they stay away for a while...