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Tentless termite control uses 2 methods. The first is a poison is injected into the soil around the perimeter of the house killing or warding off subterrainian termites. The second method is usually spraying affected areas with a mixture of diatenasious earth and orange oil. The diatenasious earth is a substance harmless to humans but will kill bugs. On a microscopic level resembles barbed wire and basically slices them up and leaves them to dry and die out. The orange oil is a natural repellant and kills the bug it comes in contact with. However, the effects of orange oil is temporary as it will dry out in a month or so and the diatenasious earth only works in killing termites it comes in direct contact with. Drywood termites live inside wood where it is difficult to reach. I think a combination or both these methods AND tenting is your best bet. You can never be to sure about termites.

Ack, termites. There don't seem to be any eco-friendly solutions to 'control' them. We found drywood termites in one of our deck beams. Fyi, if sawdust mysteriously appears around your home, look more closely for termites. We have sprayed with orange oil around the area and are now replacing the infested beam with a new piece of wood.

Here's another great reason to keep your home properly painted and sealed!

I happen to work for a termite company in Southern California and agree with Comicgeek. You basically have two options: (1) Local spot treatments like Orange Oil (I say "like" because Orange Oil is definitely not the only product that termite companies use to treat homes) or (2) Tenting.

The big benefit of locally treating your house is that you don't have to hassle with moving out. The downside is that you can only treat in the places that you can see and reach. So, if the inspector misses the wood behind your drywall, you're out of luck.

The big benefit of tenting is that you're pretty much 100% guaranteed to kill all the drywood termites in your house. Even if you don't end up killing all of the termites, most companies give you a 2-3 year warranty after the tent so you're pretty well covered.

Just a word of advice though, if anyone is suspecting they have termites, call a few companies to come out and inspect your house first. Most companies offer free inspections and it wouldn't hurt to get a few second opinions. Also, the inspectors from the bigger companies work on commission so they're going to try to push you towards tenting. By getting a few companies to come out and inspect your house, you'll have more options and won't feel pressured to cave into tenting immediately.

The gas used under those tents is called Vikane and it appears to be the only effective treatment for drywood termites. Orange oil is a repellant and can only work if it comes in contact with the wee beasties. Vikane has been in use for more than 40 years and it appears to be safe and harmless so long as it's handled properly. Vikane penetrates everything under the tent and then dissipates completely after about two days when the tents come off. It leaves behind no residue.

No, I'm not an employee of Dow chemical and I'm somebody who won't spray Raid because most pesticides are bad news. However, I am a Floridian who's seen the effects of untreated drywood termite infestations and it ain't pretty. I've also lived through three tentings in my life and it's really not so bad. Especially when I consider the alternative.

It's important to evaluate things like Vikane with a clear understanding of what it is and what it does. It's not automatically bad because it's a manufactured chemical. Similarly, orange oil isn't automatically better because it's somehow natural. Remember, snake venom's a natural chemical too.

P.s. Certain treatments will effect fruit bearing trees and your ability to eat the fruit. Be sure to ask your exterminator about this.

Isn't there also another type of treatment where they tent the house and heat the entire home with blowers inside and out up to a high enough temperature to kill any bugs and eggs? I'm sure I've heard radio ads for these types of exterminators.

I just wanted to comment and say that i am definitely impressed and pleased with my experience and results with orange oil. the orange oil clearly soaked into the wood… its presence was clearly abundant and It even made our house smell like fresh oranges! I have seen no signs of termites since the application and I feel confident in the application. I contacted the guys at dial us termite(http://www.dialustermite.net/). I would recommend contacting them and asking the same questions and concerns posted here. the crew at dial us termite were very professional and courteous. they applied the orange oil in the designated areas with no mess and cleaned up any mess that did occur. Basically my fears and concerns we comforted by their results. I would definitely recommend using orange oil.

The only problem with orangeoil is that the residual life is kind of short which really limits its effectiveness compared to other products. Yeah, its a natural product and everyone wants to go green, but it is what it is.

If anyone wanted to find out more, I found a great website on orange oil treatments that really helped me.(http://www.orangeoiltermitecontrol.com)

Odds are you do NOT have to fumigate your home, check with some alternative treatment companies. If you call a "fumigator" they will recommend fumigation because that is what they are selling, there are other options. An important bit of information, as soon as it is "safe" for you and your family to move back into your home, it is also safe for the termites and other pests. Fumigation is not a cure all, here in Southern California the climate is perfect for pests to thrive, and the termites will return back to your home soon! It is best to look for a company that offers Integrated Pest Management (IPM), this is an on-going least toxic approach to kill one gallerie at a time as they colonize. Generally an IPM company will provide a two year service warranty, same as fumigation.

Why is sulfuryl fluoride (Vikane) still permitted to be used in household fumigation? There are effective alternatives. It turns out
that sulfuryl fluoride is a major greenhouse gas that can last about 30 years in the atmosphere and may last up to 100 years
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/... ). Another study by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/... confirms Irvine's findings. The Scripps study says researchers calculated that one kilogram of sulfuryl fluoride emitted into the atmosphere has a global warming potential approximately 4,800 times greater than one kilogram of carbon dioxide. That is pretty impressive.

California uses 60% of all the sulfuryl fluoride in the world. Maybe it is time to stop this major polluter from continuing to damage our environment.

When looking for an “orange oil” termite service, be sure to look for a “Certified XT-2000 Orange Oil Specialist”, when doing so you will have the peace of mind in knowing the product being used is 95% pure orange oil. Unbeknownst to many consumers, some Termite Professionals are passing themselves off as an “orange oil” service provider and using a product that contains 10% orange oil with 90% inert ingredients which consist of PETROLEUM! Consumer beware, go to www.xt2000.com or call toll free 866-870-8485, to find a “Certified XT-2000 Orange Oil Specialist” in your area.