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Is this termite drill hole > 35yrs old?


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Could some expert shed some light on the age of this drilled hole for termite treatment. The hole was drilled down into the basement ground. The door frame next to it has termite damages.

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I am just concerned with whether the hole is > 35 yrs old, or is it much younger and recent.

As I'm thinking the tools and technologies used to drill back in the 70's might be different from those used today, so the size of the hole, the edge, the shape etc. might offer a clue to its age?

Thanks!!!

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I use the standards stated by the NPMA-33 form:

Treatment Recommendation Guidelines Regarding Subterranean Termites: FHA and VA require treatment when any active

infestation of subterranean termites is found. If signs of subterranean termites --- but no activity --- are found in a structure that shows no evidence of having been treated for subterranean termites in the past, then a treatment should be recommended. A treatment may also be recommended for a previously treated structure showing evidence of subterranean termites -- but no activity -- if there is no documentation of a liquid treatment by a licensed pest control company within the previous five years unless the structure is presently under warranty or covered by a service agreement with a licensed pest control company.

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Thank you guys for your replies!!! Yes, I agree that a termite inspection and treatment is advisable. Actually, my concern is really this: from pure technical perspective, can any expert eyes [:-angel] tell the rough age of this hole?

i chanced onto this other article (http://pestcemetery.com/termite-drill-marks/) which suggested that different drilling techniques were employed 30 yrs ago vs more recent... so I'm curious if this is true [?]

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This is a quote from the article:

Ms. Smith, the drill marks in your crawl space weren?t made from a modern termite hammer drill. These were made with a hammer and a chisel and then chemical was pumped in. I?d say this job was done over 30 years ago just by the way they were drilled, maybe longer.?

I drilled slabs and foundations for a termite company in the summer of 1977. We were not using a friggin hammer and chisel then!!

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plastic plugs? something like the 2nd hole at the bottom of the picture? (that hole was accidentally captured in the pic ). If I remember correctly, I did see something filled that hole down inside, but just not evenly leveled. My pest inspector confirmed hole without cap to be termite treatment hole. I'm not sure if the 2nd one is also for termite?? Thanks.

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Thank you guys for your replies!!! Yes, I agree that a termite inspection and treatment is advisable. Actually, my concern is really this: from pure technical perspective, can any expert eyes [:-angel] tell the rough age of this hole?

i chanced onto this other article (http://pestcemetery.com/termite-drill-marks/) which suggested that different drilling techniques were employed 30 yrs ago vs more recent... so I'm curious if this is true [?]

No. You misread the article. It didn't say that different drilling techniques were used 30 years ago. It showed one picture where holes in CMUs were made with a hammer & chisel instead of a drill. That doesn't mean that *all* holes were made that way.

There's no way to tell from a picture how old the hole is. There might not be a way to tell even if we were there.

The second hole, at the bottom of the picture, looks as if it's stuffed with a lead liner to accept a screw or bolt. Might there once have been a wall here with those holes used to secure the bottom plate?

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A Hammer and chisel hole would be all dished and ragged around the top, (like somebody hammered the concrete with a chisel, eh?)

That hole was drilled with an electric hammer drill, maybe even 50 years ago.

I would cut a chunk out of that door frame and see for myself if the termites are using it for a highway to the first floor. Or just go ahead and have the place treated again, because it probably needs it.

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Could some expert shed some light on the age of this drilled hole for termite treatment. The hole was drilled down into the basement ground. The door frame next to it has termite damages.

Click to Enlarge
tn_2013110175834_IMG_3472_small.jpg

40.45?KB

I am just concerned with whether the hole is > 35 yrs old, or is it much younger and recent.

As I'm thinking the tools and technologies used to drill back in the 70's might be different from those used today, so the size of the hole, the edge, the shape etc. might offer a clue to its age?

Thanks!!!

It really does not matter. If there is a termite bond pay to have it tranfered to your name. If there is not a bond have the property treated.

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Bill, who provides that type of service, along with a guarantee? And what does the permanent fix consist of?

Up here in North Jersey the chemicals just get pumped into the ground, or bait stations installed.

I guess I'm fortunate to have worked with some good repair contractors that can fix any damage on old buildings. Then, they have enough sense to eliminate any/all the conditions that allowed the infestation. Add some common sense regular maintenance advice to the owner and re-infestation can be avoided. In my experience, there's been many, many situations where some very simple tasks can keep the termites from entering a building.

I've dealt with active wood-destroying insect infestations in every one of my property purchases. Each one was quickly and completely eliminated by correcting conducive conditions - without any pesticides and never a re-infestation.

Our company works with 3 very professional firms that do our WDI inspections. They do very thorough inspections and offer guarantees without selling soil injection treatments for every suspected "problem". I don't know the exact figures, but it's not very often that a treatment is deemed necessary.

I guess maybe pumping more (and sometimes unnecessary) chemicals into industrialized North Jersey area soil would go unnoticed [;)]. Over 85% of my residential inspections have potable water supplied from a well in close proximity to the home. Most of these clients also have concerns over toxicity to their livestock and/or pets.

This reminds me of some medical professionals only prescribing meds for every ailment, while ignoring well documented facts that some medical conditions can be virtually eliminated by other common sense methods -like proper type and amount of nutrition and appropriate exercise.

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