Thanks jcalhoun. It looks like borax is about as safe a chemical for this as I'll find but there are some questions about it's safety around animals. I would probably try vinegar first and go on to borax. Per my husband we don't really have a mound, they're hiding underground and now we''re not quite sure where to get them. It's too bad I didn't know these possibilities when we actually saw some when we were digging planting holes. Lori

They are attracted to cellulose and moisture, so it's not at all unusual to find them (subterranean type) in mulched irrigated beds. In fact, at least one leading exterminator installs non-lethal bait spikes around the slab that they check for activity as part of their annual inspection. Anyone living on Texas clay should probably assume they are in the area and stay vigilant. We've dealt with termites in both old and new homes around the state where the infestations were enabled by some all-too-common quirks/defects in construction. Having an expert inspect a house where a lot of termite activity has been found in the yard makes sense - the good ones will know not just what to look for, but were to look for problem areas based upon the foundation layout... and they still miss things that can't be detected without opening up the walls. It would be difficult for them to fake termite presence or damage, so biggest downside to a "free" inspection from a REPUTABLE firm seems to be the possibility of having to endure a hard-sell pitch for treatment or prevention at the end.

This isn't politically correct and I'm not suggesting you do this..I may not even respond to the rebuttals....if you make a 2 inch wide and as deep as you care to go trough around the house and pour used motor oil into it, you'll never have to worry about termites entering. The oil will only penetrate so far. Oil floats on water so it will not absorb into deep, damp soil. When it hits the damp portion of soil, it'll stay there and be absorbed outward. The termites won't even go near it and will leave the area. It's not so much the oil as it is the odor of the soil. Chances of contaminating ground water or run off are nil and no more than the chemicals that will be squirted in there by multiple applications. I suspect the chemicals could be more ecologically upsetting since you need a license to handle them. The Amish use Kerosene around their barns, out buildings and homes for this reason. The problem can be, they also coat some of the exposed walls allowing for run off and fire hazard. Since they use candles and oil lamps and lanterns, that can be concerning. This information was verbally given to me by a founder of one of large national Termite and Pest companies at a seminar I was attending. We were there for another reason and I asked him what is the best chemical to prevent termites. I had a barn built (N. Bal. Co. at Pa. Line)by Amish and I asked them how they protect theirs against termites. That's where I found out about the kerosene.

If the termites are less than a foot away from the house then I'd be especially worried -- in my experience at least, the soil up to a foot from the house is injected with termiticide to form a chemical barrier. So if they're that close, there's no effective barrier. Even if they're further away, then this is a wake-up call to get a barrier treatment, if you have no record of a recent treatment. Definition of "recent" depends on the kind of chemical, so get a few pest control operator opinions on that. Incidentally, once the barrier is in place, you'll need spot retreatment if the soil is disturbed in specified ways (e.g. if a plumber digs it up to fix an underground pipe). As for bait systems... My pest control guy is as honest as the day is long, and he doesn't believe in baits. He treated a house that had severe termite damage (e.g. you could poke a screwdriver through one of the interior walls) despite having a monitored bait system for years. Here's an anti-Sentricon web page: http://www.syix.com/emu/html/sentricon.html Personally I wouldn't sleep well if my house was protected only by baits.