GOT TERMITES What to do.

TQA · #1 (**permalink**) 11-11-2009

Got drywood termites and maybe the other kind as well in one cabin [ at least ].

From what I have read so far getting rid of drywood termites is not easy.

Has anybody got any ideas on getting rid of them. Lots of info about tenting houses on the internet. Has anyone had their boat tented and did it work.

Any other ideas? Short of the funeral pyre that is.

ROSA · #2 (**permalink**) 11-11-2009

Dehumidifier, dries them up and they fall to all of the flat surfaces and look like several bags of rice at a wedding party. A friend had them on his Westsail in New Orleans and it worked for him. He closed the boat up tight and turned it on for two weeks. No more termites since.

KeelHaulin · #3 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

A boat can be "tented" just like a house. I don't know if I would trust a de-humidifier to get a boat dry enough to kill all of them. If the boat has enough hull value to justify the expense of tenting; then I would do that to be sure. If you have hull insurance you might check into coverage for damage by termites.

CalebD · #4 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

I would suggest the tenting and 'bombing' method to start with. I also doubt that you have conventional termites as my termite specialist (selling a house in NY State) says that they live in the ground and only come out to munch on wood that is not already soil.
Before you start pumping toxins into your cabin and bilges I would recommend that you clean the bilges and try to reduce any areas that they could hang out and kick back in. Yes, hand cleaning the bilges is necessary before you poison your boat.

LittleWingCA · #5 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

TQA:

My boat had termites. I found a marine exterminator who tented the boat while it was tied to it's slip and gassed them. Cost was about $600 I think for a 31 foot boat. I can dig up the cost if you are interested. You have to remove or bag up all food, plates, things you don't want gassed, etc before the tenting. The guy I used in SD came to the slip with a crew, tented the boat completely with the tent ends weighted down into the water to provide a perfect seal. They taped around the mast to seal it, and injected the gas. They let is sit for a day or so and then you must air it out for a few days after that. No residue, no mess. Do a general wipe down / cleaning afterward to make yourself feel good and move your stuff back in. Haven't seen a critter since. It has been 3 years now. The marine guys have their equipment all portable so they can wheel the gas canisters down to the slip, etc. No damage was done to the boat, and they were cheaper than the guys who normaly do houses. They even provided the bags to put the items in that were staying on the boat but which we didn't want gassed.

MikeinLA · #6 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

There have been a lot of ads on the radio lately regarding the use of Orange Oil to get rid of termites in homes. Supposedly, they inject it into the wood and it kills the termites as effectively as the gas. It's non-toxic and leaves your house (boat) smelling of oranges. You might want to look into it as an alternative. I have no personal experience with it.

Mike

sailingdog · #7 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

Tenting and bugbombing the boat is probably your best bet and far less expensive than hiring someone to do essentially the same thing.

poopdeckpappy · #8 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

Identify the entry area(s), take a syringe full of orange oil and flood the nests several times, repeat as needed

orange oil isn't new, it's just getting new attention

KeelHaulin · #9 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

Does orange oil kill the colonies or does it just irritate them into re-locating? Personally I would go for the 100% tried and true method of tenting and bug-bombing them; it is used in furnished homes so I would trust it to be safe. Also do you want the intense smell of orange oil in your boat for months (if not years) after you apply it?

Is the poison used in a bug-bomb canister the same as is used by professional termite exterminators? I thought the can/aerosol was not as effective as the much stronger stuff that is used by an exterminator company. It needs to penetrate through walls and studs in a home to get to the colony; I would expect the same need in a boat's bulkheads.

Lookin4Freedom · #10 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009

Hey - you could always go "Green" and sail your boat north or south. Extreme heat or cold will kill'em. It's free; no chemicals, no mess, and an excuse to go sailing. I think I win this argument.