Tip of the Month – December 2009

Don’t bug me! Or better yet, don’t bug my wood! Steve Dows, of Realty Resources, won our $50 prize for his submission of his question regarding additives to paint that would make wood less attractive and tasty for termites. He had heard of a product that can be used on the exterior as well as interior surfaces of buildings. In my research, I found a product called Bug Juice that is a paint additive. The manufacturer states that it is a contact insecticide, meaning that when bugs land on it, they are exposed to a chemical that proves to be fatal for them. While this seems like a great product and something that would help homeowners everywhere combat the damage done by termites, the list of bugs that it has been proven effective against does not include termites. The list of bugs that it does kill includes:

American cockroach
Citrus Weevil (Mexican, Leafnotcher, and Diapreps)
German cockroach
Imported fire ants
Leafcutter ants
Mosquitoes
Silverfish
Southern fire ants
P. Ants
Pecan weevil

Aside from the limited list of insects that the manufacturer has compiled that is has proven effective against, there are two other factors that weigh against it. One, it is a fairly costly product and secondly the surfaces must be washed off every six months to retain the effectiveness of the chemicals. Of course, there are always those people who don’t like the idea of insecticides in their living spaces, no matter how safe.

Paint does not include an insecticide but if given a choice, most termites will attack bare wood rather than painted wood. They look for cracks or crevices in the surfaces where they can hide and establish a colony. So, it is advisable to keep your wood surfaces well coated and failing that, at least have a good pest control company perform regular inspections and spot treating to keep unwanted insects at bay.

Thanks to the following for their help with this Tip:

Willie Payne – Payne Pest Management
Tim Hoss – Vista Paint
Bruce Divinski – Dunn-Edwards
Mark Attiq – Frazee Paint