| Dealing with Termites and Spiders |
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By Richard Fagerlund
Scripps Howard News Service Question: We found termite frass on our porch. And when my husband was replacing window trim that had dry rot he found termite damage in the exterior siding under the trim. The termite company came out, inspected the house and crawl space, and quoted us a price of $1,200 to tent the house, put in a bug-killing gas and then ventilate the house. We will have to vacate it for two nights and three days. My question is, what do you think of the "insurance" the company wants one to buy in case the termites come back? Doesn't it make more sense to wait and see if they do? Are these like the long-term-service contracts that appliance salesmen try to sell when one buys a new appliance that really are not necessary and only result in huge profits for them? Answer: In this case, buy the insurance. Drywood termites can re-enter your home almost immediately after fumigation is completed because there is no chemical residual. When the soil is treated for subterranean termites, the "insurance" may not be as necessary, as the termiticide will persist in the soil for years. But with drywoods able to reinfest almost immediately, you do not want to shell out $1,200 again for another fumigation. This is not a get-rich scheme for termite companies. They make very little money, if any, when they have to re-treat a home for drywood termites. Question: I will soon be visiting Missouri and have heard (on Animal Planet) that more than 70 percent of houses in Missouri have brown recluse spiders in them. How much concern should I have about this? Are they aggressive? Can they kill you? I am dreadfully afraid of the thought of being bitten by a brown recluse or a black widow. Hopefully, you can bring some needed perspective to this fear. Answer: I can't vouch for the accuracy of those figures, but the brown recluse certainly does live in Missouri. However, I have not heard of anyone dying from a spider bite in that area in the last few years, although it is possible. Brown recluse spiders are not aggressive; they are reclusive, hence their name. Accidents usually happen when someone puts on some clothes and a spider is in them. There have been a few fatalities from this spider, but they are certainly rare. In terms of risk management, you have a far better chance of getting run over by a car than you do of getting bit by a venomous spider -- no matter where you live, not just Missouri. (Send questions for Richard Fagerlund to University of New Mexico Environmental Services, Physical Plant Department, 1818 Camino del Servicio N.E., Albuquerque, N.M. 87131-3500 or e-mail him at fagerlun@unm.edu.)
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