Massey's

[edsan]

I just had Massey's out to give us estimate for pest control and he also gave me one for "Termite Protection" with a annual inspection.
What is that program and why would I need it if they are taking care of the outside of the house quarterly?

[retiredguy123]

What they are doing outside quarterly has nothing to do with subterranean termites. Treating for subterranean termites requires pumping chemicals underground completely around your house to create a poison perimeter barrier. This is a one-time treatment with annual inspections and renewal. The Villages doesn't seem to have a major problem with termites, so some people do not get it done.

[dano121]

Today many services use "Baiting Traps". They put the traps all around the house then they check them regularly and if/and when the termites appear, then they treat them.

[Risuli]

I just had Massey's out to give us estimate for pest control and he also gave me one for "Termite Protection" with a annual inspection.
What is that program and why would I need it if they are taking care of the outside of the house quarterly?

I believe it is a termite baiting program. They install termite bait stations into the ground so many feet between stations surrounding your home. They then revisit them every so often and check the stations, replacing them as needed.

[retiredguy123]

I believe it is a termite baiting program. They install termite bait stations into the ground so many feet between stations surrounding your home. They then revisit them every so often and check the stations, replacing them as needed.
I don't think Massey sells the bait system anymore. They only offer the perimeter poison method. One problem with the bait system is that it is more expensive, it requires regular monitoring, and landscaping alterations can affect the bait traps. Also, I think when Massey used the bait system, they owned the bait traps, not the homeowner. Personally, I would not purchase the bait system even if it was offered.

[Battlebasset]

We did the Massy termite treatment. Not because I think there is a problem, but if I want to sell the house at some point. If I decide to stay I probably won't renew.

[mikreb]

Buy a bag of Bio Advanced Grub Killer Plus. Apply it early spring and late fall. It kills all ground insects including termites for $22. Covers 5000 sq. ft. Apply at 2 pounds per 1000 sq ft.

[retiredguy123]

Buy a bag of Bio Advanced Grub Killer Plus. Apply it early spring and late fall. It kills all ground insects including termites for $22. Covers 5000 sq. ft. Apply at 2 pounds per 1000 sq ft.
It will not kill subterranean termites. They live under the soil and never come to the surface.

[vintageogauge]

Bio-advanced makes a Termite Killer granular product specifically for subterranean termites, its' about $50 and will do the perimeter of most designer homes twice. I refused to pay Massey or Deans for nothing but an inspection and have used this product for over 7 years. I recently sold my home in TV and the inspection resulted in free of termites or any other wood destroying insects. I have never heard of a "documented" case of subterranean termites in any of The Villages other than the historic section, Deans and Massey are laughing all the way to the bank.

[CarlR33]

We just had them out and it seemed obvious from the brochures?

[MikeN]

Seems unnecessary if you have a block house. I spray Home Defense monthly or as needed and never have a bug issue

[retiredguy123]

Seems unnecessary if you have a block house. I spray Home Defense monthly or as needed and never have a bug issue
Termites eat soft woods, like door frames and windows sills. They also eat drywall and carpet. They don't do much damage to structural wood. The largest issue with termites is that you don't know they are there until they have done significant damage. Once they move in, they never leave and they continue to reproduce until there are billions of them. You don't see them because they hate the light. Having a concrete block house does nothing to deter termites or to reduce the damage. And, spraying Home Defense is worthless against subterranean termites.

Apparently, this area of the country doesn't have a significant problem with termites. But, in some areas, like southern Georgia, termites are so prevalent that people would think you are crazy to own a house without termite treatment.

[AKKlein]

Someone previously said with the size and constant building going on in The Villages and every area being treated for termites it’s created like a force field that no termites penetrate. Sort of makes sense, but every choice is an individual choice about your own risk tolerance.

[Cuervo]

I've used Massy for both for years.
The inspected my house two weeks ago and they will refill the bait traps in mid Sept.
Now can you probably do the inspection and the traps yourself.
I'm sure YouTube will have a site to walk you through the steps.
But I keep Massy, because if there is termite damage while your covered by their service, they state that they're insured and will cover the cost of the damage.

[retiredguy123]

Bio-advanced makes a Termite Killer granular product specifically for subterranean termites, its' about $50 and will do the perimeter of most designer homes twice. I refused to pay Massey or Deans for nothing but an inspection and have used this product for over 7 years. I recently sold my home in TV and the inspection resulted in free of termites or any other wood destroying insects. I have never heard of a "documented" case of subterranean termites in any of The Villages other than the historic section, Deans and Massey are laughing all the way to the bank.
I have asked the Florida Department of Agriculture for an opinion about this product. I will post it when I receive it.

[EugeneF]

Take it from someone who had had to have their old house tented once before we moved, it’s not fun at all. Nevermind the price of tenting the prep alone to tent is worth the price prevention. Besides the fact that any piece of wood in your house could have termite larva in it and it takes up to 5 years to for hem to come out. A once of prevention is worth a pound of cure!!!! Needless to say we got the whole package from Massey.

[Jensor17]

I considered termite protection, but I don't see any flying insects and honestly am concerned about laying traps or baiting to attract termites if I don't already have them on my premises. Why would you invite this "unwanted guest" by laying bait ?

[retiredguy123]

I considered termite protection, but I don't see any flying insects and honestly am concerned about laying traps or baiting to attract termites if I don't already have them on my premises. Why would you invite this "unwanted guest" by laying bait ?
You will never see subterranean termites, except maybe once per year in the Spring when they mate and some of them swarm and fly away to find another house. Basically, there are two methods to treat a house for subterranean termites, the bait system and the perimeter soil poison method. I think that most people opt for the perimeter system, where they drill under the house and inject a chemical every 16 inches around the house. If done correctly, this will create a perimeter of poisoned soil around the house that will prevent the termites from invading the house. Personally, I wouldn't use the bait system, but it will not cause termites to invade a house.

[vintageogauge]

Take it from someone who had had to have their old house tented once before we moved, it’s not fun at all. Nevermind the price of tenting the prep alone to tent is worth the price prevention. Besides the fact that any piece of wood in your house could have termite larva in it and it takes up to 5 years to for hem to come out. A once of prevention is worth a pound of cure!!!! Needless to say we got the whole package from Massey.

They don't "Tent" for subterranean termites and dry wood termites are very rare in TV.

[Janie123]

I don't think Massey sells the bait system anymore. They only offer the perimeter poison method. One problem with the bait system is that it is more expensive, it requires regular monitoring, and landscaping alterations can affect the bait traps. Also, I think when Massey used the bait system, they owned the bait traps, not the homeowner. Personally, I would not purchase the bait system even if it was offered.
I have the bait system from Massey. It was installed a few years ago when we purchased. With all the overgrown landscaping around the house I believe the underground system cannot be injected as efficiently. When I recently had landscape upgrades done, Massey came out and relocated the traps at no charge and replaced the damaged ones that the landscaper broke when removing.

[retiredguy123]

I have the bait system from Massey. It was installed a few years ago when we purchased. With all the overgrown landscaping around the house I believe the underground system cannot be injected as efficiently. When I recently had landscape upgrades done, Massey came out and relocated the traps at no charge and replaced the damaged ones that the landscaper broke when removing.
The problem with the bait system is that, if you don't do the regular monitoring and treatments, the house will not be protected. With the perimeter injection system, you have long term protection, even if you let the contract lapse. When Massey came to my house to renew the initial 5-year new house contract about 2 years ago, they told me that they no longer sell the bait system. They treated the entire house, and I now have a 10-year retreatment and damage contract, with no additional treatment needed.

[ThirdOfFive]

We do have a termite protection policy through Florida Pest Control. Bought it our first month here, along with a comprehensive weed and bug prevention plan from them. So far I’m happy. Whether or not the termite policy was necessary was open to debate: some said yes, some said no. But it is not that expensive and as it is transferable to the next owners, should they so elect, I think it would be a pretty good selling point should we ever decide to move elsewhere.

Thinking back though, termites were only one of the various nasties we were told about just before and for about two months after moving here. Allligators—heat—snakes—floods—poor medical care—you name it. One biggie was hurricanes. We had scarcely been here a week when a sales guy from some home-protection company called. His pitch was all about the danger that hurricanes posed to homeowners who did NOT protect their windows. His company peddled an every-window-in-the-house product that in the event of a hurricane, automatically rolled down exterior blinds that were apparently hurricane-proof. Price: $2,500.00. I said that that didn’t sound bad for the house. He clarified “no—that is per window”. I politely declined. He was not happy.

How much of that kind of stuff do we buy that we don’t really need? People coming from way north don’t really know much other than what they hear, and it seems as if TV has more than it’s share of people who try to cash in on that.

[mikeycereal]

I have the Arrow guy come out every couple months on schedule for the bait traps in the garage and around the house. Massey does my overall termite renewal plus my sprinkler system checks.

[retiredguy123]

Bio-advanced makes a Termite Killer granular product specifically for subterranean termites, its' about $50 and will do the perimeter of most designer homes twice. I refused to pay Massey or Deans for nothing but an inspection and have used this product for over 7 years. I recently sold my home in TV and the inspection resulted in free of termites or any other wood destroying insects. I have never heard of a "documented" case of subterranean termites in any of The Villages other than the historic section, Deans and Massey are laughing all the way to the bank.
Here is what the Florida Department of Agriculture said about the product:

This is Derek Yan with the FL Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). We just spoke about your questions concerning licensed pest control companies and general use products to control termite activity. Specifically, the termite granules by Bio-Advanced which I will link their label here: 501421781a 190319V1 f Termite Killer GRAN 9lb (salsify.com)

Just to reiterate, FDACS does not endorse any specific brand name or product. Also, this discussion was specifically on subterranean termites. We discussed why licensed professionals are used to treat termite products: They are trained professionals and have access to more effective pesticides that are restricted to the public because of safety reasons. And trained professionals can inspect the structure for any evidence/conducive conditions that they are trained to identify. This is not to say that the granules would not work, but I would not recommend it without other preventative treatments in place. Bio-Advanced's label does state to find a licensed professional if problems persist. The label for Bio-Advanced's "Termite Killer" instructs to place granules over the soil and water it in to treat the upper layer 6 inches out. Licensed professionals do what is called a "trench and treat" where they dig a trench 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep, applying 4 gallons of liquid termiticide every 10 feet (according to product label). This comparison is to show the differences in application. Also, important to remember is that the company's have a contract that can state that termite damage that occurs due to misapplication would be covered.

Homeowners should have a licensed company apply subterranean termite preventative treatments under a contract where the technicians can inspect for other wood destroying organisms (WDO) and evidence. The two most common types of prevention that are proven to work are in-ground bait stations and liquid termiticide in the soil. Homeowners don't have to choose just one if the company provides both services. The bait stations do not attract termites to the home, instead it uses cellulose material treated with a pesticide that is spread through the colony and targets their ability to shed their exoskeleton. The liquid termiticide is placed into the soil where it adheres to the dirt and is effective up to 10 years, according to research. Here is more information on protecting your home: https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/21774/file/Protecting_Yourself_and_Your_Property_Against_Subt erranean_Termites.pdf

We had also discussed why many people in the area are canceling their contracts due to no termite activity. Whereas in South Georgia, you saw that everyone had a contract with professional companies. I'm not too versed in Georgia's rules yet, but in FL builders require a termite preventative treatment. You were aware of it when you mentioned how a liquid treatment was included for new homeowners for 5 years before they would have the option to continue treatments. Because of this rule, termite activity may not be apparent initially. Plus, the termite colonies are very cryptic and hidden. The evidence of subterranean termite activity could be hard to spot for homeowners. Especially if they moved in from somewhere without these concerns.


Remember, your home is one of your major investments. You want to mitigate any risk of damage to your property. A licensed pest company would be the best option to do so. If you are unsatisfied with any current company's services you can shop around. Also, important to note is that if one wants to apply their own pesticides while having a company provide their own service be sure to contact them in case the products conflict, dilute, or reduce the efficacy of each other.

Here is more information on subterranean termites: Subterranean Termites / Termites / Protect Your Home from Pests / Health and Safety / Consumer Resources / Home - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (fdacs.gov)

I hope our talk answered your question. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me with the information attached in my email signature below.



Thank you,
Derek Yan
Environmental Consultant
Entomology & Pest Control Section
Division of Agricultural Environmental Services
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

(850) 528-5396 - Cell
Derek.Yan@FDACS.gov