Should we demolish part of the house that's got termites in it?
First up, the answer depends on what type of termites are creating the problem. If they are drywoods, then maybe knocking things down will kill them, but if these are subterranean termites then definitely not. Drywoods live in small colonies, usually in individual pieces of timber, so a thoughtful demolition may effectively remove active colonies. Subterraneans, don't, they like to spread out through the structure and will have paths to ground (for water). They will just go to ground at the first vibrations and come back up later to resume the attack somewhere else.
I saw them in Home Depot but they look very small.
I've seen these sorts of baits too. Way back, there was a court case where various groups once claimed that a retail bait system was not working properly. They kept selling them, but put a little warning on the box about how they weren't the same as a professional treatment. The ones I bought said "Not recommended for sole protection against termites, and for active infestations get a professional inspection". Companies don't put things like that on their products unless they are forced to or need to so as to avoid liability. Even if the bait system w
Baiting for termites has a long history. I first used it in 1979 to survey a park, but others had used baiting way before then. Basically, a bait is something that termites will happily eat. Often it is placed in a fancy (=expensive) container. When the termites are feeding on the bait you (i) know they are there, (ii) can identify them and (iii) you can exploit them. The original bait box method had the termites collected and dusted with toxin before being allowed to sulk home. Other methods
They might. Subterranean termites, of most types, will travel at lest 50 metres through the soil to exploit good food. Termites flying from colonies can sometimes spread a thousand metres. If your house is well maintained and has a termite management plan, the risk can be reduced to something quite acceptable (but never totally removed). Apart from known colonies of major pests very close to a building, there is usually little to
It might, but don't count on it. Baits are good at grabbing termites' attention and can be used to slowly poison their colony BUT baits are not barriers and it is possible for termites to ignore them and eat your home anyway. The termites mightn't find them, the baits might be poorly placed, they mightn't suit your termites, they might be too often disturbed or left too long, too wet or too dry. Baits are great at cutting populations and even killing colonies, but it is probably best that you add other ways to keep termites out of your home, just to be sure.
![[A house in the woods]](/images/housewoodsBC.jpg)
will travel at lest 50 metres through the soil to exploit good food. Termites flying from colonies can sometimes spread a thousand metres. If your house is well maintained and has a termite management plan, the risk can be reduced to something quite acceptable (but never totally removed). Apart from known colonies of major pests very close to a building, there is usually little to 
