Can I Spray Termidor on My Yard?

Warning

• Never buy Termidor from an online source. Termidor cannot legally be used by laypeople unless they are licensed exterminators because Termidor is a regulated substance -- it is too dangerous for the average person to use. BASF requires exterminators to complete a training program in order to become a Termidor Certified Professional and be listed on their website.

Misconception

• The active ingredient in Termidor is fipronil. This is also the same ingredient in some flea and tick prevention sprays and spot-on treatments for pets, notes “The Pill Book Guide to Medication for Your Dog and Cat.” Unlike flea treatments, which use a tiny amount of fipronil, termite treatments need a vast quantity of fipronil. It may poison pets, people and contaminate groundwater by washing into the gutter after it rains. Firpronil can also remain active in soil up to six months, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Application

• Termites and ants need to come into contact with Termidor in order to be killed. Fipronil stops the insect’s body from absorbing gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA. The insect then becomes paralyzed and dies. Termites and ants rarely eat grass or plants, so spraying it on the yard is not spraying Termidor where termites or ants will come across it. Termidor is sprayed into holes drilled in the walls and inserted underground around the perimeter of a building.

Expert Advice

• University of Kentucky entomologist Mike Potter recommends that anyone purchasing a Termidor make sure that a service agreement is included. In case termites return, the particular exterminator can reapply Termidor without any extra charge to the homeowner. If the exterminator will not reapply insecticides for free or at a vastly reduced rate, choose another exterminator.