This should be a an easy fix. Here are some direct answers to your questions:

1) Can I get rid of these and save the tree?

Most likely.

2) A full tree trimming to remove infected branches is $600. Should I do this first and then use a product in the soil around the tree?

Definitely not. Wait till you see the treatment work and then prune away.

3) Should I have my house inspected?

If your house hasn't been inspected within the last couple of years or if it hasn't been treated in the last 5 years, I would say yes unless you or someone in the family is willing to do the inspection. We help thousands of people do their own termite work so if you're a do-it-yourselfer, this is a task that's relatively easy to do which can save a lot of money along the way. Before you decide, I suggest you review our TERMITE CONTROL article which explains all you need to know about this pest so that you'll be best prepared if you decide to tackle the job yourself.

4) How effective is the product?

Very effective. We've been amazed at the results. I've been doing termite work for over 30 years and todays actives get results like I've never seen before.

5) Should I have a professional do it?

That's your decision. As stated above, doing the work yourself can save a bunch of money. Hundreds if not thousands (depending on the size of the job).

6) I heard that removing the tree is not a good idea because the critters (termites live in the ground) and it is harder to get rid of them.  What do you think.  I hate this..

Definitely do not get rid of the tree. But here's what you should do.

Get some TERMIDOR and treat around the base of the tree as well as directly into any galleries or mud tubes you find. This alone will get them off and away from the tree within a week or two at most. Second, if the home looks to be free and clear, I'd at least spray the foundation with the Termidor as well. This way you'd have a treatment in place should they decide to migrate over to your home in the next year or two.

If you have further questions, give us a call. Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Termidor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Termite Control: http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control

Forget the bait stations for now. The simplest and most direct approach that will solve the problem immediately will be to treat the fence with some TERMIDOR. If you read up on how it works in our TERMITE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn this active is ideal for termites and can be used to protect homes, fences, trees, etc.  And it handles CARPENTER ANTS too so you'll get the added advantage of covering all the pests you've seen around the fence with one spray.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Termidor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Termite Control: http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control

Carpenter Ants:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

There is no hard fast time but in general, most swarmers and their exit tubes will appear in the spring. Where you live, this will be from February to May. That being said, they can and usually do emerge at odd times throughout any calendar year. I've seen them swarm in the summer, fall and winter too as well so nothing is etched in stone when it comes to termites.

The most important thing to realize with termites is that if you're finding their tubes,  flying swarmers or live workers, it's time to treat the structure or get it retreated. More info can be found in our article here:

Termite Control: http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control

Not much. Remember, termites live to find wood and though the wood in any wood pile that's been buried can serve as food for them, it does not mean they'll immediately invade your home once they find the wood pile. The bottom line is that anywhere trees and bushes are growing, there is wood in the ground so they'd be present whether the wood pile was there or not. Now does this mean that you should do nothing? I think not.

Any home should be treated before it gets termites because this preventive approach insures you can use less product and keep them out more effectively. It's just much easier to prevent termites so why gamble? I recommend having the structure treated if it hasn't been recently and two good products to use would be TERMIDOR or PERMETHRIN SFR. These products are used by termite companies to protect homes and treating your home every 5-10 years is the best approach if you have reason to believe termites are active on your property.

Termidor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Permethrin SFR: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/perm-sfr

We received an old chair with a faux leather top/base & wooden legs from a neighbor & placed it in a bedroom near the window. A few weeks after we had it in the house we noticed very small gnat-like bugs hear & there flying around. In the following days we noticed a good amount flying near the window & ceiling. They appeared to have black & white wings & a black body. We got rid of the chair altogether & thinking they were just gnats/flies we sucked them all up with the vacuum. Now I think they may have been termites & I am very concerned that they have gotten into more areas of our home! I don't see any at all since we threw the chair out but how can I be sure they are gone? Any help would be appreciated. Is there something I can spray inside just to be cautious & if so, where would I spray it? Thanks, Emily

What you're describing sounds very much like a termite swarm and in fact is a classic way for them to spread. Now if the home is a slab construction and the room in which the chair was present when you had the swarm was at the slab level, I would be very concerned. But if the house has a basement or if the room was the second or higher level above the bottom, slab level, my level of concern would diminish. Still, a treatment would be warranted. Here's why.

If you review our TERMITE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn the swarmers are reproductive termites. Basically males and females. These guys want to mate and start a new nest. And they need soil or someplace damp and moist to start a new nest. Of course if it's drywood termites, they don't need moisture and can easily start a nest anywhere in wood and this species should not be ruled out.

So if the chair was on a ground level, sitting on a cement chair, some swarmers could have mated and burrowed down to the ground under the slab to start a new nest. Eventually the nest will generate workers which in turn will forage out looking for cellulose (wood) and that's when your house would come under attack.

But if the chair was in a room far above the ground, the mating termites would have needed some place moist in which to start a nest like a window frame, wall void or some place around a pipe like a drain line or AC line which generates condensation. No doubt in this second scenario the odds are stacked against the termites compared to the first case but nests can develop and the risk not ignored. So what should you do?

If the chair was at ground level on a slab, I would recommend making sure the home is treated. If it hadn't been treated in the past 5 years, do so with some TERMIDOR which you'll find listed in our article. I'd also followup by treating all the cracks and crevices in the room with some PHANTOM. If done properly, both treatments would put in place a defensive barrier that would protect your home in case there is a nest developing somewhere.

And if the chair was at least one level above the ground, I'd still treat with the Phantom in the room where the chair was sitting. No doubt the vacuuming removed the bulk of the swarmers but it's not the ones you can easily see that cause the problem; it's the ones that mate and run to hide out of sight that cause issues.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Termidor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Phantom: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Termite Control: http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control

As long as there are some sides to the piece which is unfinished, you should be able to save it. As our TERMITE ARTICLE explains, furniture with termites can be treated with BORACARE which is a unique product in that it can penetrate wood up to 4 inches from just one side being treated. So if the piece is like most furniture in that the wood is mostly 1-2 inches thick, you should be able to get it properly treated with the Boracare.

As you can see on the Boracare product page, this product won't penetrate a finished surface so that's the only limit to it's use. But furniture will usually have a back side, bottom sides and insides that are not sealed where the Boracare can be applied. But even if it doesn't, sanding off the finish will allow the treatment to be done properly and in some cases worth the time and effort  -  especially when it comes to old antiques. And once the Boracare soaks in and through the grain of the wood, the termites will feed and die out within a few weeks of the treatment being complete.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Boracare:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/boracare-gal

Termite Control: http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control

A diluted mixture of TERMIDOR applied around the tree and into exposed galleries would no doubt do the job. And it won't hurt the tree either.

Termites, carpenter ants and other wood destroying pests will many times target trees. Over time their gnawing, digging and eating will affect the healthiest of trees. Give the galleries a good flush of the treatment and slowly "drench" the base of the tree with a few gallons of mixed product to insure it gets down into the soil. This way termites traveling in and out of the tree will be exposed and ultimately this will kill the colony.

In fact Termidor has "trees" on it's label so it's okay to be used this way. And to insure you get the ground to absorb a good amount, poke some holes in it with a pick ax or something sharp and blunt that can go down 6+ inches. Holes a few inches wide can be used to pour the mixture into the ground and hold it where it needs to permeate.

Termidor:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Yes. Under the gravel there is no doubt dirt down there at some point. From this dirt the termites can arise and access the home. I've also seen where failure to treat the gravel above the dirt will allow the termites to "bridge" over the treated soil below so be sure to give the rocks a dose of either the Termidor or one of the actives listed below. Just keep in mind the normal residual of anything applied to rocks or gravel won't last nearly as long compared to when it's applied to soil where it's more "protected" from the sun and rain.

So in this case, I would recommend using TERMIDOR applied to the dirt below the gravel to start. I then suggest you spray the gravel every 2-3 months with a common maintenance active such as DELTAMETHRIN or CYPERMETHRIN. Either of these last two products will not only keep out the termites but they'll stop most any common perimeter invader from getting inside the home.

Here are direct links to the products listed above:

Termidor:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/termidor_sc.html

Deltamethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page44.html

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/cypermethrin.html