The idea of foaming for termite control really took the industry by storm a 10 or 15 years ago. This brand new way of dealing with termites was all the rage and you weren’t considered ‘serious’ about termite work unless you performed this service. All sorts of foam machines hit the market as manufacturers tried to cash in but prices were high. At well over a thousand dollars only the larger companies could get them and the single operators were once again left out and stuck behind the times.
Hasty Pride?
Some companies touted their modern machinery as an edge over other companies and you could see them scooting all across town with there bulky machines tied down on the open tail gates of their trucks. NO termite job was deemed ‘complete’ or ‘up to professional standards’ unless foam was used somewhere in the job. In the end I don’t believe the foam machine lived up to the hype. Not that foaming isn’t a good thing-it is. But as happens so often in this industry I love, the thrill of foaming lost it’s luster when owners realized that it took way more time than they had planned on. It seemed just as suddenly as foam was an overnight MUST-it just as quickly became a forgotten oddity that really wasn’t needed. It reminds me of a certain termite bait system that came out around that time. This ‘end all’ termite treatment was the answer to all our termite whoas. Again, those of us not fortunate enough to get into the ‘click’ sat on the sideline and endured the Fred Flintstone references. Just like the foam machines, you don’t see either much anymore. ( Thank you Termidor; )
A Valuable Relic
Still, foaming is a great way to introduce termite chemical into wall voids, galleries or other inaccessible areas where standard methods won’t do. It may only be a few times per year but I still have to dust off the old foam machine, tie it down on the tailgate and tackle some termites in unconventional situations. I shot this video at a recent job and I think you’ll get a good idea of foaming for termites.
