Question
Any way to fight termites outside so they don't come inside? Primarily looking for organic (non-insecticide) treatment(s).  Geo. W.

Answer
If you're looking to do biological warfare with Termites, you can't go wrong with Steinernema.

'How Nematodes Kill Termites' by Jerry Cates, posted at his website Bugs In The News (which is dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson), points out that 'Certain entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are efficient biological control agents that can be used against subterranean termites.'

These and other parasites have a promising future as space-age exterminators.  Mr Cates notes, 'Tests using EPN as inoculums in nematode-optimized termite interceptors (NOTI) indicate that they reliably suppress even large, vigorous termite colonies.'

One trick seems to be finding a way to cultivate the taste for Termites among the Steinernema nematodes.

Mr Cates notes: 'EPN producers operating within a limited geographic area may, by rearing their EPN on local termite fauna, succeed in producing strains of unusual efficacy for their locale, making their EPN products more valuable than those obtained from other sources.'

Here's the link:

http://www.bugsinthenews.com/How%20Nematodes%20Kill%20Termites.htm

Another key is knowing how to ensure the survival of the fragile nematodes.  Some are destroyed simply by Sunlight or by the warmth of a Summer day.  Most need moisture and cool temperatures, but they are not mobile enough to escape adverse conditions -- or seek good ones.  And the lifespan of many is very short.

The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides collects information on these things to make them accessible to more people.  They post some serious, honest data on their Termites Pages:

http://www.pesticide.org/factsheets.html

You'll need Adobe Acrobat to read some of it.

Termites inside the home are another matter.  California's Environmental Health Coalition posts a very detailed, comprehensive page on the state of the art in Termites treatment.  Many of these treatments are organic:  Microwaves, Boric Acid, Electrocution and Fungal pathogens for the ones in the walls of your house (Dry- or Damp-wood Termites); Nematodes, Dry Sand particles and Metal Mesh Screens for the ones in the garden (Subterranean Termites).  Here's the url:

http://www.environmentalhealth.org/fs-termite.html

Subterranean Termites depend heavily on sources of moisture to thrive.  These are the ones that build tiny mud tunnels on the surface of your foundation or in corners - the ones Termites inspectors look for.

Their colonies number in the MILLIONS and the damage they do can be very hard to find.  Sometimes they just inhabit an old tree stump or felled tree branches.  And sometimes they just move right into your house.

The University of California/Santa Clara Coop Extension
explains the termites problem in California - bear in mind this may vary from your own problems: 'Control of the Subterranean Termite consists primarily of destroying the tubes and then preventing the Termites from reaching the foundation by physical and/or chemical barriers. Fumigation is never used as a control.'  Here's the link:

http://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/termites.html

There is ongoing work on biological Termite control.  But nothing definitive yet.  More progress has been made on ridding wood structures with microwaves and other new methods.  In the garden around your wood house, where termites are part of a healthy food chain, less is known.  But they're getting there.  Thanks for writing.