Sure enough, woke up a few minutes ago with temp in the house approaching the mid 60's. Thank you CenterPoint Energy!!

I remember reading something about utilities being able to control users thermostats if they were enrolled in energy saving programs. Went into the settings of my ecobee > More > 3 line menu bottom left > eco+ on the top and it has the option to Disable for today, for one week, or indefinitely. I changed it to one week and sure enough, as soon as I did that my heater kicked back on.

I'm aware the grid is taxed at a time like this but a low 70's is reasonable especially when I'm the caretaker for older seniors and the wife is pregnant. Oh if you try to disable indefinitely, you'll have to call your provider to opt-out.

Article about that this summer - https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Texas-power-grid-ERCOT-energy-prices-17308287.php

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Alright, the wife and I are renovating a house in East Downtown. This is not a house we're flipping but ours. It's a 1940's shotgun house with and addition and needs a remodel. We have permits pulled but we're acting as the GC's so looking for some good peeps.

Looking for the following so if you can recommend, it would be appreciated:

• Contractor/Carpenter or Crew for the Addition and remodel
• Electrician
• Plumber

All need to be licensed, bonded and insured.

About 3 weeks ago, I discovered termites at my parents house. Formosan termites to be exact. If you don’t know a single thing about termites, just know that Formosan are the worst. Their colonies can be in the millions and they’re physically a bit bigger than Eastern subterranean termites. That of course took me down the rabbit hole of research and trying to learn all there is about termites. I wanted to share the experience I had with the 4 pest control companies I received quotes from. That and just the general stuff I learned, found online and the opinions I’ve formed.

That being said, I’m about 65% sure on what I’m recommending for my parents to do. I did turn to r/houston in search of posts since I wanted local information. The post from 2 months ago had some recommendations but little more than that. The post before that was about 2 years back.

To preface things, I’m pretty good with fixin things in general. I’m comfortable tearing down, rebuilding and fixing cars, repairs around the house and building computers. That being said, I do respect those that work in a professional trade or have years of experience. So for me personally, I’m weighing the pros and cons of DIY or hiring a pro. Also, the area we’re covering is about 200 sq ft.

BAITS or LIQUIDS, BOTH?:

That is the question. This is a really divisive topic online, whether you’re on a particular pest control company's website, some DIY pest control site or subs here on Reddit. The same goes for YouTube. I did try to find as many YouTube videos from pest control companies that offered both services. I believe they both have their place and actually both work incredibly well.

BAITS:

Essentially, you’re putting stakes in the ground around the perimeter of your house or structure. It could be 10, 15 or more. They’re recommended every 10-15ft with a max of 30ft for something like a driveway. These stakes can contain a wood type product (cellulose) which termites supposedly prefer over the wood in your house. Termites find the product and take it back to the colony, sharing it etc. The active ingredient prevents the termites from molting. This kills off the workers which feed the entire colony hence killing the queen and fam. This can take 30-90 days but professionals say in reality it can be up to 6-months or longer. But it will kill the colony.

Some of these systems come baited with the active ingredient that kills the colony (Sentricon & Trelona ATBS). Trelona offers a similar version to the ATBS called Advance that has un-baited cellulose to just attract the termites. You need to check them, recommended every 90 days for activity. If you spot activity, you replace it for a baited cartridge with the Novaluron to start killing them. It is a slower process but everyone I spoke to including those that don’t sell it said it’s incredibly effective. BUT, the termites do have to find it. You also have to replace the cartridges on a yearly basis regardless of which system you go with.

There are 2 main players in this area, Sentricon and Trelona (a BASF product). These systems do seem to be the more ECO friendly option as liquid chemicals can seep into rivers and nearby water supplies, etc.

• Sentricon - https://www.sentricon.com/en-usThe original player in this game. They funded a lot of the research with an entomology professor Dr. Nan-Yao Su at the University of Florida. Sentricon is ONLY available thru licensed retailers and not available for purchase or use by consumers.This means that if you’re going to go with Sentricon, it’s going to be from a pest control company and subscription based. They’ll come out a few times a year and check the stations, replace the cartridges if needed and you’re looking at $300-$400.Sentricon does offer an above ground bait system which Trelona doesn’t. It’s called Sentricon AG. Basically it’s a box that contains the cellulose product and they stick it on the inside of the house wherever there are active termites. Their website has a lot of slick videos that really give you an easy way of understanding how it works and the advantages they feel their system has over traditional liquid barrier methods.
• Trelona ATBS or Advance (by BASF) - https://pestcontrol.basf.us/products/trelona--atbs.htmlThe products offered by BASF are called Trelona. This is essentially the competitor to Sentricon. They do use similar technologies but from the looks of it, it seems that the Trelona systems are an updated and slightly improved version. The BIG thing is that you as a consumer can buy these directly and they are easy to install.Both systems are great termite killers but as mentioned earlier, the termites do need to find it. You also need something else to treat a live infestation. Even in some of the official Trelona/BASF and Sentricon YouTube videos they recommended pairing the bait system with something else to treat an active area. Trelona DOES NOT offer an above ground bait station like Sentricon does. This question is asked a few times in some of the Trelona Webinars they have posted on YouTube. They say it’s because they have other products that can work with it to treat active areas such as Termidor FOAM. BASF does offer the #1 chemical treatment Termidor so that helps them there.My hunch is they are either working on one or will come up with one if the market requires it. I will say and applaud Trelona and BASF because they have a TON of their hour long or longer webinars posted on YouTube. I got a lot of good information from that. Of course it’s biased in favor of the Trelona product but the research data they provide is enlightening.

Some good links below.

Trelona ATBS Webinar - https://youtu.be/wGmHRDxT-aM

PCT and BASF Technical Training - https://youtu.be/OOpqryAQhdg

MY SUMMARY ON BAITS:

They both work and really work well. Whether you go with Sentricon or Trelona. I correlated the data that was presented in those Trelona webinar and technical training videos with published studies by both Sentricon and Trelona and the data is strong. BASF/Trelona have worked a lot with A&M and their agricultural department. It was also good to know and see some tests that are required by the government to certify these products.For me the Sentricon system is out and therefore any pest control company that exclusively uses it is out. The cost is just way too much, mainly the annual for something you can easily do yourself.

I do like that Trelona has videos posted on YouTube that are really tailored or focused to the pest control professionals. It shows them how much easier, faster, effective and more profitable baits are. A tech can probably do 6-7 houses in the time it takes to do 2-3 houses with liquids, digging trenches and possible drilling. As a small business owner, I’m ok with this to be honest. That is if it works and is guaranteed. Also if it seems fair, I want your business to be profitable but not taking me to the cleaners either.

LIQUIDS (BARRIER TREATMENT):

This topic will be quite a bit shorter because there’s really only one player in the game, Termidor from BASF. They offer quite a few variants but the most widely used is called Termidor SC. Most of the DIY places also sell products which are knockoffs but have the same active ingredients. These products like baits now are non-repellent. That means they don’t want to scare off any termites but want them to continue doing their normal routine without ever knowing they came in contact with poison that they will transfer to other termites. It doesn’t start killing right away but a few hours later which allows them to return to their colony and infect others.

By far the most common method of treating subterranean termites is by creating a chemical/poison barrier. You dig a small trench around the whole perimeter of the house and pour a liquid treatment around the house. You do have to get the mix just right and it is imperative that you create a continuous barrier. If there are any breaks in it, termites will exploit it. That means in areas around the house such as concrete driveways, concrete back patios, etc, holes will have to be drilled in order to get the chemicals/poisons there.

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• Termidor SC (by BASF) - https://pestcontrol.basf.us/products/termidor--sc-termiticide-insecticide.htmlThis is pretty much what everybody that does liquid treatment uses. It’s what goes around the house to create a perimeter and it works badass. They do offer another version called HC that doesn’t have to penetrate the soil as deeply but I believe it acts a bit slower. Termidor SC pretty much kills off everything within 90 days. Every pest control professional that came to the house mentioned how the older chemicals just didn’t work. They would have to retreat after 6-months on many occasions. But since Termidor hit the market, very very few retreats, if any. This can also be sprayed for exposed exterior walls but it is for outdoor use only.
• Termidor FOAM (by BASF) - https://pestcontrol.basf.us/products/termidor--foam-termiticide-insecticide.htmlA product for indoor use. It comes in a small can and you simply spray it into walls and presto, termites are now in contact with Termidor. I do believe it’s a bit less of a percentage of the Termidor but from all the reviews, it works incredibly well. It’s safe for indoor use once it dries. So this is what homeowners/restaurants etc can use for live termites in their walls.

Alright, congratulations, you’re about half way done with my short novel that I’m sure someone else has already posted. But hey, this will be Houston specific below.

Houston Pest Control Companies I received a quote from:

LINK TO SPREADSHEET - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yKPHIU1--taxX0DfzlOnCxGbukiGidcq_5rHm1ioneY/edit?usp=sharing

I did contact a few pest control companies that were mentioned on the post about 2 months ago asking for recommendations. But I turned to Google and chose to get quotes from those with great reviews and that offered free termite inspections/quotes. Spreadsheet below breaking down pricing and what was offered.

Kilum Pest Control - https://killum.com/

Kilum was the first to come out to the house. I’ve seen their trucks for sometime and they have rave reviews on Google. The Technician was named Robert, seemed nice and knowledgeable. It was a rather fast inspection. A Sentricon bait system on the outside with some AG stations on the inside was recommended at $1800 and $389.99 annually. I was like, this is pricey but I guess this is what Sentricon costs. It was the first quote so set the baseline.

Bugs Incorporated - http://www.bugsincorporated.com/

Michael was the technician who came over. I believe he is one of two brothers who own the business. Michael was WAY more thorough in the inspection and noticed termite holes, activity and such that the Kilum guy didn’t even point out. He even went into the attic to inspect things. I will say this, Michael by far seemed very experienced. More than just a sales guy but someone who’s done treatments. They only do liquid treatments so Termidor SC on the outside and spray/FOAM on the inside was the recommended plan. He did require opening up many wall cavities to guarantee we got them all. The quote came in at $1350 plus a $185 annual fee.

Preventive Pest Control - https://www.preventivepesthouston.com/

Did someone say INFRARED! No, all joking aside on day 2 I had Michael from Preventive Pest Control come out. Preventive uses Sentricon with AG stations for their termite treatment. Michael did explain a lot more about the Sentricon system than Robert from Kilum.I always ask people how long they’ve been with the company and their role. Michael was direct and said he started off as a technician in 2003 a year after PPC started and was with them for like 15 years, then left to pursue other things. Came back to the company a few years ago in a different role and said it was good to be back. One thing about Michael’s presentation and why he felt the Sentricon was the way to go was because of some cracks in the slab. He felt that you have to make sure you get each and every crack with the liquid and if you don’t, you’re not going to eliminate the problem.Like Michael from Bugs Incorporated he felt the termites might be established for some time in the house and that baits just work better to get those you can’t see and can’t treat with direct chemicals. They also use infrared readers and some other techy tools which did seem to work from what he demonstrated inside the house. He also said, we can put as many inside local Sentricon AG boxes as you want where we think there might be activity. Preventive’s quote came in at $910 plus 300 yearly. That’s nearly ½ the price of the quote from Kilum and with a better presentation/explanation.

Eco-Pest - https://www.eco-pestinc.com/

Last but not least was Eco-Pest. As a creative and someone who has a creative agency, I can really appreciate their 1 page no frills website. Absolutely out-dated with no fancy visuals but fantastic Google reviews. The thing that attracted me to them is the fact that they offer both Sentricon and TERMIDOR. The hope was that they would offer the best solution based on our situation. The first tech that came out was the son of the owner. He recommended the liquid treatment but asked if I could have his dad the owner come out the next morning to get his feedback.The next morning the owner came out and also recommended Termidor SC on the outside and spray on the inside. He said that Termidor just works so well that this should take care of the problem. He did mention the baits work extremely well but just take longer. Eco-Pest came in at $910 plus $125 annually. They also have a 2-year money back guarantee which was the best I received.

SUMMARY on the HTX Pest Control Companies

Kilum is out simply because it’s way overpriced compared to Preventive. Bugs Incorporated is out because I want to try a less invasive option first and see if that works before opening up walls and such. I would have leaned towards Bugs if we could have tried the FOAM first. I’ve seen reviews just on the can foam eliminating people’s termite problems.

Currently as it sits, I’m leaning towards Eco-Pest because of their experience, reviews, pricing and most importantly, their guarantee. I would have gone Preventive Pest Control but I know ONLY baits take a lot longer to start working and that yearly fee for replacement bait cartridges.

Then of course you have the DIY option which there are many. For me, if I go with DIY it will be with Trelona ATBS or Advance and Termidor FOAM to treat the active areas. This will be between $444 - $545. But then again Eco can do it for $900 and they’re professionals with a 2-year money back guarantee.

Good DIY sites - https://www.domyown.com/ and https://diypestcontrol.com/

I'm currently on a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (MyBlue Health Silver 405) plan. As a self-employed small business owner, the ACA has really benefited me. I've been relatively happy with this plan. Some parts of it are great, some ok, and some suck.

Well, you can shop for new plans or see if you qualify for any tax credits until Aug 15th so I thought I would do that. It seems like Oscar Insurance Company has some great options but I'm not familiar with them. From reddit users, it seems pretty good.

Anyone in Houston have experience with them or currently using them?

Seems like a lobbying effort to promote the widening of I-45. The website doesn't seem to exist and there is no WHOIS registration info. I'm curious what they're advocating for. On the TV ad I saw they're playing the "will help with emergency evacuations", "improve emergency vehicles transit times" cards.

I'm a native Houstonian and I'm not down with this widening movement. It's been proven time and time again that it doesn't improve a damn thing. Nothing like the study that showed within four years of completion, the morning commute on the Katy Freeway was taking 30% longer, and the afternoon commute was taking 55% longer than before the expansion. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) doesn't give a damn about Houston.

First off, I think this Land Bridge and Prarie Project is awesome (https://www.memorialparkconservancy.org/discover/master-plan/land-bridge-prairie-restoration-project/). But I find it really sad that it seems that the construction is impacting a lot of the trails. Even after construction is completed, it seems as though the prairie portion of the project might erase the old trails I've come to love. It's a shame because I hike or bike here 3-4 times a week and don't know of another place as nice within the city limits.

I went mountain biking there a few days ago and most of the inner trails are inaccessible. The only entrance was the Eastern green trailhead. But even this trail was pretty limited. You could connect to some of the inner trails like blue or red but they all dead-ended into some fence or closure. Does anyone know which trails are actually open or closed?

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