Ed Martin, owner of Terminix Services in Metairie, La., says core drilling is the only way to install the Sentricon® System in cities with little to no green space.
“In New Orleans, you have what we call the old city, which is very European,” Martin says. “The houses are all connected with a common wall or there’s a small alleyway in between. Sometimes, there’s a small courtyard in the back, but everything is made of brick.”
In the suburbs of New Orleans, homes may have a small front lawn and a driveway on one side of the house, but there’s no soil in between the driveway and the house. “In these types of situations, core drilling allows us to do a complete job around a building,” Martin explains.
Joe Martin, commercial technician for Terminix Services, talks about the importance of planning and setup before the drill touches the ground.
“First, we mark where the core drills will go with marker or pavement chalk,” he explains. “We use 10-foot intervals to ensure that we do not have to core an auxiliary station when we find live termites feeding on a regular monitoring station. Ten-foot intervals also increase the probability of termites randomly foraging for food at one of the monitoring stations.”
They also work with a local company that checks for water lines, gas lines and underground electric, marking those areas with orange paint.
“Once everything is marked, we use a generator to power the electric drills, which are hooked up to a hose and attached to the nearest water source,” Martin says.
“It’s important to evaluate the situation first,” adds Chris Caire, vice president of DA Exterminating in New Orleans. “Some buildings or homes require core drilling all the way around, while others only need one or two core holes in a sidewalk or driveway. We core drill only when we have to and always assess the area first.”
Earl Brown, supervisor at DA Exterminating, oversees all of the company’s core drilling.
“We use the Hilti DD 200 drill for coring holes,” he says. “There are smaller models, which we’ve used in the past, but when you’re drilling 300 to 400 holes a year, a larger model should be used.”
He also recommends using specific drill bits. The black bits yield more mileage (50 to 70 holes) versus the orange bits (35 to 50 holes). However, if a technician is drilling through asphalt, Brown would recommend using a softer bit specifically designed for asphalt.
DA Exterminating educates its customers on core drilling benefits.
“We want our customers to understand the need for core drilling, so we always explain the process beforehand,” Caire says. “The customer appreciates those kinds of details. It simplifies the process and makes the technician’s job easier.”
For more information, check out Concrete Coring Tips by the City of New Orleans Mosquito & Termite Control Board, or contact your Dow AgroSciences sales representative.
