Where footings are exposed, the treatment is performed next to the footing but not below the bottom of the footing. Soil around sewer pipes and conduits and all other structural members in contact with the soil must also be treated. The insecticide must be mixed with water as required on the pesticide label and applied at the rate of 4 gallons per 10 linear feet, per foot of depth. It is possible to trench around the outside of a slab after it has been poured, but this alone usually will not give satisfactory termite control because the termite colony may be entering the structure from the soil under the slab. In addition, concrete slabs usually have many other points of entry such bath traps, plumping outlets, etc.
Slab construction requires a lot of time and labor when treating for termites.
Slab construction often will require precise drilling to block all termite entry points. Slabs must be drilled vertically along all cracks and construction joints at 12-inch intervals and no more than 6 inches from the foundation. The soil below the slab must be treated from the bottom of the slab to the top of the footing. This method of drilling and treating is also used for dirt-filled porches and stress cracks sometimes found in slabs. This type of treatment involves applications of termiticides directly to wood to eliminate existing termite infestations or to make the wood resistant to termites.