I really think that you do not have a termite problem in your grass. Here is how you may be able to tell if it is an insect problem. Mix 2 oz. dishwashing liquid in 2 gallons of water; add the juice of a lemon for a more dramatic effect. Mark out a 2'x1' area of turf to include the good and bad. Pour the mixture VERY SLOWLY over the grass. You want it to go down, not to run off the marked area. After a while bugs will start to come to the surface. Collect them in a jam jar and get them identified. If harmful ones are identified, you can decide on control measures. Indeed, if you can describe the symptoms or post a photograph of them, you might get all your answers right here.

They are the termite from what the exterminator say and the picture I have seen on the web. The exterminator said he has never seen them eating the grass roots before. I can post a picture of them if you can tell me how. We are also seeing them in our vegetable garden now.

Here is a picture of what they I have found on the web.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:95240}}

Don't know who you talked to, but that seems like an outrageous charge for treating insects. Have you tried terminex or any of the other chains? Also, they sell home kits with lawn spikes for about $60.

My sister own termite control business and i can tell you that treatments are expensive! I asked her husband about it and he said that the poison he puts out last for 8 years around the house as long as they don't get disturbed (gardening). It's about 8 inches wide barrier.

Bayer termite killer plus is about $20 at lowes. It only lasts a couple of months (not years like the pros.) If you are doing it yourself, get some of the bait station traps to monitor them to make sure they don't get too close to the house.

home depot sells a termite treatment that will last 5 years made i believe by ortho it is expensive but compared to that quote very cheap. i think for like 80 dollars it will cover about 60 feet.

Are you sure these aren't grubs? Grubs eat grass roots.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grubs

The picture shows termites but please note that the body - excluding the head - is fairly straight or unsegmented. Are the creatures in your lawn similarily built or can you see a waistline? If you can, then it is probably not a termite. I have absolutely no reason to question your powers of observation but this difference has fooled spray technicians with many years experience.

I know this post is way old, but I just wanted to post this article since there seems to be a lot of ignorance on the subject. There are indeed a type of termites that do not eat wood. They are called agricultural termites and eat dead grass, and we have them in our backyard. If you want to prevent them entirely make sure you have a healthy lawn. If you're in my situation where you don't have time to both repair your sprinkler system and overseed before it gets too hot, you can treat your lawn to prevent any further damage. This article has more specific information:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8708416_termites-grass.html

That direct link seems to fail at the underscore. You have to copy the entire link and paste it into your browser. Or let's see if this HTML coding works.

Click here

Basically it sounds like the only treatment you need for those termites is to water. They live in the desert where it's dry. Presumably if you water they will go away.