mo wrote:
Any of the products available at local
home improvement store any good at keeping
termites away from house?

Just about anything will kill termites, even exposure to air.
(if you can find them, the colony can be up to 200' deep)

Keeping termites from eating your house is not easy, though.
Your best bet is a perimeter bait system like Terminex uses.
The kits used to be available at Depot, but I haven't seen them recently.
You don't want termites near your house, if you can prevent it.
Remove any shrubs and tree's within 5' of your foundation walls.
Mulch, fireplace logs, construction lumber or cellulose of any kind near
your foundation will attract them into your house.

My approach may sound extreme, (but works) I'm a carpenter not a landscaper.
I don't care how well your landscape looks, I just don't like to see the
destruction caused by termites to a house, and I've seen plenty!

Just my $00.2 opinion

Dan