If you think that there’s a termite infestation going on in your house, then it’s crucial that you act fast in seeking comprehensive Termite Control services to eradicate the problem. Finding things like mud tubes or hollow wood are signs that you’re sharing a home with a growing family of termites.
It’s important that you remain vigilant. Termites can cause a lot of damage to homes. The damage cost of termites is estimated to be around $30 billion every year.
The best way for you to get rid of termites is to contact a registered company for help, like Pest Control Experts (or one in your area). However, there are also steps the average homeowner can do in order to slow, stop, or prevent a termite infestation.
Are you interested in learning more? If so, then keep on reading and we’ll take you through how to rid your home of termites.
How to Get Rid of Subterranean Termites
Aside from building compliance issues and drainage problems, termite activity is one of the main problems you really don’t want to have to deal with in your building.
Subterranean termites live in foundational wood and soil. They’ll also take over any piles of compost that you have near your house. These pests create mud tubes in order to travel into your home.
Let’s look at the most effective ways to get rid of them.
Termiticide Barriers
Depending on where you live, you might be able to buy professional-quality termiticide liquids. You apply these products to the exterior of your house in order to make a barrier.
Termites won’t be able to detect the poison, so they won’t try to avoid it. When a termite eats the wood that’s been treated with the liquid, it will die. The poison is able to spread like a virus.
That means then after a termite comes in contact with the poison, it will unwittingly infect the rest of its colony.
Direct Chemicals
Unlike termiticides, direct chemicals can be used inside your house. If you see a termite and want to kill it immediately, then this is the method that you’ll want to use.
You can shoot special foam into crevices, holes, and cracks that you suspect termites are hiding in. The foam doesn’t have any smell. It expands and then evaporates.
After it evaporates, the foam leaves a residue behind that kills termites as soon as they make contact with it.
These chemicals last for around a month.
Termite Baits
Termite baits are an effective method for getting rid of termites. These baits are placed around the exterior of your house. They attract foraging termites and contain a special point.
The poison is slow-acting and disrupts the natural growth of the termite. That means that they’re killed as they attempt to molt.
Because of the delayed action of the poison, the termite that’s infected will bring the toxin back to the colony and share it with the other termites.
Beneficial Nematodes
Nematodes are segmented, microscopic roundworms. They’re natural parasites to termites and many other garden pests. Beneficial nematodes are able to burrow into the body of their hosts.
They then release a kind of gut bacteria that poisons the blood of the termite, killing it within a few days. You can find these nematodes in stores or on the internet.
Apply a mixture of cold water, potting soil, and nematodes to the infested parts of your garden and lawn.
How to Get Rid of Drywood Termites
While subterranean termites live by maintaining contact with soil, drywood termites are able to live in wood. They don’t make mud tubes and are found in warm coastal regions.
Spot Treatment
If you’re dealing with finished or painted wood, then you can drill holes and fill them in order to stop drywood termites. First, you have to drill holes about every ten inches into wood that’s infested with termites.
When you hit the nest, you’ll feel resistance. Then, you want to fill the holes up with termiticide. In order to finish the job, you want to use a putty or wood patch to seal the holes up.
Essential Oils
Neem oil and orange oil can kill termites over time slowly by disrupting their ability to lay eggs or shed their skin. You just need to mix two cups of water with a few drops of dish soap. Then add around ten drops of your chosen oil.
Shake up the mixture and spray it onto wood that’s infested with termites.
Boric Acid
Boric acid is a traditional and powerful technique for getting rid of termites. Many of the termite poisons that you’ll find at the store use boric acid as the main ingredient because it’s so effective.
Boric acid works by drying out the termite and shutting its nervous system down. You just have to spray holes and cracks in ceilings, walls, and floors with boric acid.
The Importance of Knowing How to Rid Your Home of Termites
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better idea of how to rid your home of termites. As we can see, there are several methods that you can use in your home in order to make it free of termites. However, the most effective way to get rid of termites is usually to contact a professional pest control company and have them handle it.
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