Achievement at fighting termites is greatly determined by the means you have chosen. One group of remedies is suitable for subterranean, another will be workable for drywood termites. Which cures to apply to get rid of termites?
Contents:
Repellents
The cheapest approach executes termites on contact and gives very quick effect. But the mound won’t feel the lack of missed workers. The queen will lay more and more eggs and very soon you will see that the solution doesn’t work anymore. This product is ideal for post-treatment procedures.
The main focus is to form a barrier, which will interrupt other termites’ tries to seek forage on humans’ territory.
All repellents are unappealing to termites.
The defense is quite problematic to perform in practice. The liquid is extended unevenly in the mulch, which makes the idea of dissoluble defensive circle impossible. What is more, the substances are extremely toxic for the surroundings. Factually, you create a dead zone nearby the house.
Repellents are completely effortless to drywood termites. The pests inhabit entirely the inner parts of timber and very rarely appear on the surface. Applying them on wood gives nothing beneficial as the treatment doesn’t infuse deep sufficiently to get to the tunnels.
How to Get Rid of Termites: Non-repellents
The cure is more expensive as compared with toxins that kill at once. In our case, non-repellent appliances do not threaten termites. On the contrary, the chemicals possess attractive smell and taste, alluring the pests and encouraging them to consume the poisoned piece. The treatment gradually destroys the insects’ nervous system, resulting in their death in 3-5 days. Within the period, the pests communicate with dozens of their siblings, passing them the mortal food. The target of non-repellent therapy is to get to the main reproductives of the mound. Drawbacks are similar to repellents – extended drilling works, doing harm to the nature plus a longer period of visual effect.
The non-repellent solution will suit drywood termites. But it will demand great work of making burrows in the house wood. To lessen a number of holes, monitor the house and find places with significant termites’ occurrence, where the solution should be applied first of all.
This remedy is appropriate for houses with minimum to an average amount of pests. Treatment of termites holds time, and, though the creatures will die sooner of later, they will manage to chew your apartments during their life. This method does not protect wood at all.
Bait Stations
This is a good solution for those people who suffer from a few termites and aren’t in the mood for making additional burrows inside their houses. The devices will demand the greatest financial investments. The bait stations consist of a container and a chunk of timber-soaked in a termiticide with a prolonged action. Homeowners can install it in their garden or yard against subterranean or Formosan termites. It is possible to fix the station inside the house to struggle with drywood pests.
The station won’t act well if the place of installation is chosen incorrectly.
This device doesn’t spoil the environment. It is absolutely unharmed for home pets and little children. But disadvantages also present. The efficiency of the bait station is fully influenced by termites’ activity. It will start working just when the parasites discover a small “tasty” part of timber.
The station won’t act well if the place of installation is chosen incorrectly.
Successful treatment requires more than one device. The house needs to be surrounded by the stations.
The result can be seen within 3-6 months after right setting.
Very often, house-keepers use the station as an additional measure against current infestation or as a good preventive solution.
Fumigation
It is also called tenting. It is performed by a group of pest professionals. This radical measure suits chiefly drywood termites. Repellent gas is spread inside the building. It penetrates deep into the wood, reaching termites. In order to keep the gas intensity, the house is shielded. After the treatment, the building is aired properly so that to avoid its smell inside.
Fumigation is ideal for big wood enterprises or houses with a high stage of infestation when it is unreasonable to control termites’ population. The treatment costs the biggest money but it is really worthy.
The drawbacks are:
- the necessity to leave the place for 3-5 days. Take away all things, for which the gas will be dangerous or unpleasant food, clothes, and plants;
- unfortunately, even this measure doesn’t give 100% of guarantee that there will be no termites left;
- if the infestation is too big, house-keepers will need another session of fumigation or actions to monitor termites’ activity.
This treatment doesn’t work so well on subterranean and Formosan termites because they retreat into the soil or their nests appear to be quite far from the house. Thus, main reproductives will remain absolutely unharmed, and fumigation will be a waste of efforts and money.
Natural Remedies
They include beneficial measures against termites: orange oil, boric acid, living nematodes, freezing, and heating.
Orange Oil
As termites lead a hideous style of life, simple application and spreading on the surfaces won’t give any effect. This treatment product should get in touch with termites directly. It doesn’t spread evenly in the soil. It is hardly possible to use for subterranean termites. But having appeared inside the wood, the remedy kills the pests. But making holes in the house wood becomes an obligatory necessity. To prepare orange oil, take any citrus skin, properly dried and aired. Put them into a 1-liter jar. Then add vinegar till the upper line and seal the jar. Forget about the remedy for a month. Although orange oil is not as harmful as real chemicals, it is recommended to work with it in protective gloves to avoid skin irritation.
To prepare orange oil, take any citrus skin, properly dried and aired.
Boric Acid
It is another natural remedy against termites. It will cost minimum investments. Liquids with borate are sold in many household stores. Borates, when applied on termites’ skin, cause their irritation, nervous disturbance, dehydration and therefore, death. Moreover, borax crystals stick to termites’ bodies and then spread in the mound, leading to other member’ contamination.
Bora-care products are suitable for all termites and are manufactured in the form of liquids, powders, and foams. Unlike liquids and powders, boric foams impact well on drywood species, soaking deep inside the timber.
Liquids should be dissolved in water as the instruction prescribes. It depends on the borax concentration. Then it is poured into soil trenches, carefully mixing and turning over the mulch. The trench is dug out at the perimeter of the house. Borax can cause skin and eye irritation. You should put on gloves and be careful with it.
Borax crystals stick to termites’ bodies and then spread in the mound, leading to other member’ contamination.
Nematodes
Nematodes hunt on bugs and insects only and they are safe for plants and people.
Care should be taken to the quality of nematodes, which are sold in stores. Look at the expiry date and choose reliable manufacturers to avoid wasting money on dead creatures.
Freezing and Heating
Termites don’t live in areas with cold wintry seasons. Their soft bodies can’t survive in high temperatures as well. This moment is a clue to another natural solution. Freezing can be applied by using liquid nitrogen, while heating is ideal for furniture treatment, which is placed into special chambers with high temperature.
Nevertheless, the effect of methods is very questionable. Subterranean and Formosan species can’t stand freezing but survive in heating because soil protects from overheating. It is also very difficult to spread extremely cold temperatures inside.
Treating the house is a hard work for non-professionals. Natural solutions work rather well when the infestation is low, as well as the level of wood damage is minimal. In other cases, it is wiser to call professional help. Pest companies will monitor and offer you up-to-date products to get rid of termites’ infestation.
