How to Get Rid of Termites | DIY Termite Control
Termites can be dangerous for the overall structure of your home. In this guide, you will discover the ‘do it yourself’ steps of how to get rid of termites before they do too much damage. Alternatively, you can use this service to get help from the pros in your area.
If you think that you might have termites in your house, then it’s crucial that you take action as soon as possible. Telltale signs like mud tubes and hollow wood will tip you off that they’re starting to take over. It’s important that you stay vigilant because termites can cause a lot of damage to your property before you even notice that they’re in your home.
In fact, homeowners across the country spend around five billion dollars every year on termite repair and control. If you’re trying to figure out how to get rid of termites, there are several things that you can do.
How Do I Get Rid of Termites?
Some of the most effective methods to get rid of termites include applying termite-killing products to the exterior of your home, spraying boric acid in your floors and walls, setting up termite baits, and using direct chemicals on the inside of your home.
If you want to take the termite infestation on by yourself, then there are many options at your disposal, from organic killers to traditional chemical options.
Getting Rid of Subterranean Termites
First off, you can use termiticide barriers to get rid of subterranean termites. Depending on where you live, you can purchase certain professional-level termite-killing products. You apply these treatments to the exterior perimeter of your house in order to make a barrier.
The termites won’t be able to notice the poison so they won’t try to avoid it. When a termite eats the poison, they’ll quickly die. And when one termite comes into contact with the poison, they’ll end up carrying it around and infecting the other termites in their colony.
You can also use direct chemicals. These chemicals can be used inside your house. You just have to spray these chemicals into the areas where termites tend to hide.
The spray will leave behind a poison that will kill termites as soon as they make contact with it. This poison can last for a month or even longer.
Another effective method is termite bait. Baits are installed around the foundation of the house and attract termites. The baits contain a slow-acting toxin that interrupts termites’ natural growth.
As the termite tries to molt, it will die from the poison. Because it takes a while for the poison to kill the termite, the infected termite will unwittingly infect the rest of the colony with the poison as well.
Homeowners should also consider using beneficial nematodes. These are segmented, microscopic roundworms that are natural parasites to a variety of garden pests, including termites. These worms burrow into their host and release gut bacteria that poisons the blood of the termite.
Getting Rid of Dry Wood Termites
If you’re concerned about dry wood termites destroying your finished or painted wood, then you can utilize the spot treatment method. First, you have to drill holes about every ten inches into the termite-infested wood. Once you hit the nest, you’ll start to feel resistance.
Then, fill up the holes with termiticide. In order to complete the job, use a wood patch or putty to close the holes up.
Neem oil and orange oil are essential oils that can kill dry wood termites slowly over time. They work by inhibiting termites from laying eggs or shedding their skin.
All you have to do is mix two cups of water with around ten drops of the essential oil of your choice and a few drops of dish soap. Shake it all up and spray the mixture onto the infested wood and materials.
Getting Rid of Subterranean and Dry Wood Termites
One of the most common and effective methods for killing termites is boric acid. In fact, boric acid is the main active ingredient in many of the termite poisons that you’re likely to find at the store.
Boric acid works by drying out the termite and shutting its nervous system down. All you have to do is spray the crevices and cracks in ceilings, walls, and floors evenly with the substance.
What Are Termites?
Termites are some of the most destructive pests in the world. These insects mostly feed on dead plant matter, such as soil, leaf litter, decayed wood, and woodchip. Although they’re sometimes referred to as “white ants,” the only real similarity that they share with ants is that both kinds of insects live in colonies.
There are around fifty different species in the United States. The most common kinds of termites found in homes are subterranean termites, damp wood termites, and dry wood termites.
Subterranean termites live in underground nests. Damp wood termites prefer damp environments and enter homes through wood that makes contact with damp soil. Dry wood termites live in coastal areas and don’t need that much moisture in order to survive.
What Causes Termites to Infest My Home?
While all termites like to eat wood, different species have different preferences. As we already noted, some termites prefer moist woods like others prefer dry wood.
Other than wood inside the home, termites are also drawn inside by moisture, cracks in building exteriors, and wood that’s in contact with the foundation of the home. Different combinations of these factors are going to attract different species.
One’s geographic area will also play a part in how likely you are to deal with a termite infestation. Consistent humidity and warm weather make southern residents more likely to experience termite infestations.
What Are The Signs of Termites?
There are several different ways in which you can identify a termite infestation. Unfortunately, you aren’t all that likely to simply see a termite crawling across your wood floor.
You should start by checking your attic, fuse boxes, and all of the joints and cracks in your house. Below are other kinds of evidence that your home is experiencing an infestation.
Hollow Wood
If you tap or knock on your wood and hear a hollow sound or soft thud, then you most likely have termites. You can use a screwdriver to further test the wood. If you press the tool into the wood and it gives easily, that probably means termites.
Mud Tubes
Subterranean termites make mud tubes to connect soil to the wood they eat. These tubes are made out of soil and wood and are as wide as a pencil.
Dry wood termites don’t make mud tubes. So even if you can’t find any tubes in your home, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have termites.
Head Banging
If you hear a strange clicking sound coming from inside your walls, that could mean termites. When soldier termites notice a threat, they tell their fellow termites to bang their heads against the wood and shake their bodies.
Swarm Evidence
Subterranean termites will shed their wings, usually in piles, when they set off to start a new colony. If you notice a bunch of scattered wings, you might have termites.
Peeling Paint
When termites eat through drywall, moisture is able to enter the space between the paint and the surface. This can cause the paint to peel or bubble.
What Are the Dangers of Termites in a House?
One of the elements that keep your home in stable condition is the structural wood. A termite infestation can quickly lead to this wood becoming damaged.
When that happens, you can end up with ill closing windows and doors, cracked walls, and foundation issues. The cost to fix the damage to the structural components of your home can add up quickly.
What Are The Best Termite Exterminators?
Terminix is a company that has been taking care of termite infestations for ninety years. After performing a thorough inspection of your house, paying special attention to access points, Terminix will come up with an individually tailored plan that’s based on findings to both prevent future infestations and eradicate the existing ones.
After they implement their plan with their proprietary Terminix OnGuard Protection and liquid termiticides, a trained specialist will dig a trench in your soil. They’ll also drill through your house’s slab areas so that they can apply the liquid pesticide and make a protective barrier. The specialist will also install bait stations around the exterior of your house.
Terminix will perform a yearly inspection in order to make sure that there aren’t any signs of termite activity. If there are, Terminix will treat your house again for no extra charge.
Orkin has been around for seventy years and they follow a Points of Service approach. That approach includes to investigate, protect, report, and follow up.
After they thoroughly inspect your house, a specialist will write up a recommendation and will include digital diagrams.
To implement their plan, Orkin will use three main kinds of treatments. Their liquid treatment will get rid of existing termites and prevent future ones from showing up. Orkinfoam covers hard-to-reach areas while Sentricon bait treats at-risk locations like trees and soil.
For monitoring, they make a Continuous Termite Inspection Plan and Re-treatment Program to make sure that Orkin will be prepared if termites do happen to come back.
How Much Does Termite Treatment Cost?
A pest control company won’t be able to give you a quote without first performing an inspection. This way, they can see what type of termite they’re dealing with, the severity of the infestation, and the kind of treatment they’re going to have to use.
As we can see, there are a variety of ways to treat a home for termites. And each of those treatments comes with its own costs. Costs will also depend on the size of the infestation, where it’s located, and the method that was used.
The average cost to treat a house for termites ranges from $600 to $2,400. Many residents can expect to spend around $1,500 on chemical solutions. Total costs of termite treatment are going to be affected by the extent of the infestation, the type of foundation, the area to cover, and the size of the house.
What Safe Chemicals Can I Use to Control Termites?
There are two main chemicals that are used to control termites – hexaflumuron and fipronil. Hexaflumuron is the pesticide that’s specifically made to work in termite bait, like the popular Sentricon baiting solution.
Termites find the bait station, pick the poison up, and then leave a trail that indicates where the food source is located to the other termites. The termites will then carry the chemical back to their colony and unwittingly infect and kill all of the other pests.
Fipronil is a chemical that’s specially made to be used as an active ingredient in many different liquid pesticides. When it comes in high enough concentrations, it has the ability to kill termites on contact. Pest control technicians like to apply this chemical around the exterior of the home.
The Importance of Knowing How to Get Rid of Termites
Hopefully, you now have a better sense of how to get rid of termites and what attracts them in the first place. By knowing more about termites, you’ll be able to stop them from coming into your home and you’ll be able to take care of them at the first sign that there’s trouble.
Are you looking for more helpful information or a professional to help you exterminate termites? Get quotes from reliable termite companies in your area.
I noticed some mud lines outside my home, and I think those are signs of termites. It makes sense that I would want to get a professional to get rid of them for me. They would be able to handle this for me to ensure that it’s done right.
When you mentioned that termites can quickly cause ill-closing windows and doors in your house, I remember the time I visited my aunt’s house. Since that house was made mostly out of wood, I thought it was natural that some of those doors would be hard to close since they degrade naturally. However, if termites are causing any trouble there, I’ll need to find a pest control service right away and have them stop by my aunt’s house.
That’s good to know that chemicals are made specifically as pesticides. I would assume those would be effective. I’ll make sure to look into that.
I didn’t know that clicking noises can be termites. I’ve noticed some noise in our basement walls. I’ll definitely do more research about how to get rid of termites.