So termites have infested your home or property, and you would like to control and remove them? Then we are happy to inform you that you have landed on the right page. Out of all the insects & pests that disturb homeowners, a few are as dangerous as termites. These small creatures can single-handedly ruin & destroy the largest investment you’ve ever made in a few years. Now that they’re already in your home/property, it’s necessary that you eradicate them immediately.
Step-By-Step Guide on How-to-Get Rid of Termites
Step 1: Check for Signs of the Infestation
Tracking down termite infestation can be tricky because you may not be able to see the direct evidence of the invasion. Holes in woodwork, sagging floors as well as hollow parts of your foundation are some of the serious warnings of signs of termites. Take a flashlight and a screwdriver to the basement and check the crawlspaces & foundation beams simply by tapping the wood (to check hollowness) and pushing the screwdriver into the wood (to test strength.)
Note: When you’re performing the examination you are likely to see the termites, their nests and/or wastes- a clear indication that there is a termite infestation.
Step 2: Determine the “Type of Termites” that Have Attacked Your Home/Property
Generally, there are 2-types of termites that infest homes; subterranean termites- found in the soil & the wood, and dry-wood termites- thrives solely in wood. Subterranean termites do cause more damage to a home than the dry-wood termites and may require the best treatment methods.
Step 3: Try General Termite Treatment Methods
i. Use a Cardboard Trap
Wet a couple of flat cardboard strips, stack them on top of one another and then place them in the infested areas. This makes a great spot trap since termites love cellulose (cardboard). You can take the cardboard out and burn it once it’s infested with termites.
ii. Expose Everything Made of Wood to Sunlight
If termites infested other properties, such as your furniture, then you can expose them to sunlight. The light & heat from the sun will kill the termites. Just make sure that you place the items outside for a long as possible.
iii. Freeze the Termites
During the rainy seasons, you can freeze your furniture to kill the termites. You simply need to place the parts or pieces of your wooden furniture & items into a big freezer for 2 to 3 days.
iv. Try Using Beneficial Nematodes
These are small, unsegmented worm species, well known to be natural parasites to some garden pests, including termites. They search for hosts like a termite larvae, and then burrow into them, causing death within just 48 hours. Once the hosts are dead, nematodes use their carcasses for spawning. You can get beneficial nematodes online or from local garden supply stores in your area.
Step 4: Apply Professional Methods
i. Purchase & Use Termite Control Products
There are a variety of termite control products available online and at the local hardware supply stores in your area- including liquid terminate-killing products (like Ortho Home Defense Max) and the ones that can be used with termite baiting control methods (such as Spectracide Termite Stakes).
ii. Use Boric Acid
Boric acid is another effective insecticide that can be used as bait. It shuts down the termite’s nervous system and dehydrates it as well. You can spray or coat wood and other cellulose material with boric acid and plant the bait either in the garden near your house or in an open infestation. After some time, you’ll start seeing termite carcasses nearby.
iii. Microwave Spot Treatment
Heat kills termites, so you can have your house heated to a high temperature. Note that the tools required for this job aren’t available for purchase by everyone. This means that you’ll have to contact a professional.
iv. DIY Professionally
You can buy the same products used by the pros online, and use them to kill termites. Termidor SC or Taurus SC are the perfect examples. These are applied as liquid around the exterior perimeter of a home. For indoor treatment solution, get Termidor Foam.
v. Hire a Pro
If you think that the termite infestation is too big for you to handle, or if you’re afraid that you might not get it right, then you can hire a professional extermination service, such as Miller Pest and Termite.
Summary
Termites are highly secretive and difficult to identify without specialized training. Also, most DIY termite treatment methods are ineffective when it comes to moderate-to-severe termites problems, and won’t prevent termites from re-infesting your home or property. We recommend that you contact a pest control professional like Miller Pest and Termite, who not only use the right termite treatment methods, but also apply them in the safest manner possible.