Sagging floors and hollow wood, Termite shelter tubes, Blow holes in trees, Earthen packing, Piles of termite frass in or around the home, Presence of wings, and mud tubes are all indicators of a termite infestation. If you have noticed any of these signs, you need to take protective control measures to ensure you are safeguarded from further damage.
Types of Termites:
Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termites live in the soil and build large nests in them. They usually affect trees and structural timbers. Once they infest, they are also capable of gaining access to your furniture through termite tubes created around the structure. Here’s what you can do to combat a subterranean termite infestation:
- Boric acid
Coating or spraying infected areas with a diluted boric acid solution are one of the most common methods to prevent termite damage. Boric acid is a natural insecticide and also works as a low toxicity wood preservative, thus allowing you to protect your furniture while naturally eliminating termites from it. - Nematodes
Nematodes are worm species that are commonly used to eradicate termite infestations in the soil as they are not harmful to plants, humans or pets. They only concentrate on pests like termites and destroy their colonies in no time. Nematodes can kill termites within 48 hours of contact and can be introduced to the environment by mixing them in water and spraying the infected area with the solution.
- Bug bombs
Bug bombs consist of liquid insecticide and are available in pressurized aerosol cans in any provision store. Bug bombs have the ability to kill termites upon contact.
Dry-wood Termites
Drywood termites do not require contact with the soil and are typically found in wood, hardwood floors and timber. While dry wood termites cause damage at a slower rate as compared to the subterranean termites, these species are widely responsible for internal damage, i.e., furniture and flooring damage.
- Orange oil
Orange oil is simply the extract from the orange peel which can be used to treat a variety of insects due to its capability of destroying the insects’ cell membranes. - Sunlight
Sunlight is the most cost-effective way to kill termites. Since termites thrive in darkness, exposing them to light and heat can help. While it is a slow process, it is still extremely effective. - Termite Baits
Another popular option is a termite baiting system which can be found at any provision store. It simply needs to be placed on the ground in order to get started.
As you can see, there are various options that can be used to eliminate termites. In some cases, you might need to enlist the help of a professional and get a fumigation done to combat the problem, while in others, a DIY solution might work.