How To Get Rid Of Termites

Termites are a headache to deal with. There are two main ways that termites may come to infest your house (assuming they weren’t already there in the first place); by air and through the ground. A drywood termite infestation typically occurs when an existing colony sends out flying termite swarmers. Once these swarmers find a wooden crevice in your home, they shed their wings, carve out a little nest, and begin laying eggs to start a brand new termite colony. On the other hand, subterranean termites, whose colonies are underground, may enter your home through its foundations. As these termites forage for food, they may stumble upon a rich new food source – your house. Subterranean termites commonly build mud tunnels over foundation walls to access the wooden parts of the structure. Subterranean termites are responsible for 95% of termite damage in the United States. That is why we suggest you get in touch with Competitive Pest Services as soon as you suspect you may be dealing with a termite infestation.

Signs of Termites

You may be wondering what do termites sound like? One sign of termites is clicking sounds coming from your walls. Soldier termites bang their heads against the wood or shake their bodies when the colony is disturbed to signal danger to the other termites. The worker termites, which are the ones who love eating your woodwork, are noisy eaters. If you put your ear close to any wood infested by termites you can hear them munching away. A key sign of termites, and in particular drywood termites, is frass termite droppings. This indicator of an infestation is something that is always looked for during a termite inspection. Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites don’t use their feces to build their tunnels. Instead they push their poo out of small holes near the entrances to their nest. This results in small black marks and a dark powdery substance in and around the area in which they are infesting. Another common sign of termites is the discarded wings. Flying termites lose their wings shortly after finding a mate. Male and female termites pair up then crawl to a suitable nesting site where they seal themselves in to mate and start the new colony. The king and queen start off by caring for their young until there are enough workers to take over. The king continues to tend for the queen and the pair can live together in the growing colony for over ten years. Killing termites can be tricky if you attempt to fix the problem in the wrong way. It is vital to identify your enemy and do some research online to have the best chance of resolving a dispute with termites. There are a few ways in which to find out if the dreaded termite is nearby in your property. here are different kinds of termites that can infest your home: Drywood termites, subterranean termites, and dampwood termites. Before taking any measures to eradicate termites from your home, it’s wise to determine whether you have an infestation and identify what type of termites you’re dealing with. Here are some tell-tale signs that termites might have made themselves at home:

Mud tubes

Have a look around the foundations of your house, including wall edges and posts, and if you find mud tubes, you likely have an infestation of termites. These mud tubes look like thin brown tracks made of dirt or mud, and run along flat surfaces. According to Danny, mud tubes “protect termites from light and ants”, so they can safely travel back to their colonies. Mud tubes are a good indication that you have a termite infestation.

Wings

When termites discover a good spot to dig into the wooden structures of your home, they will shed their wings. So if you find wings scattered around window sills or doorways in your house, an infestation may be about to start (or has already begun). Discarded wings are a tell-tale sign that you already have a termite problem.

Damaged wood

Wood damage can be seen in various forms; the wood may be visibly eroded, or it may sound hollow when tapped. Tap the wood in and around your home to determine if it is hollow. If it is, or the wood is already visibly damaged on the outside, your house is likely already subject to termite infestation. Look around your house for signs of wood damage. Wood damage is a definite sign of a serious termite infestation.

Droppings

Termite droppings in and around your home indicate that drywood termites are eating the structures of your home. These droppings will likely be found close to wood that has been eroded by termites.

DIY Termite Treatment

Liquid termite barrier – This method will not only kill the termites already present in your house, but it’s a good preventative method too. The idea behind a liquid termite barrier is to completely surround your house in a pesticide barrier that will poison termites upon contact. While it is commonly used around the entire foundation of the home, it can also be used around specific wooden structures, wood piles, or tree stumps.

Poisoned bait – For some people, the liquid barrier treatment, though undeniably effective, is a little too radical for them. They might not view their termite problem as too serious, or perhaps they do not feel comfortable with having gallons of pesticide being sprayed around their home. For such individuals, we recommend using poisoned bait. You don’t have to spray pesticides around your home; the bait will attract foraging termites that will then spread the poison back to the colony.

Professional pest control companies are also experts in detecting termite infestations and assessing its severity. While we described the signs of an infestation that you can use to spot one, the fact is that their experience will give them the edge on really evaluating the severity of the infestation.

What to expect from a Termite Treatment

What can you expect from a termite treatment you may be asking well it’s a good question. Termites can be rather tricky to deal with and therefore there is often a multi pronged approach when attempting to deal with them. The best thing you can do first of all is assess the situation how much damage has been done?, Have the termites infiltrated multiple areas? Are they increasing rapidly in numbers? if you manage to keep note of what effect they are having on your property you will be able to have a better idea of what needs to be done going forward. Many peoples first port of call is a homemade option when dealing with termites. You can see a few options listed above. Both liquid termite barriers and termite baits are good options but in some cases more help will be required this is where you should get in contact with a pest control agency and start exploring your options.

How To Prevent Termites

Prevention is always a better alternative then cure so it is extremely important to make sure you have a plan to deal with termites before they become a problem. With this being said here are a few tips to use

1. Get Rid of Moisture: Moisture is one of the main reasons that attract all kinds of pests including termites into your home. Getting rid of excess moisture in your home will help in keeping termites at bay. If you live in a humid environment, investing in a dehumidifier can help. In summers, you can switch on the air conditioner periodically during the day to maintain a cool temperature in the house and remove excess moisture from the air indoors.

2. Fix Leaks: Pay attention to any leaks or decay in your house. Decayed roofs and moisture-laden walls work as perfect hosts for termites. Fix and seal the leakages promptly and carry out frequent inspections especially in basements or dingy corners of your house. These spots usually get overlooked and are the first ones to attract pests. A leakage in the basement can be especially inviting since it is closer to the ground and makes it easier for termites to attack the spot.

3. Declutter Your House: Whether you have hired professionals for a termite or bed bug treatment, it is important to carry out a decluttering drive in your house. Pay special attention to useless papers, cardboards, old magazines and newspapers since these provide a great environment for pests like termites to thrive. If one of your rooms has been attacked by termites, make sure to never take the stuff including furniture stored in that room to other parts of your house that are not affected by the termites.

Natural Termite Control

There are a many natural options surprisingly when dealing with termites, One of the most natural of all being sunlight, if Termites have no place to hide they will often perish in direct sunlight after a while so if you have a piece of furniture you suspect to be infested with termites, you can drag it out into the yard to bake in the sun for a bit.

Another option is Orange oil, orange oil is made mostly of d-limonene, which is deadly to termites. The oil is derived from orange peels, and you can buy it from home improvement or garden stores, as well as online. Orange oil causes the exoskeletons of termites to dissolve, which causes them to lose moisture and proteins and then to die. Spray the oil directly onto termites or on areas where you suspect termites to be. You can also spray the oil to deter termites from coming into the area. Therefore, spraying it regularly is a good way to keep your home free of termites, whether you currently have any or not.

Vinegar is a common place item in many homes. Not only can you use it to clean everything from your kitchen counter to shower, but you can also use it to kill termites. Just mix up a half a cup of it with the juice from two lemons, and you’ve got your termite killer. Put it in a spray bottle and spray the mixture around the area where you suspect the termites. The acidic substance will kill the termites on contact. Make sure you spray regularly to catch any termites you didn’t get with the last treatment.

In conclusion there are many ways to deal with termites and likely it will always be a case by case basis when it comes to treating a termite problem, one thing that remains the same though is the need to do your due diligence and find options that best work for you. Hopefully there will be parts of this article that will aid you in your crusade against the tiny terrors known as termites.

Get In Touch with the Experts

Here at Competitive Pest Services, we have 25 years of experience and have won the the award for Australia’s Best Pest Control Service – FOUR times over.

We offer Pest Control Services in Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Sydney’s Northern Beaches, as well as Pest Control Services in Brisbane. Get in touch today by calling our friendly expert team on 1300 766 614.