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It is easy for termites to cause havoc in your house if you fail to regularly check them. Unlike other insects and animals, they do not need hours to damage an item in your house. In fact, it only takes minutes for them to cause damage. The moment you discover what they did, it is already too late. To prevent that from happening, you probably asked yourself this, “how to get rid of termites in my house”. In this article, we will provide ways on how to get rid of termites.
People opt to use commercialized termite treatments. While they are effective in getting rid of termites, they are also harmful because of the harsh chemicals. On the other hand, there are several natural remedies you can do at home. These are inexpensive and very simple to make. Keep on reading to find out more.
How to Get Rid of Termites in my House: What are Termites?
Before we take a look at some of the effective home remedies on how to get rid of termites in my house, it is important to understand what a termite is and what attracts them to stay in your place.
Termites are insects that consist of 5 types. No home is exempted from being a host of this insect primarily because termites feed of cellulose. Unfortunately. it is hard to know at an early stage if there is a termite in your house. Normally, people do not know that there are termites until their furniture of other home items is ruined. They can stay in woods or other materials without any signs that they are actually there.
In addition to that, termites must be tearing away tough cellulose materials. Nevertheless, they will ruin any books that they like. The most common types of termite that you can find at your home are Formosan termite, damp wood termite, dry wood termite, subterranean and co-head termite.
Regardless of your house location, it is always possible to find any of these termites in your house. Among those 5 termites, the most common would be the Drywood termites. This is because Drywood termites feed on wood within the home. And it is possible for every house not to have furniture or an item that is made of wood.
Termites are a consistent threat to every house. While it is possible to get rid of them, there will come a time when you will see some of them again. That being said, it is important to have a termite kit or a pest control plant. Also, unlike other pests. it does take hours for a colony of termite to ruin your home.
How to Get Rid of Termites in my House: Sigs that there are termites in my house
As mentioned earlier, it is kind of hard to determine that there are termites in your house. In most cases. there are no clear indications that they are in a wood or other wood materials. However, experts reported that if you notice a winged variety that is trying to get away from your house, chances are, they are termites, and you must immediately get rid of them. Otherwise, it might be too late.
You will most often see them in the windows and doors, but they can still be anywhere in your house. Furthermore, it is also common if you discover a winged variety on the furniture made of wood. This is very common especially in the start of Spring season.
Good news, you need not wait for Spring to confirm that you termites in your house, below are some of the signs to look for in termite infestation. You can look for these signs all year round to get rid of a possible colony of termites.
Paint that has a crack or a bubble
When checking for some termite infestation, you might want to look for paint with a crack or a bubble. If you notice some, it is possible that there are termites. The explanation behind this is that termites eat on the surface so they aim for the interior. Hence, the bubble. Normally, this what the waste of the termite is called. In some cases, the walls can also crack in a different way.
Solid Wood Sounds Different
Termites will feed out the interior of a wood material like a bunny. If that happens, the sound of the wood is hollow. Try tapping on the wood and if it leaves an echo sound, then the wood might be infested by termites.
Look for Mud Tubes
Another sign of possible termite infestation is if there are mud tubes outside. The tubs of a termite is different from that of a wasp tube. The latter will most likely stay in place but the termites will spread on the surface.
Natural Ways on How to Kill Termites in My House
Now that you know what a termite and you confirmed that there is termite infestations in a wood, you can try these ways on how to kill termites in my house. While there are plenty of termites killer available in the market, they are not always necessary especially if you can do these home remedies. Unlike chemical treatments, these are inexpensive and very easy to do at home.
*Nematodes
One of the ways on how to kill termites at home is with the use of nematodes. If you are not familiar with nematodes, they are worms that love to get rid of termites. It is most likely you do not have these at home but you can order online or buy at a store.
To use nematodes to get rid of termites, just put them on the surface where there is termite infestation. Then that is it, just wait for them to do their work. You will be surprised how many termites these worms can munch. What is great about these worms is that they will reproduce until there are no termites left on the surface.
Nematodes are effective in treating moderate termite infestation. However, if you think that the infestation is extreme, you might need to seek for a professional service.
*Vinegar
You have probably heard plenty of times that vinegar are commonly used as a home remedy to get rid of pests like rats. And yes, they are effective on termites too. This home remedy is very simple and can be done by whenever you discover that there is an infestation of termite.
To use a vinegar, combine equal amounts of water and vinegar and put it in a spray bottle. It is important to use a spray bottle for equal distribution of the solution on the surface. Make sure the wood or material is coated with the solution.
*Orange Oil
Did you just discover a termite infestation at your home? And you do not have vinegar or nematodes, then you should check for some orange oil as they are proven effective to get get rid of termite colonies.
You might be wondering what makes orange oil a natural remedy for termites. Orange oil is made up of d-limonene, which can kill termites. The only problem with this remedy is that the oil can be difficult to extract from the orange. To save you time, you can just buy the oil online or at garden stores.
In addition to that orange oil ruin the exoskeleton of termites. This will then result to lack of moisture and protein that will lead to the death of the termites. To use the orange oil, simply spray the oil on the surface that you think might be infested by the termite. Also, you can spray the oil even if there are not termites on it. This will prevent the pest from infesting the surface.
With that, you can spray an orange oil every day on the surface that is prone to pest infestation. This will prevent not only termites but other pests as well.
*West or Moist Cardboard
Like other pests that are attracted to moist surfaces, you can use the moisture to attract the termites and eventually get rid of it. Remember, termites love water and cellulose. To use this remedy, simply some water on the cardboard and place it near the infected surface. The termites will be so happy with that eat all you can buffet.
Why should you do this? Well if you confirmed that there are termites in your house, why not lure them on this certain area. In that way, it will be easy for you to keep them away or kill them all at once without worrying that there might be other termites in your house.
When you think that all the termites are feasting on the cardboard, you can burn the cardboard or you can also use the vinegar or orange oil solution on the surface. To totally get rid of them, we recommend burning the cardboard. If you discovered another colony of termites, repeat the process.
*Make use of sunlight
Don’t have any of the above products? Opt to us the sunlight because termites hate it. As a matter of fact, they will die if they are exposed for a long period of time. If you think that your cabinet or any wood furniture at home is infested with termites, just drag them outside your house and place them in an area where there the sun is out. Let them for several hours.
If it is summer, then it should not take several hours to kill the termites under the sun. In the case of a structure that you cannot drag outside your house, you can just set up a UV light to shine on the surface to get similar results. However, the process may take a while since you are using artificial sunlight.
*Barrier
Ideally, you must have a perimeter barrier. If your house does not have one, you can always install one. But since the process is complicated, expect that the cost is expensive. The process involves digging a stretch that surrounds your house so that the termites will not pass through your house. When the proper materials are set up, the perimeter barrier will keep termites from reaching your house.
*Use of high quality foam
When treating indoor termites, you may use high-quality foam such as Termidor foam. This type of foam is proven effective in getting rid of termites. You can instantly use this on wall and other surfaces where there is termite infestation.
What is great about this, is that it has been used by several restaurants and other food establishments. That being said, it can work perfectly at any home to alleviate termite problem. After using this kind of treatment, make sure that you seal the void especially if you have pets and kids at home.
How to Prevent Termites at Home
Now that you have a list on how to get rid of termites in my house, you don’t always want to wait until the termite infested your cabinets and furniture. You should also know how to prevent termites from invading your home.
- Termites are most likely to attack your home when it is raining. Make sure that your furnitures will not get wet from the rain. Also do not let the water pool up on the foundation. After the rain, check for pool of water outside your house and immediately get rid of them. This is most likely where the termites will gather.
- Regularly cleaning your gutter system is also one way to prevent termites in your house. If you have clogged gutters, it will surely leak. As a result, it will a water source that is close to the foundation of your home. If the gutter system release water outside your house, make sure that there are bins instead of allowing to sit the water in the soil.
- Maintaining a great airflow at home is very important. Remember that termites are attracted to moisture. To prevent moisture build-up, there must be good air circulation in your home.
Final Words
We hope that some of these tips on how to get rid of termites in my house are helpful. While most these remedies are effective in getting rid of such pests, it is also important to prevent the occurrence of termite colonies. On the off chance, the situation is worse and cannot be treated by the above-mentioned methods, it would be better to seek professional service because proper chemicals might already be needed.
