Any crack or fissure in home foundations or gaps in siding offer termites the opportunity to come inside. Subterranean species build mud tubes in these imperfections and use these to move indoors. Additionally, cracks around windows and doors allow swarmer termites of all species to get inside and start colonies.
During mating season, winged reproductives, called alates, swarm at dusk in the spring months, usually after rainfall, to find a mate and start new colonies. Sometimes termites swarm because the colony has matured to the point where it is no longer manageable and new colonies need to form for the colony to survive.
Termite Colonies Are Huge!
Termites can reproduce extremely fast, this is the second reason why it's so hard to get rid of termites for the average homeowner. Some queens can lay several thousand eggs per day, which means a colony is constantly growing.
Conditions that create moisture and warmth can be appealing to termites. This means that puddles or mulch near the foundation of a home, air condition units that create moisture, woodpiles, or uncleared bushes can all attract termites. Termites can get into the home through extremely small cracks.
How quickly does termite treatment work? Termite bait stations can take months to work, while liquid treatments can take anywhere from a few days to several months.
Boric Acid: Boric acid is a tried-and-true method for killing termites. Many of the termite insecticides you can find at the store use the highly effective boric acid as the main ingredient.
Sodium borate, sold commonly as borax powder, can kill termites – as well as wash your laundry. You can either sprinkle the powder around the affected area, or you can mix it with water and spray it into an area that you believe to be infested.
Soapy Water
Soap and water is another option for short-term DIY termite control. All you need is a few tablespoons of dish soap, a few cups of water, and a spray bottle. The soapy water forms a seal around a termite's body that blocks its ability to breathe and causes it to suffocate.
While it can be difficult to prevent termites completely, using natural methods such as spraying orange oil or orange peel to deter pests around your garden, spreading diatomaceous earth, or spreading boric acid near entry points can all help to prevent termites from entering your home or destroying your garden.
Yes. Swarmers from colonies infesting homes may get trapped indoors after surfacing and fly around looking for an exit. Additionally, since termites are attracted to light, the pests may congregate near open or loosely sealed windows and doors and end up inside.
You can try some of the below DIY methods: Applying liquid or foam termiticides to your home's exterior. Using essential oils or beneficial nematodes as an organic solution. Setting up termite baits to slowly kill the colony.
Why Do Termites Swarm? Termites swarm after their original colony has reached a certain capacity level and is ready to expand. For most colonies, this happens once a year.
In heated homes termites can be just as active in the winter as they are in the summer. During the winter months when termites are less active the most common signs of an infestation include: Mud tubes on the floors or walls. Paint that is bubbling and/or cracked – usually with frass coming out of the cracks.
As we've established before, they do. In fact, termites can wreak havoc on wooden beds and bedding items. Wood isn't the only thing these tiny insects can feed on.
Termites never stop eating wood because they feed on wood to survive. However, it has been found that termites do not like the smell of cedarwood, geranium, tea tree oil, cinnamon, clove bud, and garlic oils. Termites have antennae to smell and communicate for the food source instead of a nose like human beings.
A commonly mentioned substance termites hate can be found even in your kitchen. It's vinegar!
One way to try to deter their activity is to block their access points on or through the foundation. Metal termite shields (Figure 9) have been used for decades to deter termite movement along foundation walls and piers on up to the wooden parts of the structure.
Some inks have a chemical that mimics the pheromone used to mark trails. But not just any ink will peak a termite's interest. Bic and Papermate ballpoint pins with blue ink are some of the best at attracting termites. After numerous studies researchers have found termites aren't attracted to black or red ink.
Although DIY may be tempting, any amount of damage should not be treated yourself. While Google may tell you that DIY home pest control is a quick-fix, termite treatments should be left up to the professionals.
Termidor is a premium termite control product that quickly eliminates termites and provides long term residual control. It has an enviable reputation for being the best termite treatment choice for homeowners and commercial buildings in Australia and around the world.
Studies show that queen termites can live up to decades under ideal climate conditions. Workers and soldiers live approximately one to two years.
Bleach can only be used to kill the termites that you can see. If there are termites living in the walls, floor or roof of your house, you will not be able to get rid of them with bleach.