Tea Tree Oil & Other Essential Oils If you want to avoid termites at home, you can use essential oils, such as cinnamon oil, clove bud oil, or the famous tea tree oil. To use them properly, all you have to do is to fill them in a mist sprayer and spray on the damaged areas to repel termites.
What Do We Know About The Smells Termites Hate? Clemson University scientists reported that 'Termites hate smells of cedarwood, geranium, and tea tree oil. It has also been found that clove bud, cinnamon, and garlic oils can also repel termites.
Vetiver oil proved the most effective repellent because of its long-lasting activity. Clove bud was the most toxic, killing 100% of termites in 2 days at 50 micrograms/cm2.
3. Peppermint Oil. As with standard mint, peppermint oil is incredibly intense and will keep termites at bay.
Our results show that while strongly diluted lavender EO is extremely effective against wood-feeding insects “such as termites”, only much higher concentrations might be effective for wood protection against wood-decaying fungi52,85.
Some of the all-natural methods used to prevent termites include orange oil, cardboard traps, diatomaceous earth, and boric acid. These all may be effective to repel termites, but they will not be effective to control an active termite problem.
Some oil such as linseed have no or little biological activity. However, jatropha, jojoba, neem and Eucalyptus oil have been reported to have toxicity, antifeedant activity and repellency against many insects including termites (Batish et al.
Vinegar diluted in water or vinegar mixed with lemon juice is the most powerful homemade termite killer recipe other termite solutions for home, depending on your tastes, are also available. After you've made the solution, spray it throughout the house in any areas where termites might be hiding.
Borate wood preservative defends wood against termite attack and other wood-decomposing organisms. The preservative is absorbed into wood and acts as a barrier that termites cannot cross, eliminating wood as a food source.
A commonly mentioned substance termites hate can be found even in your kitchen. It's vinegar! The problem is, it's difficult to permeate this smell through any interior wood where termites could hide, and the liquid could risk weakening dry wood further.
Place coffee grounds around the foundation of your home in areas where insects or other pests are entering, or mix them in with mulch while doing landscaping to help keep ants and termites from infesting your mulch bed.
White vinegar is another effective substance for killing termites and other insects. There are multiple ways you can use it: Straight. Diluted in water using a 1:1 ratio.
Leaky pipes, improper drainage, and poor airflow all create moisture issues that attract termites. Dampwood and subterranean termites in particular thrive in humid environments. While dampwood termites prefer water-damaged wood, subterranean termites are unable to live unless surrounded by enough moisture.
Vinegar's acetic acid is corrosive to termite exoskeletons. This acid spray kills termites. This treatment must be sprayed on termite bodies. If you can't access most of the termites, immerse their colony in vinegar.
Combining half a cup of vinegar with the juice of two lemons creates an effective, acidic spray that is safer than boric acid but also kills termites. This solution is also ideal for soaking into any damaged areas of the wood to clear cracks of termites.
Certain types of wasps and flies are attracted to mint. At first it would sound like you wouldn't want those around, but here's why you might… Wasps are helpful pollinators and having them around can actually increase fruit production.
Instructions: Fill your spray bottle with a 1:1 ratio of water and vinegar. Add 10 drops of peppermint essential oil to your bottle and shake well. Tip: You can add a few more drops of oil if the scent isn't minty enough for you.
Little House Living suggests saturating a cotton ball with peppermint essential oil, which can then be used in several ways: Swipe it along windowsills and door jambs, or pop it into the bottom of garbage cans to keep them from smelling.
Orange and neem oils are very effective for wood termite treatment. The former contains a compound called d-limonene and can easily kill termites when they come in contact with it. On the other hand, neem oil takes effect once ingested by the termites.
There are two main chemicals used to kill termites—fipronil and hexaflumuron. Fipronil is the specially designed chemical used as an active ingredient in many different liquid termiticides. In high enough concentrations, it can kill termites on contact. Pest control specialists apply it around the perimeter of homes.
Boric acid: Spraying the traditional pesticide boric acid onto infested areas can kill termites through dehydration. Use this approach cautiously indoors, as boric acid can harm children and animals if ingested. Orange oil or neem oil: These essential oils are organic insecticides best used for minor termite issues.
Termites are repelled by the essential oils found in plants like rosemary, dill, tea tree, garlic, clove, and the mint family. These scents can be used as repellents, and planted in strategic locations around your home to help deter termites from your property.
Termite Treatments
One popular method on how to get rid of termites involves treating the soil around your house with a termite insecticide, such as imidacloprid or fipronil. Wood can also be treated directly if termites are inside.