So you think you have termites, and you want to know how to get rid of them? There are different indications for the different types of termites. If you have a professional termite inspection done, and the inspection reveals evidence of termites, the inspector should be able to tell you what kind of termites you're likely dealing with. Prior to treatment, identification is the key since subterranean and drywood termites require different types of termite control products in order to work.
Termite control of Subterranean termites, which live underground, and tend to prefer decaying wood, is generally done with termite barriers and baits. Termite barriers tend to rely on a physical or chemical barrier to separate the termites from the structure. Physical termite barriers include such things as metal shields, sand or crushed granite, or plastic sheeting enveloping a termiticide. Chemical barriers rely on a chemical that is toxic to termites. Termite control using Chemical termite barriers are applied around the perimeter of a home and underneath the home, as well, although it can sometimes prove difficult to get the full barrier protection for the property. Sometimes, homeowners won't want to choose this option. Perhaps there is a well on the property, and there are concerns about chemicals in the water, or perhaps they are concerned about obstacles in the perimeter that may make it more difficult to get full coverage. They might then choose to use termite baits for their termite extermination.
Termite baiting is a relatively new type of termite control. Treatment by baiting the termites can take quite some time, as it initially requires waiting for the termites to find the bait. The termites who find the bait will ingest it and return to spread it around the colony. The bait needs to be attractive enough to the termites that they'll choose to to eat that, instead of other options nearby. Termite baits tend to have the bait contained in a relatively quickly decomposing material such as cardboard. Baits may be placed underground or above-ground and there's less of a concern regarding the length of treatment with above-ground baits, as they are often placed in a known path of the termite infestation.
Drywood termites, which prefer non-decaying, dry wood, are generally treated with fumigation and heat. With fumigation, be prepared for your house to be tented and the fumigant pumped into the structure to kill the termites. This can take up to a few days, and you must be out of your house while it's being done. With heat treatment, the house may also be tented, or a particular room isolated for treatment, but instead of a chemical treatment, the house itself is heated to high temperatures to kill the pests.
If the other options, for whatever reasons, won't work for a homeowner, there are some other, if less common, treatments for drywood termites, and these include chilling, microwaving, and even electric shock.
Hopefully, you can get your termite infestation resolved quickly, and return to enjoying your home, pest-free.
Redwood Chemical is located in Houston Texas, we sell pest control products like pesticides, insecticides, bug spray, flea, termite and cockroach control products however we also service all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., El Paso, Texas, Dallas TX DFW, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Boise ID, Atlanta GA, Raleigh-Durham NC, WashingtonC, Albuquerque NM, Huntsville AL, Fayetteville AR, N Dorfolk VA , Madison WI. |
