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Termites are small but they can do a lot of damage in a surprisingly short space of time. The average colony of termites can eat through six inches of 2×4 wood in just five months. The reason this is possible is that termites can live under your home for a long time without being noticed. But, what steps do you take to eliminate termites in your home?
The thing is, termites need to stay damp. This is why they dig tunnels into the soil around your property. They can then move through these tunnels and live in the foundation area of, your home, where there is plenty of wood to eat.
As they go in and out of your home, it’s easy for their presence to go unnoticed. In fact, this is why you should inspect the soil around your home regularly. Moreover, it’s the best way of spotting the tunnels and finding out you have a termite issue. Once you know you have an issue you need to deal with it promptly. So, today, we bring you four top DIY methods to eliminate termites in your home.
Your Guide to Eliminate Termites in Your Home
1. Using a termite bait box.
Termite bait boxes are used for termite baiting. In essence, you position a box where the termites are likely to find it and then make sure it has a tasty snack inside for them. Only some of the termites in a colony source food. These termites will find the bait box and, after sampling the bait, they will mark the box as safe.
They will then return for more food and you can swap the tasty snack for the standard poison bait. The termites will take it and feed the colony, effectively killing them.
At the same time, the fact that the bait has gone down will alert you to the fact that you have termites.
2. Nematodes.
Nematodes are actually very small worms that love to eat termites. If you know you have termites then you can introduce the nematodes to their colony. They will start earning their keep straight away. As long as there are termites present the nematodes will keep reproducing and eating them. They are very good at eliminating an entire colony and you don’t need to do anything!
3. Sodium borate.
Sodium Borate is often referred to as borax powder and is effective at killing termites. Simply sprinkle it around the affected area and the termites will walk on it. You can also dilute it with water to spray it directly onto a colony or an individual termite. It does need re-applying regularly to ensure you have got all the termites in your property.
4. Orange oil.
You may not realize this but orange oil has a high level of d-limonene, a substance that is known to be deadly to termites.
The orange oil literally dissolves the exoskeleton of the termite, this makes them lose water and proteins, effectively killing them. You can spray the oil directly onto termites or simply spray the area where you think they are living, both methods work and will quickly leave you termite-free.
Of course, it can help to get the professionals to check the entire house and make sure the termite problem has been resolved.
In conclusion.
Your home can be termite-free by following these comprehensive tips. However, if you have questions or suggestions, we always love to hear from you in the comments below. Also below are links to more fantastic articles about ALL things DESIGN for your home or business.
Images Courtesy of Canva.
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About the Author: Ashley Edwards
