Do-it-Yourself Termite Control

Termites stay active all year so there is no better time than now to start taking steps towards their prevention. There are a lot of termite control tips that you can take to protect your most prized possession from becoming the next termite all-you-can-eat buffet. This post will walk you through some of the best DIY methods for keeping these costly pests at bay.

Start Each Season by Checking your Foundation

You should make it a goal to inspect the foundation of your home at the beginning of every season. Look for any signs of danger and if you do find any signs of termite infestation, then you need to call in a professional immediately to start treating it. While termites might not eat concrete, they will create mud tubes that can be used to scale up the foundation of your home in order to find ways of getting to the wooden parts of your home. If you spot mud tubes, then you need to perform a closer inspection.

Check Crawlspaces and Basement

Grab a flashlight and start checking all of the crawlspaces in your home. Then move down into the basement. You’re looking for any signs of damage or mud tubes. Pay special attention to the corners of rooms and the edges of the wall. If you see wood that you think could potentially be infested, then you can do the thumb test. Just press the wood with your thumb and if it seems squishy or weak, then you have a problem. Get a professional exterminator!

Bait Termites Away from your Home

The farther away termites are away from your home, the less likely they are to infest it. So you can actually bait them away from your home by setting up bait stations. These stations will attract termites while also killing them before they can become a problem.

Create a Barrier Around your Home

Dig a trench around your home and then apply termiticide to it. This is actually one of the absolute best methods for keeping termites at bay. This trench is small enough so that it does not become an issue. You will fill it with non-repellent termite insecticide so that termites are actually attracted to it. They will then move through it and die.

Apply Repellent to Wooden Structures

Repellent will help protect your home from termites. Basically, it keeps them away from wood that they have yet to locate. Apply it on sheds, fences, deck, and other exposed areas to serve as a preventative measure against termites. The key to controlling termites is to keep them from discovering your prized possession.

Heat Kills Termites

Termites have an extreme sensitivity to heat so if you can heat an area to 120 degrees, the termites will die. This is one of the best DIY methods for killing a termite infestation in small areas. However, you cannot do it if there is plastic or wires nearby. It also will not work on thick beams since you can’t possibly heat the center of this wood to 120 degrees.