Want to Use a Home Remedy For Termites? (Don’t Do THIS…)

Many homeowners are eager to find a fast-acting, cheap home remedy for their termite problems. Home remedies for any infestation can give consumers the opportunity to limit their use of chemicals when treating properties for invasive insects.

Moreover, if used effectively and in a timely fashion, DIY-methods can also significantly reduce treatment costs.

Given the potentially destructive nature of termites (to homes and structures), people should use caution when avoiding professional termite control services. If not fully dealt with, a single termite colony will feed continuously on building materials and can cause significant property damage within a very short period of time.

Table of Contents

1. Different Options In Home Remedies For Termites
2. Breeding Cycles
3. Termite Bait
4. Insects That Thrive In The Natural Environment
5. Home Remedies For Termites Using Normal Household Items
6. Long-Term Termite Management And Prevention

Different Options In Home Remedies For Termites

Home termite remedies can mirror the treatments that professionals employ or they can employ basic, household products that deter termites from feeding on wood structures and thus cull colony numbers.

When mirroring the efforts of local pest control professionals, consumers often use the same chemicals that these companies rely on but at lower concentrations (some high concentration insecticides can only be purchased by licensed pest control professionals).

Breeding Cycles

There are a number of drawbacks to using store-bought chemicals to treat insects of any type. The largest of such challenges is effectively breaking termite breeding cycles.

Given that most store-bought solutions are not equal in strength to those that are used by pest control professionals, they are often only capable of killing off adult termites.

Young termites and eggs that have yet to hatch will often survive these treatments even if they come in direct contact with the applied termiticides.

Pest control professionals understand the breeding cycles of the insects that they treat and thus, they are far more effective in breaking termite breeding cycles. Moreover, they often use chemicals that are much stronger in nature than those that can be purchased in-store and without professional pest control licensing.

Without experience, efforts to intercept termite breeding cycles often end up far more costly than many homeowners anticipate. When comparing the costs of a termite home remedy to a professionally-rendered treatment, many consumers mistakenly only compare the price of a single cycle of termiticide.

Unfortunately, when breeding cycles are not effectively broken, colony numbers can surge within a short amount of time, making repeat treatments necessary. Property owners must additionally account for the added costs of ongoing property damages as renewed colonies continue to feed on building materials. Keep in mind, very few store-bought products intended to replace professional treatments are as effective as they claim to be.

Termite Bait

One common home remedy strategy for termite control is the use of termite bait. Termite bait is placed around the perimeter of the property and in other strategic areas. This is then picked up by one or more termites and passed through the colony via the natural sharing of food and secretions that is common among these insects. The bait will eventually reach the colony queen, disrupting breeding and feeding practices and significantly culling termite numbers.

Termite bait is considered to be one of the most effective alternatives to termite barriers and termiticides, when either of these two treatments are used on their own.

It is also a safe solution to termite infestations, given the very limited amount of chemicals that bait systems entail. Environmentally-conscious consumers often prefer this method of termite treatment due to the minimal impact that it is known to have on the ecosystem compared to chemical-heavy termite control.

There are, however, a number of unavoidable drawbacks in using termite bait as part of a self-managed plan for treating termites. Foremost among these is the fact that bait can go unnoticed by termites for weeks or even months.

Moreover, homeowners must also wait for bait to be passed through the colony via the natural sharing of secretions and food. Given that termite colonies feed non-stop, considerable property damages can be incurred before bait systems take effect. Bait will additionally need to be placed in an area that is most likely to be accessed by termites so that both contact and the transfer of bait are expedited.

In addition to strategically placing bait, homeowners also have to alter their own actions in terms of how they respond to feeding colonies. Although termites are voracious eaters, they have no natural defense mechanisms and thus, these insects spook easily.

When disturbed, they will simply move away and relocate to another part of the building structure. If this happens while baiting systems are used, all established bait stations will likely be rendered ineffective.

Insects That Thrive In The Natural Environment

There are basically two types of pest infestations that homeowners can contend with:

• Pests that live entirely on or within the home and that can be eradicated through the implementation of an effective treatment
• Pests that thrive in the natural environment and that must be managed or controlled instead

Bed bugs are a good example of the first type of pest infestation that homeowners can contend with. These bugs must be brought into the home. Once treated, bed bug infestations are not likely to return until new, breeding insects are brought back into the home.

Conversely, termites thrive in the natural environment. They have ample access to viable food sources and are not reliant upon human hosts for their survival. As a result, termite infestations are always a potential threat in regions in which these insects thrive.

Rather than using a single treatment to eradicate a termite infestation, homeowners must have solid prevention and management plans in place. After a single colony has been eliminated, there will still be many other termites in the outdoor environment that serve as a potential threat.

Home Remedies For Termites Using Normal Household Items

As an alternative to using store-bought treatments, homeowners can use common, household items to treat termite populations living on their building structures. For instance, some consumers have reported success in addressing small populations of termites by applying cayenne pepper and pastes made of cayenne pepper and cooking oil to affected building surfaces.

Unfortunately, however, these treatments are not effective for actually eliminating colonies. Instead, they simply prompt termites to move to untreated building areas. Moreover, although cayenne pepper is natural, it can still cause serious irritation to the skin, eyes, respiratory system and soft tissues.

Long-Term Termite Management And Prevention

Implementing an individualized and integrated treatment plan is the best way to deal with termite infestations. Termite control specialists can use a combination of strategies for ensuring that immediate damages are minimized while also ensuring that homeowners get long-lasting protection against repeat infestations.

Many of these professionals are reliant upon termite baiting systems for limiting the use of harmful chemicals and avoiding the costs associated with termite barrier systems. Thus, homeowners are frequently given an array of options to choose from when treatment plans are established by these professionals.

Another benefit of working with qualified pest control professionals, rather than using a home remedy for termites, is the opportunity to learn prevention strategies specific to individual properties.

Homeowners are often advised to eliminate landscaping features such as wood mulch that may be luring these insects closer to their homes. Potential entry points and wood to ground contacts can be identified and resolved as well. These efforts not only reduce termite populations that are currently living and feeding on building structures, but they also limit the likelihood of future termite infestations. Businesses and some home owners opt for termite bonds, which act somewhat like a termite prevention and treatment subscription service.