Did you know that termite infestation can cause huge structural damages to your house by eating away the wooden frames? According to a survey by Orkin, Homeowners spend around $3000 every year to get rid of termite infestation damages. On an average every year termite infestation causes damage to 600, 000 homes. Termites also tend to cause damages to over $5 billion worldwide. Your wooden furniture is also at risk of damage by termites. Thus, it is important to detect termite infestation and implement measures for Termite Control before the damage assumes gigantic proportions.
Inspecting the foundation of your house to look for mud tubes is an effective way to detect termite damage. Check wooden structures for damage especially in the basement and crawlspaces to detect termite infestation. Once you are sure about termite damage, go for the following DIY termite control methods.
Termite Control Methods that You can Try Yourself :
1) Termiticides
Termiticides are chemicals used for Termite Pest Control. Apply the termiticide directly over the site of termite infestation. In case of concrete infestation, a hole can be drilled in the concrete and the chemical poured into it. You can also spray the crawlspaces with the termiticide to control the termite infestation.
The termiticide should be a good professional product and not a cheap variety brought from a local store. The chemical must carry appropriate license by the relevant authorities that it poses no risk to human health and the environment.
An example is Decke General Termite Control Spray. This is a bio-engineered termiticide which uses a parasitic fungus to kill the termites. Termites either ingest the fungus or carry it on their bodies. Either way, the fungus grows in the bodies of the termites and release toxins to paralyse and ultimately kill the termites. This takes around 3-5 days. Since this is a bio-engineered fungal termiticide, there are no toxic chemicals in it, thereby posing no risk to humans and environment.
2) Termite Bait
Termite Bait is another effective DIY Termite Control. In this method, a termite bait station containing a poisonous active ingredient such as noviflumuron, hyrdromethylnon, diflubenzuron and many more is used. Bio-engineered termite baits containing fungal strains to infect the termites are also available.
The worker termites visit the termite bait station near the site of termite infestation. The worker termites carry back the toxic or infectious active ingredient from the station back to the nest. As a result, all other termites including the queen get poisoned or infected and killed within a few days. The termites are gradually wiped out because the queen termite is killed which results in the termination of production of more termites.
3) Heat
Termites are sensitive to heat. Thus, application of heat can be an effective Termite Pest Control method. Heat the wood in which the termites are present and the air around it to a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30-35 minutes. This will kill the termites inside the wood.
However, do not attempt this method near electrical wiring and plastics. This method is not much effective in case of very large wooden beams.
Termite Control Cost
If you are implementing DIY methods to get rid of termites, then the termite control cost includes only the price of termiticide/termite baits along with other tools. However, if you are not sure about your expertise in carrying out DIY treatments and want to hire a professional pest control agency for the task, there are certain factors which determine the termite treatment cost.
Treatment of infestation by drywood and dampwood termites cost more than that by sub- terrain termites. This is because drilling holes in the wood to place chemicals or baits is necessary to treat drywood termites while eliminating standing water from the house is an essential step to treat dampwood termites. The extra steps affect the cost.
On an average, the termite control agency charges from Rs 2000 – Rs 10, 000 depending on the extent of infestation.
Greater the extent of infestation, more is the termite treatment cost. Thus, it is imperative to detect termite infestation as early as possible to avoid more costly treatment.
The size of the site of infestation is another important determinant of termite control cost. Treatment limited to certain areas of the house costs much less than treatment covering the whole house.
But if you Choose some Termiticides like Decke’s Termite Control Spray then it will cost you around Rs 1,675 (for 500 ml) – Rs 2, 995 (for 1000 ml).
7 Effective Preventive Measures for Termite Control
There are a number of preventive measures to prevent termite infestation. Here are some of them:
- Trim Shrubs and Trees
Regularly trim shrubs and trees to keep them away from your building. This is because termites can get access to your house from nearby vegetation. Do not dump leaves and other plant debris near your building.
2. Avoid Contact with Soil
The wooden elements of the house should not be in contact with the soil. This is because termites gain easy entry into the building through the wood. The separation between the soil and the wooden elements of the house such as frames of doors and windows, siding, decking, posts and others should be 18 inches. Create this separation by pulling the soil away or cutting the bottom parts of the wooden elements.
3. Non-Repellent Termiticide
In case your building has already undergone termite infestation and subsequent treatment, you can prevent future termite infestation by digging a trench around the area which suffered infestation and putting a non-repellent termiticide in it. This will kill the termites that shall pass through the termiticide.
4. Avoid Excessive Moisture
Protect the building against excessive moisture because moisture attracts the termites. To this end, Protect the foundation of the building against water by sloping the ground around it to drain the water away and through drains, gutters and downspouts. Repair the leaking faucets and pipes without delays.
5. Ventilation
Proper ventilation of rooms particularly the basement and attic is necessary to prevent termite attacks. This is because absence of proper ventilation makes the room damp, thereby providing the perfect condition for termites.
6. Spray Borate
Spraying borate on wood used to make doors, window frames, furniture, siding, etc. prevents termite infestation because borate is a termite repellent. However, remember to spray borate on the wood prior to priming and painting.
7. Avoid Carboard Boxes
Do not store things in Cardboard boxes. The reason is the affinity of termites towards cardboard. Use containers made of other materials to store things. Do not clutter Old papers and magazines to your house.
Conclusion
Have termites rendered you sleepless nights too? We know that termites have caught your attention now that we have you scrolling through our pages for so long. At Decke Global, we have a solution to all of your pest problems including rodents, termites, ants and cockroaches. We can also get rid of your spiders, bed-bugs, lizards, mosquitoes and any pests that you can name for us. So do not give in to suffering from pest infestation. Visit Decke Global Today!
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