3 Natural Termite Remedies You Can Apply At Home

3 Natural Termite Remedies You Can Apply At Home

Termites are one of the most destructive insects that can invade your home. Left unchecked, they can cause massive damages to your home that can result in hefty repair bills. To help you tackle these pests, it is best to engage a professional pest control company as termites are, by nature, shy insects and will retreat out of sight or even relocate their nest once disturbed.

That said, if you are still looking for natural termite remedies you can use at home, then you may find the solutions we listed here useful. After all, it’s better than running off to your nearest supermarket to buy off-the-shelf DIY pest control products like insecticides that may not be effective.

It is also worth noting that just because a piece of wooden structure or furniture is infested, it doesn’t mean that termites are automatically the culprit. You could instead be dealing with woodboring beetles or carpenter ants. Hence, it is equally important to confirm that it is indeed termites you are dealing with and if so, which type of termites are invading your home.

Sunlight and Heat – Their Natural Enemy

If you’ve noticed an increase of mud tunnels popping up around your house, this is a sign that you might have a termite problem. Have you ever wondered why these termites choose to travel through these tunnels?

Well, it’s because termites need moisture and cannot survive for long period of time exposed to sunlight or even extreme temperatures (above 50°C). That’s why they’re constantly underground or live inside dead tree trunks. Just by simply sunning, for a few days, any termite infested furniture and you could possibly rid yourself of these termites.

Bait, Trap And Kill Them

Another commonly mentioned method for difficult-to-reach nests is to bait and trap these termites. Using cardboard traps that contain cellulose will attract these termites. For a more potent effect, add some water to your cardboard. This will result in release of an aroma that is very effective in attracting the termites.

Place the cardboard near the nest and allow time for the termites to gather on it. Thereafter, you should dispose the cardboard by burning it to effectively kill those destructive buggers.

Common Salt

While many websites on natural termite control remedies will recommend, Neem Oil, Orange Oil or even Borax (note: Borax is not as safe or environmentally green as some websites will have you think), a more convenient method is to use sodium chloride aka common salt. You can mix an equal amount of salt with water and syringe the solution into the cracks or holes in your furniture. Thereafter, spray the remainder around the opening. Because of the highly concentrated salt content, termites will dehydrate upon contact and hence die.

Problem with These Natural Remedies

The problem with these natural termite control remedies are not with the solutions or methods themselves, but with the average homeowners’ own inability to ensure that the whole colony is wiped out. Killing that lone termite alone is useless considering a mature queen can lay between 1,000 to 30,000 egg a day. Hence while these simple home remedies may perhaps be used on isolated infestation of standalone movable pieces of furniture, you will still risk having the termites evacuate and relocate their nest to some other parts of your home. Therefore, rather then risk more costly damages in the long run, it is always best to engage a professional pest control company.

Have you ever had to deal with a termite infestation in your home? If so, did you use any of these natural termite remedies or did you engage the services of a pest control company? Why not share your experience with us as well?