How to get rid of termite swarmers

Skip to What Happens to These Swarmers? In most cases, the termite swarmers simply die if they cannot escape from your house. They may be attracted to light and die on window sills or open areas.

If you see a swarm of termites around your home, then there likely is a well-established colony of termites living in or near your home. For many homeowners, a termite swarm may be the most visible sign of a termite infestation.

If you are a witness to hundreds of swarming termites outside, turn off all exterior lighting to avoid attracting them to your home. This is an indication that there is a termite colony nearby, somewhere in your yard. If you find swarming termites inside your house then you have an infestation.

There are two main chemicals used to kill termites—fipronil and hexaflumuron. Fipronil is the specially designed chemical used as an active ingredient in many different liquid termiticides. In high enough concentrations, it can kill termites on contact. Pest control specialists apply it around the perimeter of homes.

Cinnamon, Other Essential Oils

Other oils effective against termites, either as repellents or pesticides, are tea tree, clove bud, orange, cedarwood and garlic. Clove bud and garlic oils are two of the most effective oils for killing termites, according to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Vinegar is the wonder material for your home. Not only can you use it to clean everything from your kitchen counter to shower, but you can also use it to eliminate termites. Put it in a spray bottle and spray the mixture around the area where you suspect the termites. The acidic substance will eliminate the termites on contact.

One popular method on how to get rid of termites involves treating the soil around your house with a termite insecticide, such as imidacloprid or fipronil. Wood can also be treated directly if termites are inside. Termite baits are strategically placed around your yard to lure termites in.

Dig a Trench and Apply Termiticide

This DIY termite control project is quite effective: Dig a trench around the entire problem area and fill it with a foam-based non-repellent termite insecticide. “Non-repellent” means that termites won’t be driven away from it, but rather they try to move through it and die.

In addition to wood inside the home, termites are drawn inside by moisture, wood in contact with house foundations, and breaks in building exteriors. Different combinations of these factors attract different species. Additionally, geographic location plays a role in how likely homeowners are to deal with infestations.

These two pests are termites and bed bugs — two pests that even termite and pest control companies consider to be especially tough to deal with. her within the walls for termites or within the mattress for bed bugs. They can also both be especially dangerous.

The average cost of a termite treatment ranges from $200 to $900 with a typical treatment costing around $560. This breaks down to anywhere from $3 to $16 per linear foot of home. There are several different methods of treating termites, each with its own benefits and ability to work for a specific species of termite.

Pressure-treated wood is infused with chemical preservatives to help protect the material against rotting and insects. Termites can damage pressure-treated wood. This typically happens if the wood gets damp and starts to decay, or during construction.

To deter the pests, homeowners can obtain heartwood-grade lumber for construction projects. Termites also tend to avoid specific species of trees such as redwoods, yellow cedar, Laotian teak, and cypress. However, these types of wood are not as long-lasting as treated lumber.

Termites cannot damage a foundation made of concrete, concrete block or brick. However, termites can enter a home through small breaks in the foundation – gaps as tiny as the width of a business card. While termites cannot damage concrete foundations, they can damage nearby wood sources.

You can also use a borate spray like Bora-Care to keep termites and carpenter ants away from wood. All you have to do is dilute the formula with water and spray it on the wood surface. Just make sure the weather is going to be clear for a day or two so the solution has time to dry.

Keep your furniture clean and moisture-free

Make a solution of borax powder and water and spray it on the affected areas. It’s a non-toxic method and ensures termites in wooden furniture vanish after a few applications. You can also combine this method with the cardboard trap for better results.

Borax can eliminate termites by interfering with a termite’s digestion, which can cause its death. Borate solutions, which are liquid products made with sodium borate, sometimes are used in pressure-treated wood.

Cardboard Trap Treatment

Get three or four pieces of cardboard and spray them with water. Pile the cardboard pieces together and place it near the furniture. The termites will be attracted to the damp cellulose in the cardboard. For best results, leave the trap for a couple of days.

Like ammonia, boric acid will eliminate termites (and ants and cockroaches). However, this DIY solution suffers from the same problem as ammonia: boric acid alone can‘t get rid of a termite colony. It can only eliminate any termites that happen to ingest the boric acid that you sprinkle around your home.