Have you ever come to a point of asking yourself how to get rid of termites? It would not come as a surprise if you have because termite problems are very rampant in all parts of the world. Termites can cost homeowners serious bucks once they begin to wreck havoc on homes, and worse, these bugs are not going anywhere. They can show up any time of the year, however, termite species that’s always a nuisance to humans most often swarm and flourish during spring, or when the climate is hot and rainy. Under favorable conditions, these pests can easily multiply and soon become very difficult to manage which is what most homeowners who badly need to get rid of termites have experienced firsthand. Protecting your home from these pests could be challenging but putting in an extra effort will always pay off. You have to be very persistent because termites are exactly that.

Termites do not come as a single universal species. In fact, there are over two thousand termite species known to man today. While termite existence is a necessity to the ecosystem, only a small portion of them are causing headaches to millions of homeowners worldwide – the subterranean termites, dampwood termites and drywood termites. Is this a necessary fact? Yes, because in order to know how to get rid of termites, identifying termite species is vital before any termite control and prevention method is used due mainly to different breeding locations. Subterranean termites build their colonies deep underground in soil where there is also enough moisture. Drywood termites do not require soil and moisture and grow their colonies within dry wood which is also their food source. Dampwood termites also nest and create their colonies within their wood resource but unlike drywood termites, they infest on damp or wet wood that often times is already decaying. So if you happen to apply the wrong method on any types of termites, not only will it render ineffective but also a waste of time, energy and money.

Apparently, noticeable termite damage to properties takes years to materialize. This is unfortunate especially when homeowners do not perform regular check up on their properties and hidden damages remain undetected. How to get rid of termites, then? Check your home and look for signs of infestation so you can start getting rid of termites to avoid future significant property damage. Remember that one sure sign of infestation is the presence of their reproductive termites swarming near light bulbs as they are easily attracted to light. Discarded termite wings found usually on window sills and near door frames also suggest termite presence. Mud tubes sticking to your home’s foundation or walls, beams and pillars because these serve as their moisturized highway for subterranean termites to their food source. Hollowed walls and cracked or distorted paints on walls indicate that termites are eating your wood walls inside out. Tiny termite droppings called frass which are commonly found at the base of the infested wood structures are also indicative of termite activity. All these indications will give away termites’ presence in your home and should be addressed to the soonest possible time. Because some signs are difficult to find and hard to notice, some homeowners prefer to have their homes inspected by a professional termite exterminator. If you do not know how to look for signs of termite activity, you can always place a call to you a reputable pest control company and ask for assistance.

There are two common ways on how to get rid of termites on your own which are easily available in the market. One is through the use of liquid termiticide and the other is the use of a bait system. Soil treatment with liquid termiticide is done by digging trenches on the ground near the foundation of your home in order to treat the soil underneath and around the structure. Termites infesting inside the house are treated by digging holes on infested wood furniture, walls or floors and apply liquid termiticide. Using this kind of termite treatment should prompt you to read carefully and follow the instructions on the label to the letter. The bait system is a less invasive way of how to get rid of termites compared to the first one. This system involves digging into the soil around the entire structure and buries termite monitoring stations in specified distance (3-4 feet from the structure and 10-15 feet apart from each station) with wooden bait inside. Each stations must be checked every three months or so and see if there is termite activity on the wooden bait. If there is, replace the wooden bait with chemical cartridge which will kill termites and eventually the entire colony.

Termite extermination process may sound simple enough to do but in fact, it is a very taxing and tricky. Homeowners who knows how to get rid of termites and do it themselves fail to eradicate termites completely either because they failed to follow the instructions or they do not know the key entry points of termites and where to place treatments. This is why it is best to ask professional termite exterminators to do job. The service may be pricey but the results can be rewarding. Also, most termite control companies offer warranted service and follow up inspections at no extra cost.

Termite extermination does not end in a successful termite treatment. Prevention and control must be made in order to avoid possible re-infestation. As a homeowner, you can do this by depriving termites of their means of survival, moisture and wood resource. You can start by avoiding wood-to-soil contact, eliminate moisture in the basement or crawl spaces, seal off all possible termite entry points, check all wooden furniture and fixtures for termites and treat them before getting them inside the house, prune back all plants and bushes away from the exterior wall of your home and fix leaking pipes. All these should be your guide on how to get rid of termites effectively and permanently.

Many homes have seen the need to get rid of termites. You would too, once you witness your most treasured property being slowly destroyed by those little ‘white ants’. Termite infestation is no joke and requires your full and immediate attention to avoid serious damage to your properties. Destructive they may be, but technically though, termites contribute to the ecosystem by breaking down dead wood and turning them into humus that makes soil fertile and healthy, which is in turn beneficial to live trees and other organisms in nature. There are over two thousand termite species known today and only a very small percentage of them are nuisance to humans. So, while other species are busy breaking downed trees away from human structures, the subterranean and drywood termite species (that small percentage bit) easily thrive and breed even under human conditions as long as their source for food is nearby. They feed primarily on wood, but not only that. They eat anything that is cellulose-based such as papers, books, insulation, etc. Yes, they are the culprits that cause millions of property damage each year and they will continue to do so unless we stop it. Now is the time to educate ourselves about them and know how to get rid of termites.

Subterranean termites are known to be the most destructive species to human properties and reasons point to their overly great appetite for wood and their number. A mature subterranean termite colony could house 60,000 up to 2 million termites! Their staggering population alone could devour a one foot two-by-four wood in as short as four to six months. They build their colonies underground where there is presence of moisture. They build webs of mud tunnels to use as their highway toward their food source, your home. Drywood termites, on the other hand, do not need moisture to thrive. They live within the wood they infest. Compared to subterranean termites, drywood termite colony can reach only up to a few thousands so that noticeable property damage will take longer to surface, but destructive, nonetheless. Can you imagine these pests infesting your home and left undetected for so long? Worse comes to worst, they could render your home uninhabitable which is why it is so important to get rid of termites.

What’s scary about termite infestation is that it could have started long before without you even knowing. Sometimes apparent termite damage to properties could take years to show up and by then, there could already be significant and costly damage to structures. In order to get rid of termites early on, it is wise to be cautious and observant to signs of termite infestation.

• Mud tubes found rising from soil to the foundation of the home, door and window frames or anywhere in the house
• Presence of swarming termites flying near light bulbs on outside fixtures
• Discarded insect wings found on window sills and door frames
• Hollowed-out walls
• Termite droppings which could be reddish-brown, tan or black in color
• Tiny termite holes found on the surface of the wood
• If it helps, take a screwdriver and flashlight, head to the basement or crawl space and start tapping on any wood from beams, pillars, etc with the screwdriver’s heel and listen for hollow sound

Signs of infestation should be your go signal to call in pest control experts to handle termite extermination. But with most termite control procedures costing more than your budget can handle, you have the option to do it yourself in order to get rid of termites – you just have to learn how to get rid of termites on your own. There are actually many termite control products available in market that can be easy enough to use for homeowners. One way to deal with termites on your own is by using liquid termicides which will be sprayed over the infested area in the house and in the soil. Termiticides are toxic in its own sense so proper care must be adhered. Liquid treatment is not as often used as other termite treatments because it is not as effective in eradicating a whole termite colony and at the same time it is not environmentally friendly. Another way on how to get rid of termites yourself is by using a bait system. Because there is no direct contact with termiticide, this treatment is less invasive and more reliable in destroying a colony. The bait systems are bought with monitoring stations which should be strategically placed underground around the perimeter of your house. Inside a monitoring station, an untreated wood is placed inside to be left underground for a period of time. Every so often, you check for a presence of termites on the wood. If there are termites, bait is placed so that the next time those termites infest on that wood, they will collect it and bring it back to colony where it will kill termites. As you can see, treating termites can be a very challenging and daunting. If you are not ready to do all the work, maybe you are better off with hiring a professional after all. But don’t worry because it will still be a cost-effective move.

Treating termites does not end in eradication. Preventive measures must also be done so that re-infestation will be unlikely. Do not provide an environment that is conducive to termites. Keep basement and crawl spaces moisture as much as possible. Eliminate moisture by fixing dripping faucets, repairing leaking pipes, etc. Keep firewood, wood debris, cardboards away from soil and home’s foundation so that termites won’t have access to food. Plants growing near wooden walls should be pruned back to avoid moisture and mold build up. Check wood structures for termite signs and treat before importing them inside your home. All these are just some basic preventive techniques effective enough to limit, if not prevent the presence of termites. It takes effort, yes, but it must be done if you do not want to see your precious home slowly falling apart. Get rid of termites and savor the life living at home without worry.