The Best Strategy To Use For Termite Control Using Borax

There are 3 main forms of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Every kind of termite colony includes employees (who consume your house), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers who find new areas to colonize). Though you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great to know how to identify them,'' Wilson says.

Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a red head. Swarmers have absolute, tan wings although there are color variations. Employees are pale, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.

Dampwood termites are much like drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and absolute wings. These employees also resemble maggots.

Subterranean termites are somewhat smaller than their above-ground brethren with black bodies and utter wings for the flyers. The workers are smaller, white and maggot-like.

Termite Control Using Borax Things To Know Before You Get This

Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed timber and often end up in attics, flooring boards and window frames.

Dampwood termites like decaying wood or timber that's rich with moisture. They often strike wood that is making contact with the ground and are found in regions with high rainfall or humidity.

Subterranean termites will eat soft (moisture-rich) wood and drywood, however they initially make contact with your home through the ground.

How Termite Control Using Borax can Save You Time, Stress, and Money.

Drywood and dampwood termites enter your home through small cracks, often around window frames throughout cracks in the caulk. Make sure you check around windows frequently and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers shed their wings and float into the timber. Cracks in paint are another easy access point for termites.

Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. As an example, when you hammer Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind small holes and produce an open door for a termite colony. .

Subterranean termites often seep into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area, many houses have increased foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes around the bottom floor, often along articles. But even in the absence of articles, Wilson sayssand tubes can stretch from the ground up through thin atmosphere to connect with the base of the home. .

The Buzz on Termite Control Using Borax

So what do you do if you find a termite in your home when you see one shed wing or one termite flying , it doesnt mean you've got an infestation. But if you find a group of shed wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.

Termites are actually simple to kill,'' Wilson says, however you need a termiticide to perform it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not readily available to the public. Most home stores promote termite spray, but these are watered down to meet public safety specifications, so theyre not as effective.

In case you've got an infestation that's isolated to one part of your house, state the door trim, you can replace the trim, Wilson states. But in case you've got a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.

Termite Control Use Fundamentals Explained

Subterranean termites must be cut off from the house at the ground. Pacific Coast Termites creates a chemical barrier between any regions of grime and the house, as well as around the entire home. It functions as a shield that the termites cant break through.

Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a wood treatment product like XT2000 Orange Oil, which can be injected under pressure into the timber through ink-pen-sized holes. This item saturates the timber and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this manner takes about four to six hours.

Homes that are massively infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a massive tent is placed over the original source your home, or all the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that will kill all the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the type of infestation.

The Main Principles Of Termite Control Using Borax

Apply a good, quality coat of exterior paint on your house, since termites wont eat through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. official website Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then yank them down. Even the tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the pockets year-round or fill out the straight from the source holes when you remove the nails. .

Instantly solve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide appropriate ventilation under your raised home to maintain that area dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.