How To Kill Termites Naturally – 4 Effective Methods

In nature, termites are considered environmentally beneficial as they help to clear out fallen trees and rotten stumps. However, termites can be quite destructive when they start attacking your home and can cause massive damage if their progress remains unchecked. As such, it is of the utmost importance that any homeowner be able to identify signs of termite infestation and learn methods on how to kill termites naturally

Signs of termite infestation

The signs of termite infestation vary according to the type of termite causing the damage. Termites are generally divided into two major groups: subterranean termites and wood termites.

Subterranean termites live entirely underground and build their colonies in soil while wood termites generally thrive on trees and any other wooden object. Wood termites tend to attack furniture and some of the tell tale signs associated with wood termite infestation include hollow sounding wooden furniture, sawdust at the foot of furniture, cracked or distained paint on furniture and the appearance of frass around furniture: frass is the dropping of wood termites.

Subterranean termite infestation is usually characterized by mud tube on the external walls of your home, swarms of winged termites or discarded wings.

Natural Ways to Kill Termites

There are various techniques that can be used to kill termites naturally, the following is an overview of some of these techniques

Cardboard trap - The use of cardboard traps is considered as one of the most natural ways of eliminating termites. Cardboards contain a compound known as cellulose that is very attractive to termites. Cellulose is responsible for the woody smell synonymous with cardboards, termites usually find these smell very alluring. When setting a cardboard trap for termites, you should spray the cardboard with water so as to make the smell more powerful and position the cardboard near a termite-infested area. The termites will be drawn to the cardboard after which you can remove the cardboard and burn it off.

Expose the area to sunlight - Termites are highly susceptible to light and usually die off when exposed to sunlight and the consequent heat associated with sunlight. As such, you should clear off any vegetation around the area where subterranean termites have built their colony or better still, dig up the area so as to expose the termites to the sunlight. Another option would be air termite infested furniture in bright sunlight so as to kill off the termites holed up within the furniture.

Moisture elimination - Termites generally thrive in areas that are rich in moisture. As such, you should ensure that your furniture is positioned in a moisture free area and that there are no water pools or water leakages around the foundation of your house.

Parasitic nematodes - Parasitic nematodes are small worms that feed on microscopic creatures such as bacteria and fungi. However, some other groups of parasitic nematodes also feed on small insects such as termites and can be very effective when it comes to termite control. Parasitic nematodes can be found in online stores or your local pesticide store.

By incorporating the above methods for killing termites naturally your ensure maximum safety by avoiding the use of potentially harmful chemicals.