If left uncontrolled, termites can turn the wood on your property into a snack, weakening the structures of your building. This can result in expensive damages as well as a serious safety risk. Discover the various methods for controlling termites to better understand the various professional treatments on offer.

The Importance of Professional Assistant
Those dealing with a termite problem will want to ensure that they hire a professional to assist them. While there are some do-it-yourself methods for taking care of termites, it is highly likely that you will not be able to eliminate the entire colony on your own. You will not be familiar with their common hiding spots and indications that termites still remain. Furthermore, even if you read about the top methods of controlling termites, you will not have the tools or experience needed to implement these to their full potential.



Treating Soil
Most pest control companies will treat your soil when taking care of termites. This decision depends somewhat on the type of termites you are dealing with and the infestation itself. The key here is that subterranean termites are very common in the United States and they live in soil. As such, treating the soil on your property serves as a treatment barrier for the other termite treatments you put into place. When treating the soil for termites, professionals will begin by digging a trench around the foundation of your building. They will then treat the soil using a termiticide and fill in the trench. This control method should provide dramatic results in preventing future infestations of termites. It will also kill termites that are currently in your home when they decide to go back to their nest in the soil. Just keep in mind that there are certain situations where soil treatment is not a good idea, such as near water.

Treating Wood
It should go without saying that any method of controlling termites will involve treating the wood, since this is the element of your home that attracted the pests. There are multiple types of wood treatments available, all of which target termites. These can kill the current termite colonies and also prevent any future ones. Depending on their expert opinion, a pest control professional may treat wood with borate, inject foams or sprays, or use a surface spray. Borate wood treatments are a very common method of preventing future termite infestations while simultaneously eliminating the termites currently in the home. The surface sprays can be applied at any point, but is primarily done during the construction of your home. Using foams or injecting sprays is typically done with a home that is already built.

A Deeper Look at Termiticide Liquid
A common theme when treating wood in the home is to use liquid in the form of termiticide. This is a liquid that will kill termites and it is among the methods of termite control that has been used for the longest time. When you apply the termiticide, it will create a barrier that relies on chemicals. With the barrier in place, termites are unable to enter the home, effectively preventing colonization. The termiticide can be repellent or non-repellent. The non-repellent version will kill the termites while repellents will create barriers that prevent the entry of termites.

Your pest control professional will spray the termiticide in strategic locations of your home and also spray the outdoor area in specific spots. The only downside of this type of chemical treatment is that the termiticide’s chemicals remain in the ground for an extended period of time. This is good for termite protection, but means that you must take care with kids and pets. Compared to other termite control methods, this tends to be the most affordable. It also tends to start acting the most quickly.

A Deeper Look at Borate
The other control method for treating wood that deserves a closer look is borate, as this is very common. This is a common chemical used for killing termites. Borate works because termites do not actually digest wood as they consume it. The protozoa in the digestive system of termites breaks wood down so they can absorb the nutrients. The borate will kill the protozoa, making it impossible for the termites to break down wood. The only issue is that you must apply it right to the wood of the home as you build it for the best results. The treatment simply is not as effective if you use borate following the building of your home or after you spot the problem. Even so, you can still use the borate with a reasonable amount of success on areas of your home with exposed wood. Keep in mind, however, that using borate should just be one step of your termite control plan. This method alone is not enough to fully eliminate a termite colony.

Using Bait
Termite control professionals will also likely use bait systems to ensure that all of the colony is killed. This particular method of termite control involves installing bait stations in strategic locations around your home’s perimeter. The professional will then return regularly to monitor those stations in search of signs of termites. If termites are found, they will be able to take action to mitigate the damage they cause as soon as possible. Using bait stations correctly and in conjunction with other treatments can effectively eliminate the termites on your property. To make them even more effective, the bait traps do not just kill the termites that come into contact with the trap. Instead, they contain a type of food for the termite. The idea is that the termites will find the food source and bring it back to the colony. Once there, it will kill the termites.

Using Fumigation
Fumigation can also be used to help control termites, but only in certain situations. That is because this particular method only works against drywood termites. These specific termites are just found in the United States’ most southernmost areas. Unless you have a risk of drywood termites, your pest control professional is unlikely to suggest this method of termite control.

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