Pest Control in Urban and Rural Environments

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4 Natural Methods to keep Termites at Bay

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Termite infestations can be rough to deal with; if a colony of termites has decided to take residence with you, your home and furniture could suffer some serious damage. If you are dealing with a full-blown infestation, the best course of action is undoubtedly to call in a professional service. After a certain point, you'll definitely need to bring in the big guns to deal with the termites.

However, if there are only a few termites sniffing around your house, there are a number of wholly natural preventative measures that you can take to prevent them from spreading any further:

Get Rid of Moisture in Infected Areas

First and foremost, you need to remove as much moisture as you can from any infected areas. Termites need moisture to survive, so by removing all the moisture from any infected furniture, walls, or wooden beams, you create a very harsh environment for the termites.

Keeping the interior of your house dry shouldn't be too much of a problem; use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to get rid of ambient moisture, and keep your furniture and walls dry at all times.

For the exterior of your house, you need to keep an eye out for water leakages. Leaky plumbing fixtures can allow water to seep right into the wood, creating a comfortable habitat for the termites.

Use Cardboard Traps

Cardboard traps are not only simple and effective; they are non-toxic and completely natural.

Cardboard contains cellulose (a compound found in plants and wood) that is very attractive to termites. Place a few cardboard traps close to infected areas and spray them with a little water (the water will intensify the smell).

The termites will cluster onto the cardboard; from here, they can be disposed of with ease.

Essential Oils

Certain essential oils have been found to have powerful insect-repelling properties. These include eucalyptus oil, lemongrass oil, and clove bud oil.

Clove bud oil is the most effective of the lot, having been found to kill 100% of exposed termites in only 2 days (at very low concentrations).

Using essential-oil candles and fragrances around the house can be a great way to create a termite-repellent aura. For infected zones, take the oil in pure liquid form and liberally spray or brush it onto the area.

Borax Powder

Borax powder, also known as sodium borate, is a natural compound that is very effective at killing termites (while remaining completely non-toxic to humans and pets).

Borate solutions are available in paints, so if you have some new furniture or renovations that you'd like to protect from termites, simply paint the borate solution on – it will act as a barrier against invading termites.

To learn more, contact a termite control company for more information and help.


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