If you have a termite infestation, the number of treatment options can be overwhelming. However, the appropriate treatment method for your home depends on the severity, location, and type of termite infestation. Read on to learn common termite treatment methods, why you should always contact a professional, and how to protect your home from future infestations.
Depending on the type of termites you have in your home, some treatment methods may be more effective than others. Certain termite treatment methods are combined to eradicate a widespread termite infestation.
Gas fumigation is used to eradicate drywood termites because they combine their colonies with their food source. Soil treatments and bait stations are not effective for drywood termites. Before the fumigant is released, the homeowners and their pets must leave for three days or longer. Gas fumigation is toxic to humans, animals, and plants. This treatment method is helpful for severe termite infestations and when the colony is in a hard-to-reach area.
To ensure fumigation works properly, a tent is placed over the home during the process. The tent traps termites and the fumigant within your home. If the tent is not completely sealed, termites escape and increase the risk of re-infestation. The fumigant negatively affects a termite’s nervous system and decreases its oxygen levels to eradicate the colony. Fumigation does not leave a residue in the home and does not protect the home from future infestations.
However, whole-home fumigation may not be the first choice for some San Diego homeowners. It is a costly option for termite eradication when considering the outside expenses of fumigation. Some of the other expenses of choosing fumigation to consider include:
· Hotel fees
· Replacement costs for food, medicine, and household essentials
· Lost wages
· Cleaning costs
This treatment method is used for subterranean termite colonies. Monitoring and bait stations are used with soil treatments to effectively kill the termite colonies. Subterranean termites live deep in the ground under your home’s foundation making fumigation and heat treatments ineffective. Bait stations contain a chemical that attracts termites. The termites ingest the chemical and carry it back to their colony. The chemical slowly kills termites that have eaten the material and other colony members encountering the affected pests.
You may have to add or remove bait stations based on the level of termite activity on your property. Most bait stations are placed in the soil, but there are above-ground options as well. The above-ground baitstations work the same way as in-ground systems. However, the above-ground stations take a longer time to fully get rid of termite colonies on your San Diego property because they are farther from the termite colonies.
After ingesting the chemical, it takes three to fourteen days to kill the entire colony. If you have a widespread infestation, it may be six months until the colony is fully eradicated. Using liquid soil treatment in addition to bait stations helps get rid of the colonies quicker and more efficiently.
There are different termiticides available to eliminate termite infestations. Termiticides are effective for any type of termite infestation in your home. Liquid and foam termiticides are used for treating wood structures and soil. This method is a localized option and is used only in affected areas. Liquid treatments are commonly used in soil and create a protective wall around the outside of your home.
Foam treatments are used for walls and floors. The foam spreads into any openings or holes the termites may have used to infest your home. Liquid treatments are not effective for termites located inside the home. Small rods may be used to inject the foam into the floors and walls. Unlike other treatment methods, termiticides protect your home from future termite infestations.
XT-2000 Orange Oil Plus® is another form of termiticide. It is a less toxic alternative to fumigation. Orange oil treats the surrounding parts of the board including the areas where the oil was injected. However, orange oil may not be the best treatment method if you have a severe, widespread termite infestation that leads into inaccessible areas.
Termite treatments should not be applied yourself. Pest control professionals in San Diego are experienced and knowledgeable about locating and treating the termite colony. Without finding the correct locations of the infestation, do-it-yourself treatments do not work. Many termite treatments on the public market do not work and are very toxic. Termite professionals are certified to apply the treatment, so you do not put your family’s health at risk.
It is difficult to determine whether the termite treatments failed or not. Often, the termite infestation gets worse and ends up costing more when a professional is not hired. Even if you are worried about the cost of treatment, call a professional. They give you detailed information about the infestation and know what treatment methods work best for your home.
To prevent future termite infestations after treatment, your termite professional helps identify changes you need to make to your San Diego property.If you have not dealt with termites, some keys tips for protecting your home include:
· Do not have wood in direct contact with soil. It allows termites to easily create a colony without being detected immediately.
· Have wood treated for termites
· Scrap any rotting wood on the interior or exterior of your home. Termites are attracted to dead and extremely moist wood materials.
· Get rid of standing water immediately remove from your home. Leaking pipes and clogged gutters should be fixed right away to avoid attracting termites. These pests are attracted to moisture-filled environments like wet wood, basements, and crawl spaces.
While there are many treatment options for termites, a local professional like Triple Threat Termite helps you decide which one is best for your home. Contact us today to schedule a free inspection of your San Diego home!
