Termite Control Methods For Subterranean And Drywood Termites
The type of termite control your exterminator recommends might depend on the type of termites you have. Two common termites are subterranean and drywood. Here's a look at how subterranean and drywood termites differ and the termite control methods that might be used to eliminate them.
Subterranean Termites Live Under The Ground
Subterranean termites live in big colonies outdoors. They usually live under the ground or in decaying tree stumps. These termites come into your home through cracks and gaps. You can tell if you have subterranean termites when you see mud tunnels they build to travel through.
Subterranean termites need a moist environment. That's why they stay under the soil and why they build mud tunnels to travel through. They come inside your house when they are out looking for food and when they're attracted to damp wood in your house. They'll probably leave and go back to the colony rather than stay inside your house permanently.
Subterranean Termites Are Killed With Bait And Liquid
A colony of subterranean termites can be wiped out with bait that's buried in the ground. The scout termites find the bait and carry it back to feed other termites in the colony. The bait might interfere with normal reproduction and growth or kill the termites outright. Bait takes longer to work, but it is effective at destroying an entire colony of termites.
Liquid termiticide is also used for termite control. The exterminator may pour the liquid over a termite mound or pour it around the perimeter of your home. The termiticide can kill the pests on contact, so putting it around your home is a good way to kill off termites that try to invade.
Drywood Termites Live Inside Your House
Drywood termites aren't dependent on moisture. They're drawn to all types of wood rather than damp wood. They make their nests in wood instead of soil, so they're found living deep in the wood structure of your house. An exterminator may have difficulty locating drywood termites and discovering all of the damage they have done without opening walls or floors.
Drywood Termites Are Killed By Gassing Them
Drywood termites live inside your house, so methods used to kill subterranean termites won't work. Tenting is often the best option for killing off a drywood termite infestation since the gas used permeates the entire structure of your house and kills all the bugs inside the tent. However, tenting is inconvenient since you have to leave your house for a few days.
Some exterminators try orange oil for termite control instead. They search your home to find every place the termites are living and then apply the orange oil. The oil has to contact the termites, but it is effective at killing the pests and their eggs. Orange oil isn't a toxic chemical, so you don't need to leave your home. It leaves a strong orange odor, but no toxic residue remains.
Orange oil doesn't have a residual effect, so if all the termites aren't killed the first time, the treatment may need to be repeated. Your termite control company can help you decide if orange oil or tenting is the best way to eliminate your termite problem when you have drywood termites.
