Have you found signs of termite activity on your property, such as swarmers crawling on the exterior of your home, hollow wood, or the presence of mud tubes on your foundation walls? Did that send you running to the internet? Did you find some handy tips for eliminating termites with some clever "natural" termite remedies? If so, you should be aware that there are a lot of "experts" on the internet who aren't actually experts at all, and the tips they give could put you at risk of termite damage. Here are a few natural termite treatments that don't work and most importantly, why they don't work.
Wet Cardboard
There is a theory that laying web cardboard stacked on the ground will eliminate termites. The idea is that termites will come up from the ground to feed on that cardboard, and all you have to do is pick it up and burn it. Bye-bye termites, right? Sadly, this doesn't work as advertised. Here's why.
- Worker termites are the only termites that eat. All other termites in a colony get their sustenance from workers through a process called trophallaxis. For this reason, you're never going to completely eliminate a termite colony with this method. There will always be a queen to make more workers.
- Not only will that wet cardboard not eliminate the danger to your home, but it is also likely to increase the danger. Wet cardboard will attract termites and increase activity on your property—not decrease it.
- When this method fails, you won't know it. Subterranean termites live underground and tunnel underground searching for food sources. When they find a food source, they feed on the inside, where you can't see them.
Orange Oil
This natural termite solution isn't a solution at all. While orange oil contains d-limonene, which can definitely kill termites, it falls short in the following ways:
- Like the cardboard solution above, this treatment isn't going to hit the termite colony in its heart. It will only kill a few workers. The queen of that colony will keep making more workers.
- Orange oil doesn't last long. If you spray this product around your home, the rain will wash it away or dilute it. It has no residual strength.
- There is a danger to applying this treatment. Orange oil is flammable. Putting this on the wood of your home could lead to a house fire.
Vinegar
There are many great uses for vinegar. It can help you with your health and your pest control. But using it against termites is a losing battle. This is because vinegar spray is a topical treatment. It can't get deep enough to kill subterranean worker termites. And, even if it could, it won't attack the heart of the colony. This one is just all-around useless for protecting your home from termite damage in Waldorf.
Effective Termite Prevention
There are many natural termite "solutions" on the internet. But any so-called solutions that don't work to get to the heart of a colony won't prevent termite damage. The worst part is that you won't know that your DIY termite control failed.
If you don't have a termite infestation yet, there are many things you can do "naturally" that will protect your home. Reducing sources of wood, wet cardboard, and other materials that contain cellulose will make your yard less interesting to termites. Reducing moisture will make your yard less habitable for worker termites. Together, these can lower your chances of having termite activity and termite damage. But, if you've already found termites, it isn't wise to fight them alone. Reach out to a licensed termite control professional for assistance.
Termite Control With Mike's Pest, Termite and Wildlife Control
At Mike's Pest, Termite, and Wildlife Control, we pride ourselves in being the best option for pest control in Waldorf. Our licensed professionals deploy the Advanced Termite Baiting System to protect Waldorf homes. The Advanced Termite Baiting System is a non-invasive strategy that uses worker termites against the colony that sent them. When workers feed on the bait, they carry the active ingredient into their tunnels, share it with other termites, and eventually the queen herself. This eliminates the colony.
To learn more about our termite control options, reach out to us today. We're standing by to assist you with this critical protection for your property.