How to Exterminate Termites in the Walls

Termites feed on many building materials commonly found in walls.

Termites are serious pests in home interiors and can cause significant structural damage if left untreated. Early identification and treatment are important to minimize the damage caused by termites in your walls. Exterminating the entire colony, not just the termites in the walls, is essential to prevent damage to other parts of your home. An integrated pest management approach that includes spot applications of chemical insecticides along with termite bait is important.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Shovel
• Termiticides
• Termite baits
• Protective clothing

Instructions

1. Look for signs of termite activity around the foundation of your home to identify where the pests are entering. Termites are subterranean insects that tunnel through the soil and make their way into the walls of your home through mud tubes that lead to small openings in the exterior walls. Mud tubes may be constructed from wood scraps, drywall or organic debris in addition to dirt.

2. Identify where termites are located in the walls of your home. Tap the walls with a screwdriver to determine where the termites infestation is. Listen for a hollow sound as you tap the screwdriver, then probe the wood by pushing the screwdriver through to visibly observe termite activity.

3. Destroy the mud tubes outside your home and dig a trench next to the foundation. Dig the trench 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide along the entire foundation.

4. Spray an outdoor contact termiticide in the trench to create a liquid barrier around your home to prevent additional termites from entering.

5. Spray an indoor contact termiticide in the infested walls of your home. Several liquid sprays are readily available from home-and-garden stores to treat the surfaces of infested areas in your home and kill termites that come in contact with the chemical.

6. Install termite bait stations near the mud tube locations outdoors and other stations around the foundation of your home. Monitor the bait stations regularly, and install the slow-acting termiticide to the bait stations once termite activity is identified. Termites carry the poison back to the colony, where the spread it to other members and kill the entire colony. Regular monitoring and maintenance of bait stations are necessary to prevent the termites from re-infesting the walls in your home.

Tips & Warnings

• Always follow the instructions on insecticides, as labeled, for best results.

• Wear proper protective clothing, including gloves, goggles and an air mask when applying insecticides in your home.

References

• North Carolina State University: Biology and Control of Subterranean Termites
• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Termite Control
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst: Controlling Termites and Carpenter Ants