How to Treat a House for Termites
Termites can seriously damage a house, bringing down its value dramatically. If any part of your house is made of wood, you are susceptible to termite infestation. You must first determine that you actually have termites via the use of a professional inspector. If you do, it's important to begin treatment as soon as possible. Thankfully, you can effectively treat a house for termites in a short period of time. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Eliminate moisture from your home. Termites thrive in damp environments. If you have any roof or wall leaks, get them repaired immediately. You should also have proper drainage to avoid water from accumulating around the house's exterior.
-
2
Assess the areas that are infested with termites. In addition to the home's exterior structure, termites are often found in outdoor storage sheds and wood piles. Most termite removal companies will send an inspector out to your home to identify all the areas that are infested.
-
-
3
Determine the type of termites that you have. Subterranean termites live in the soil underneath and around your house. They get needed moisture from the soil but move to your house to eat the wood. Drywood termites live in dry wood and get their necessary moisture from it directly. Dampwood termites live in wet wood. Since they need extremely wet wood, dampwood termites are rarely found in residential homes.
-
4
Get the entire house fumigated. This works for drywood and dampwood termites. A rubber-lined canvas tent is put around the entire house, and it is then filled with poisonous gases. You will be required to leave the premises for 48 to 72 hours while the fumigation is in process.
-
5
Have the house heat treated. For heat treatment, the house is tented in the same manner as fumigation treatment. Hot air is then injected into the tent, killing all the termites inside. No lethal chemicals are used in this process. This treatment method is effective for drywood and dampwood termites.
-
6
Consider localized treatments. Rather than treating the entire house, you can have individual areas treated. A professional will inject poisons directly into infested wood. The poison will kill existing termites, and protect against future termite infestation in those areas. Since the entire house is not treated, this method does not ensure that all termites will be killed. Localized treatments can be used on drywood and dampwood termites.
-
7
Treat subterranean termites via soil treatments. Chemicals are applied around the entire house, adjacent to its foundation. This creates a barrier around the house, killing any termites that attempt to cross it.
-
8
Consider natural treatments for termites. Many termite control companies use citrus-based products to kill termites. You don't have to vacate your home for days since no poisonous gases are used. You can also keep termites at bay by cleaning wood surfaces with a citrus-based cleaner.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Do not leave any food products out when you have your house fumigated. If you do, they need to be thrown out as they will have poison on them.
