Termite Control Tips From an Expert

The first step of termite control is to identify, this means to find the pest and to make sure that it is indeed termites. Termites can sometimes be confused with winged ants which swarm at the same time of year. Termites have a broad waist making the relatively straight in the body compared to ants which have the small midsection, also termites have two pairs of wing that are identical in size and overlap each other when at rest. Another way to see if you have termites is to check for the holes they make in wood surfaces, the openings to these may be caked with a mud like substance excreted by the termites as they dig. A final sign of termite infestation is wooden pellet like feces which will be scattered around the entry and exit points from wooden surfaces.

After you have identified where the termite colonies are active you are ready for the next step in termite control. The next step is to place bait in the form of cardboard and paper, these can be laced with termite killer or after collecting a sizable number of termites can be taken away and burned. The best places to put these bait traps are near problem areas in the home and outside near entry points to the house. This will dramatically reduce the termite colony’s population and can be repeated until the infestation is removed.

Termiticide is a term used to describe pesticides which are intended for use in the extermination of termites and is the final step in termite control. Termiticide can be spread along the outside of the property and near entry and exit points to the home, and works well in conjunction with the bait traps discussed earlier. By lacing the cardboard with small amounts of termiticide, termites who gather bits of cardboard will carry the poison back to the main colony killing termite infestations at the source. Putting the termiticide around the outside of the property will prevent a new colony from moving in after the old one is eliminated effectively preventing future infestations.