How To Get Rid Of Termites?

Termites are infamous for their feeding and nesting habits. They primarily consume dead plants, trees and wood. They can cause extensive damage to human property. To get rid of them, follow termite treatment & prevention practices.

Termites, popularly known as “white ants” in several regions around the world, are infamous for their feeding and nesting habits. These insects primarily consume dead plants and trees and wood as important constituent of their diet. The mouth of a termite can tear through wooden furnitures, house foundations, books, clothes, carpets and other cellulosic materials, making termites even more dangerous pests than numerous other insects and rodents. They often gain access unnoticeably and remain hidden, thereby going undetected, stealthily causing extensive damage to human property.

According to their diet, termites are grouped in following categories – subterranean, soil-dwelling, drywood, dampwood and grass-eating. Subterranean and drywood termites are more of a nuisance than the others, because their dwelling places are chiefly human habitats. Most species of termites have a high moisture requirement for survival. For this particular reason, they have also been known to bite through pipelines made of soft plastic and even some metals such as lead, to exploit moisture. Drywood termites are common in coastal regions and intermittently occupy walls and wooden appliances. These termites can conserve water in their bodies, and also get the required amount of moisture by metabolising the wood they consume. They may get transported from one place to another through furnitures. Although subterranean termites need to be in contact with the soil to extract moisture, they can build tunnels or “mud tubes” through cracks even in concrete buildings, for food and protection.

Termite treatment & prevention

Termite treatment & prevention is very essential if you don't want your property to get damaged.

There are several measures to impede the entry of termites in households and buildings. The foremost and primary step towards prevention is to be vigilant for the infestation of termites. They do not usually come out from their nesting places, making it next to impossible to detect their presence.

However, some warning signs are always conspicuous.

• Swarms of winged termites are attracted to light and a temporary swarm can be indicative of a termite infestation in its early stages.

• Presence of vertical mud tubes, about the diameter of a pencil, on the interior or exterior walls of the house, on support piers, sill plates or floor joists.

• Wood that produces a hollow sound on being tapped.

• Shedded wings of termites.

• Tiny holes on the surface of walls can also be signs of a termite infestation.

Some useful preventive methods against termites are as follows:

• Secure all sources of water properly. Check for leaky taps and pipes. Don't allow water to stand anywhere in and around the house.

• The storage places of firewood or lumber should be away from homes.

• Trees and shrubs should not be planted in close proximity of the foundation.

• Placing screens on vents will prevent the entry of termites.

There are mainly two contemporary forms of termite treatment – barrier treatments and termite baits. Other alternative treatments include liquid soil-applied treatments, termite baits, building materials impregnated with termicides and wood treatments.