What Kills Termites

Any insect infestation is cause for alarm, but a termite invasion is especially stress-inducing. Not only are they unwelcome guests, they are unwelcome guests who threaten the safety and structure of your home, eating through wood and causing potentially costly problems. If you think you may have these pests in your home, A-1 Pest Control can help.  

Identifying Termite Damage

If you think you may have termites and are looking for confirmation, or if you just want to be proactive about identifying the problem before it gets too bad, the best thing you can do is contact an expert at A-1 to check your home for infestations. 

If you notice any of the following in your home, it may be a sign that you have a termite problem:

• Damaged or drooping drywall
• Pinprick size holes in drywall
• Peeling paint
• Hollow-sounding walls
• Damaged or crumbling hardwood floors

Seeing the termites themselves is rare, unless you catch the swarmers at the right time of the day in their active season (usually at dawn or dusk). But you may catch some of these tell-tale signs that they are nearby: 

• Piles of fish scale-like wings left from when swarmer shed theirs
• Mud tubes around your homes exterior walls
• Termite swarms 

Termites can create colonies with millions of members causing expensive damage if given enough time, so it’s important to catch and eliminate them as early as possible. 

What Kills Termites

There are a few different species of termites, but homeowners in North Carolina dealing with termites are most often victims of the subterranean kind. These live and travel underground, building mud tubes through your home to travel up walls and through floors. 

The most effective way to kill termites is to enlist the expertise of a pest control company, who can evaluate the extent of the damage. They will identify the best way to maintain the structural integrity of your home and determine the fastest and most efficient way to get rid of the culprit. 

If you’re trying to get rid of termites on your own, though, there are a few methods you can try:

Insecticides

You can find insecticides specifically designed to get rid of termites, like Termidor, online or at most hardware stores. These are available in a foam or dust agent form. The foam can be deposited into cracks and crevices, and will then evaporate to leave a residue that kills termites upon contact. The dust agent can be used in areas where the foam may not reach. 

Some insecticides work by creating a barrier when sprayed on soil or mulch outside your home. As soon as the termite ingests the insecticide, it will die, and even a termite touching the barrier is enough for it to spread the poison to other termites, eventually killing the colony. 

These are effective, but need to be used carefully. They should not be sprayed around children or pets. 

Termite Bait

Just as its name suggests, termite bait lures termites in by masquerading as food. The termite who takes the bait will bring the poison back to the rest of the colony. 

Nematodes

Certain nematodes, known as beneficial nematodes, are parasites that are able to hunt down and kill termites. They work by burrowing into the pest, then slowly poisoning the host over the course of just a few days. You can sprinkle any outdoor spaces affected with a combination of potting soil, beneficial nematodes, and water, and not worry about keeping children or pets away from the area, as they are nontoxic (unless you’re a termite). 

A-1 Pest Control Termite Solutions

If you want to be sure your termite problem is taken care of, and stays that way, we recommend expert insight. At A-1 Pest Control, we have a couple of go-to solutions available to eliminate the termites in your home. 

The Sentricon System

This system is one of the most popular among homeowners, as it tends to be the most affordable and effective. We use the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System which is a bait that attracts and destroys subterranean termites. The bait stops their maturation process, killing them and eliminating the entire colony. 

Our experts are Authorized Operators of the Sentricon technology and can inspect your property for termite colonies to know exactly how and where the bait should be laid.  

Termidor® Treatments

As mentioned above, Termidor® is a liquid insecticide that can be applied along the foundation of homes and other structures to create a barrier. When the termites walk through or eat this barrier, they begin to die and become “carriers” that can transfer the Termidor to other termites.

If you’re looking for one of these termite control treatments, contact us ASAP for your free inspection and estimate!