If you don't like pests setting up shop in your home, you might be interested in hiring a professional exterminator to help you with your problems. However, unless you understand the tools that they are working with, you might find yourself wondering what else you can do to curb issues. For example, if you don't mention that mosquito problem, your exterminator might not know to treat that water feature with a pesticide that targets larvae. My site explains different ways you can prepare for your professional pest control treatment, so that you aren't left with issues later down the road.
Termites are a pest that you should immediately take care of if you discover them in your house. Here is what you need to know about dealing with them.
Use an Oil Solution To Treat Affected Wood
The first thing you need to do is treat wood that has been affected by the termites with an oil solution that contains orange oil and neem oil. These two oils have an amazing effect on those termites that are destroying the wood.
Neem oil has a chemical in it known as azadirachtin, which will make a termite unable to lay eggs or eat. Orange oil affects termites by penetrating the exoskeleton, which makes it very hard for a termite to breathe. That is why the combination of the two oils will be so effective at stopping termites.
Applying the oils also requires some olive oil, a paintbrush, and a container to mix the ingredients into. Start by mixing together:
Olive oil - 1 cup
Neem oil - 25 drops
Orange oil - 20 drops
Cover your container, then give the solution some time to properly meld together before you use it.
Apply the mixture by dipping a paintbrush in the container and painting it directly to the affected wood. The oil must come in contact with those termites to work, so apply the solutions to areas around the wood as well. The oil will eventually soak into the wood and be able to affect the termites when they come back.
Use Diatomaceous Earth and Boric Acid
You'll now want to create another mixture using diatomaceous earth and boric acid. If the termites ingest the boric acid, it causes the inside of their body to dry out. By covering the exoskeleton, it will prevent molting and mill the termites because they cannot shed the exoskeleton when they start to grow. Ingesting the diatomaceous earth causes a termite's digestive track to swell, making it very difficult for the termites to get the nourishment they need to stay alive.
When mixing together the next solution, it is best to use plastic gloves to prevent your skin from drying out. Simply combine the two ingredients into a container:
Boric Acid - 2 cups
Diatomaceous earth - 1 cup
It will create a powder mixture that can be applied to wood using a sifter to create an even layer on a wood surface. The goal is to put the powder in the path of the termites so that they take it back to their colony where it affects other termites.
Share3 October 2017
