Winged termite swarmers are a serious sign that you may have a termite infestation. At the very first sightings of their traces in your home, it is a smart move to immediately set up termite bait traps to prevent the infestation from getting worse. Most termite killers and termiticide options in the market are chemical-based and if you have children or pets at home, you’d want a more natural way to eliminate and drive off the termites for good.
So what are the natural methods to get rid of flying termites and other household pests? You can set up your own termite traps and treatment using non-chemical ingredients that you can buy from the local store like boric acid, vinegar, rubber mulch, cayenne pepper, orange oil and other essential oils, and diatomaceous earth. You can also use a bug zapper to catch and electrocute them or put your termite-infested furniture out in the sunlight.
The first thing you need to do before preparing your DIY termite treatment in place is to do an inspection and locate the area with high termite activity. It’s easy to identify a flying termite because of their winged bodies and they usually like to shed their wings on window sills, floors, and corners. If you’re having a hard time finding their termite colony, you can enlist the help of professional exterminators to do a thorough sweep of your house.
Once you have an idea of their location, you can begin to plan for your termite elimination methods. Before these termites do any more irreparable damage to your furniture and property, here are natural treatments and simple measures you can do to eliminate and stop them from building their entire colony in your home:
Borates, also known as boric acid or borax powder, is a widely known effective termite killer and repellent. This substance is an all-natural pesticide that can slowly bring termites to their death once they have ingested it. It works by disrupting their digestive systems and cutting off their supply of nutrients from the dry wood. It can take up to 72 hours for boric acid to completely take effect in the termites and pests’ organs.
It can be bought in powder form and you can use it to make your own pesticide spray. All you need to do is to mix one teaspoon of boric acid in a cup of warm water and place them in a bottle spray. Stir the mixture until the powder is dissolved and you can spritz a generous amount of the boric acid termiticide in the affected areas.
White vinegar is another great alternative for homemade termite repellent spray. White vinegar is a highly acidic substance made of acetic acid and termites have extremely fragile and soft-shelled bodies. When they come into contact with surfaces sprayed with vinegar, they could absorb the acid moisture which can dehydrate them to their death.
To make your own termite spray with white vinegar, you need to prepare two lemons and squeeze their juices in a cup. Put half a cup of vinegar in the lemon mixture and shake them in a bottle until they are well-mixed. This homemade spray works for any termite and carpenter ant that you may see on surfaces. You can also spread it on the entrances of a termite nest that you see on the walls or crevices.
Aside from wood, the one thing that termites also like to feed on is plants. If you are raising a garden, the potted plants and shrubs can serve as a conducive environment for termites since they are moist and a good food source for these insects. If your house’s foundation has close contact with the soil where your plants are growing, termites can easily make their way into your homes through holes and cracks.
To protect against termites trying to enter your home, you can use rubber mulch for your plants and flowers. A rubber mulch is made of recycled tires and they don’t attract termites, ants, and other pests as much as wood mulch does. Since it’s made of rubber material, they don’t have cellulose and termites will not feed on them.
Cayenne pepper is a readily available termite bait ingredient that you can find in your kitchen. This powder ingredient popularly contains capsaicin and it can cause irritation to the exoskeleton of the termites. Similar to boric acid, termite baiting with cayenne pepper works because it directly harms the termites’ nervous and digestive systems.
If you have a localized area with minimal termite activity, you can simply place a good amount of cayenne pepper powder on the surface or directly on their trail. You can also choose to create a natural paste by mixing the pepper with vegetable oil and applying them to the infested areas. When you check back on the treated areas after several days, you can find that the termites have been exterminated.
A nematode is a type of parasitic worm, more specifically known as a microscopic roundworm, and it works by hunting on the termites in your home. They are a natural predator to termites and they will attack their digestive systems by releasing a harmful poison. The nematodes will enter the host’s body and release a symbiotic gut bacterium that will induce blood poisoning and kill the termite.
Once they are done with their first host, the nematodes will find and consume their next termite victim. This means that termite elimination with nematodes is a long-term solution and they are very effective in controlling widespread termite infestation.
Beneficial nematodes can be bought at pet stores or shops that offer termite control solutions. You can simply use them by releasing them in the termite-infested areas or you can mix them in water to create a spray. The spray method is effective for application to wooden furniture and wall structures where you suspect termites are residing.
A winged termite and flying ant can also be eliminated with the help of essential oil treatments. Most ingredients used to produce essential oils are known to be toxic to termites. One of the most common organic essential oil termite treatments is orange oil.
Orange oil is extracted from the rinds of orange fruits and it contains D-limonene which is said to be toxic to termites, particularly the drywood termite. A termite’s exoskeleton will immediately dissolve upon contact with the oil, and they will become dehydrated and lose their ability to process nutrients.
Neem oil and tea tree oil are also believed to be helpful in termite control and elimination. Both are natural repellents to termites and other insect species, and more specifically, neem oil has a toxic property that affects the hormonal system of termites. It effectively prevents reproductive termites from laying eggs and stops them from spreading. When applied to the infested areas, these oils also have a unique smell that deters termites.
Diatomaceous earth is a natural substance that contains remains of fossilized algae that are found in bodies of water. They are made of silica compounds and are thought to have sharp particles that can dehydrate and dry out the exoskeletons of termites. The worker termites can pass on the food to the queen termite and soldier termites and they will die within 24 to 48 hours.
You can simply buy a bag of diatomaceous earth in your local store. The trick for successful termite elimination with diatomaceous earth is to apply them to all surfaces where termites pass. You can also mix a good amount of powder into their food in a termite bait station.
Bug zapping is a pest and termite control method that doesn’t require a meticulous preparation of any bait system or ant traps. A bug zapper looks like a lamp but it emits a UV light that will attract any flying termites or flying ants into the electrical trap. The electric discharge instantly kills the flying termites the moment that they enter the trap.
You can strategically place the bug zapper in a corner of the room or you can hang them outside on the porch or balcony. This equipment can also come in the form of a racket, similar to a fly swatter, so you can just swing them in the air to catch the flying termites.
If you have wooden furniture or structures that you suspect have been infested by termites, you can bring them outside and let them sit in the sun. It’s said that almost all termite species cannot stand sun exposure and they will immediately die if they are exposed to brightness and open air. During the summer months, you can clean your furniture and carry them outside for a few minutes to allow the sun to kill the termites.
There are more than a thousand termite species found in the world, and these destructive termites are responsible for hundreds of dollars in annual termite damage and repair for many residential homeowners. Termite infestations at home can be caused by the following types of termites:
Termites are social insects and they move and live in groups, also known as a termite colony. This colony is composed of members namely the king and queen termites, worker termites, and soldier termites. During peak swarming season, a termite swarmer moves out of its nest and flies to look for a new home. This happens when the colony has reached its maximum members and they need a new colony where they will survive.
Most species of household termites, such as the subterranean termites and dampwood termites, are most active in swarming during the spring and summer months. Meanwhile, swarmers of drywood termites come out during the late summer season.
Swarming termites are mostly active at night and they are drawn to any light source which is why you’ll find traces of their discarded termite wings near window surfaces. Other signs of flying termite infestations are visible wood damage, hollow-sounding woods, the presence of mud tubes along the interior and exterior walls, and termite droppings or frass.
Termite control and treatment don’t need a specific time or season. It’s best to have year-round protection from termites to avoid irreversible structural damage and minor health risks. You should contact your pest control provider for a regular termite inspection and they can help set up proper measures to prevent infestation.
You should always keep an eye out for flying insects and winged termite sightings within your home. Here are some tips to help you manage and get rid of termites to prevent a serious infestation:
When it comes to effective extermination of termites, you may need more than just natural household remedies and require professional pest control service to eliminate them for good. At Positive Pest Management, our expert pest control team can suggest the right methods to remove flying termites, ants, and other insects safely and efficiently.
We offer quality extermination treatments, termite inspection, and preventive measures to help keep your home free from termites and household pests. All our services are customized according to the needs and problems of your home. Contact us today and book our pest control team for an initial home visit.
