Spotting the signs of termites in or around your house is never a joyous moment. But before you start to panic, you should make sure that those signs are really indicating the presence of termites, and not some other insects or vermin.
This article gives you information on how to get rid of termites using more eco-friendly and natural methods (if possible). On top of this, we’ll present you with some of the ways you can be sure that you’re actually dealing with these potentially very dangerous pests, and differentiate termites from their lookalikes.
How Do You Fend Off Termites In an Eco-Friendly Way?
You can stave off termites naturally – or any other insects that are causing you trouble, for that matter – in more than a couple ways. The key thing to remember here is to be patient and persistent, as these creatures won’t surrender easily.
The first method involves setting up some wet cardboard traps. Termites are going to love this – don’t get confused here because you’re not doing this in order to treat them better and feed them what they like, but to lure them. Once they’re out in the open, munching that lovely, wet cellulose, you grab the cardboard and burn it.
Another good method is to use beneficial nematodes. The way this works is that the nematodes actually release bacteria which other insects find toxic. Be aware that you’ll most likely kill other insects along the way since they’re all affected by this toxic bacteria.
You can also try using boric acid. This acid
is particularly known for being helpful in dealing with any form of insect/ bug trouble. And just like with nematodes, you need to be careful, as the boric acid will probably affect other insects and bugs, like roaches or ants.
What To Do If There’s No Improvement?
We’re fully aware that termites aren’t easy to exterminate. Even though doing things in an eco-friendly manner is great, but sometimes nothing but calling the professionals can help.
For instance, there is a lot of professionals who know how and have natural pesticides to help you, get in contact with companies like Lian Building Group, and make sure that your garden is fully protected. This way you’re not only securing your lovely backyard but your house and your furniture as well. You need to think in advance when you’re dealing with termites, as they can potentially cause you a lot of damage.
Know Your Termites – ’White Ants’
But before you begin to take any further action and try to exterminate whatever it is that you’re dealing with, you need to make sure you’re actually getting rid of termites and not some other insects. The main reason why you want to be sure which insects are infesting and desolating your garden is that not all methods work on every insect.
Here are few characteristic features of termites: they’re light in color (sometimes even translucent), they have completely straight antennae, have two sets of wings, and their waste section is rather thick, especially compared to ants. That’s why referring to termites as ’white ants’ can create a misconception – termites are, in fact, nothing like ants.
Other Warning Signs That You’re Dealing With Termites
Once you’ve made sure that their bodies match the previous descriptions, you want to look around the garden and see if you can spot the following things.
First of all, you need to check the soil line. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, as your entire garden, and potentially your house, are in danger. Termites live in clusters, so you shouldn’t have troubles noticing them. You’ll probably find them near the roots or any other trees that are nearby.
Secondly, look for mud tubes. The way most termites operate is by building small mud tubes/ tunnels out of dirt or soil. They use these as passageways, as they’re not particularly fond of light (we’ll get to that quickly).
Thirdly, you need to look for any holes in wood. This is their primary source of food, and they are creating little tunnels as they’re eating the wood. You’d also see termite droppings which the termites leave behind after consuming wood. Another good indication that you’ll have to put some effort in getting rid of termites are dying trees. If you have termites infected trees in the garden, they’ll soon start to show severe signs of distress, and eventually, they’ll die.
Conclusion
If you’re suspecting that your garden is infected by termites, you don’t need to panic, but you need to be very cautious and careful in dealing with this type of situation. You can try staving off termites with some eco-friendly methods, but since things can get rather serious we’d recommend you to contact professionals and leave nothing to chance.