What if termites appear in your home?

Owners of wooden houses very often encounter a variety of insects and rodents, which create a lot of inconvenience. And the most dangerous among them are termites. In common people they are called "white ants." The termites that appeared in the house are capable of completely destroying the basic structures of a building in just a couple of years, so each owner needs to know how to get rid of them.

Methods of struggle

Since getting rid of termites on their own is sometimes quite difficult, so many prefer to immediately seek help from special services, whose employees have many years of experience in dealing with various woodworms. But if there are few insects and you are completely confident in your abilities, then we suggest that you pay attention to methods and tools that in most cases bring a positive result.

Homemade trap

To make it, you will need two sheets of plain cardboard and water. This simple device is considered very effective, since cellulose is the main food of termites, and therefore cardboard will be an excellent bait:

• wet cardboard sheets thoroughly with water;
• connect them by folding on each other;
• We place the finished trap in the place where traces of insects were found.

On a note! Termites cannot be completely removed with a cardboard trap alone. It helps to get rid of only a couple of hundred individuals. And for a higher effect, you will have to use other methods as well!

Nematode use

These small worms are the natural enemies of termites. They penetrate the body of larvae and kill them within two days. The body of termites for small nematodes is an ideal place for their own reproduction and development, so it is quite possible to solve the problem of pests in a wooden house with their help.

Find nematodes in your garden plot does not work; they can be purchased at a store for gardeners or online. Moreover, it is advisable to use these worms immediately, especially if the temperature of the soil in which they were purchased is more than + 15 ° C.

Recommendation! If you do not plan to use nematode worms immediately after purchase, you can only store them in the refrigerator!

Chemicals

In order to get rid of termites, you can use one of the following insecticidal agents:

• Fipronil;
• Imidacloprid
• Chlorpyrifos;
• Chlorfenapyr.

However, remember that these drugs can harm your pets, so it is advisable to remove them from home for the duration of the treatment. In use, such tools are very simple - the insecticide is sprayed in the areas of termite accumulation and leave the room for several hours.

Folk remedies

Termites can also be fought using mixtures made independently. The most commonly used boric acid in such situations is boric acid. When insects enter the body, it dehydrates it and simultaneously destroys the nervous system.Plus, it is able to work on the principle of a chain reaction - termites on their paws bring poison to the nest and infect the rest of the colony members.

So, boric acid can be used in two ways:

• aqueous solution - we dilute the powder with water and apply the resulting product to small cuts of cardboard or wet the wooden elements with it; we lay ready baits near the supposed habitat of the parasites and do not forget to re-wet them with boron solution from time to time;
• pasta from boric acid - we combine the powder of boric acid with a small portion of sugar, honey and water so that a thick paste is obtained, after which we lubricate the location of home termites with it.

There are several more compounds that can destroy pests:

• mix 3 parts of kerosene with one part of turpentine;
• we connect turpentine with tar, creosote and naphthalene in a ratio of 20: 10: 1,5: 30;
• in a liter of alcohol we breed 30 g of mercuric chloride;
• in kerosene we dissolve drying oil, naphthalene and naphthalisole - proportions 100: 100: 15: 25;
• mix turpentine, naphthalene, phenol, lysol and wood tar in a ratio of 100: 10: 5: 3: 10.

One of the preparations should be applied to the wooden elements of the building in those places where termite clusters were detected, and you will get a positive result pretty quickly.

Light and cold

You can get rid of termites in a wooden house with the help of sunlight, as well as by freezing. However, it is possible to apply one of these methods only in cases where parasites have been detected in certain interior items.

Option one is to take the affected furniture out and leave it for a couple of days. At the same time, make sure that the sun's rays fall on it as long as possible.

Advice! In order to increase the efficiency of this method, cardboard traps can be used in parallel. Cellulose will lure termites out, after which they will be destroyed by sunlight!

The second option - it is suitable for rainy regions, where the sun rarely pleases with its light. If termites were found in the apartment, then the affected interior items should be disassembled and placed in the freezer. An ordinary freezer in this case, of course, will not work - special large cameras should be used.

If termites were discovered in winter, then the furniture can be completely taken out in the cold and left for three days. At the same time, it is completely optional to disassemble it. In some cases, freezing is a rather problematic option, but if possible, it guarantees the death of all insects.

General recommendations

If you decide to destroy termites on your own, then remember that the fight should be complex in nature - using several different means and methods.

1. Processing brings the best results in the spring, when the larvae appear at the outer layers of wood, and adult individuals tend to leave the wooden elements.
2. In parallel with the use of termite remedies, it is advisable to carry out anti-rot measures.
3. Sprayed insecticides should be given as much time as possible to work - ideally a week. For this period, the house should be left and closed.
4. If you are processing using chemical poisons, then you can also use boric acid with them - with a prepared paste, carefully cover all the holes in the infection area.
5. Since the main source of termite food is wood, it is advisable to keep logs, firewood, and other wood supplies away from home. They are also recommended to dry, making it unattractive to insects, and cover.
6. Use repellents during the construction phase of wooden structures. Add a tablespoon of 0.1% permethrin to a bucket of water and pour the resulting solution into paint or varnish, with which you will subsequently cover the inner and outer walls. A small portion of permethrin can also be added to the glue used when laying the flooring, or to cement.

Prevention of the termite invasion will also be a regular inspection of the house and all its parts. If cracks are found, they should be immediately repaired - especially often they appear near water pipes and form around the wiring. And on the windows, entrance and balcony doors it is worth installing mosquito nets - so termites will not be able to penetrate your house from the street. And do not forget to ensure that the ventilation passages are always free. To do this, you should not plant bushes and trees near them and mow the weed in time. Let your house always be clean from pests!