4 Things Termites Hate

Termites are pests that strike fear into the hearts of homeowners. Left unchecked, they can cause significant damage to a home. Make your home undesirable to termites with these four things termites hate:

1. Borates.

Borate is a natural mineral. Its active ingredient is a salt that is harmless to humans and animals, but quite deadly to termites. Borates make it impossible for termites to absorb nutrition, so they starve to death. You can buy sodium borate in the laundry soap aisle of any supermarket. Although it can kill termites, sprinkling it around your home is ineffective because it doesn’t penetrate wood easily. Pest control specialists use borates as a termite treatment mixed with propylene glycol, another harmless material, to help get professional-grade borates deep inside the wood where termites reside.

2. A foundation clear of plantings.

Foundation plantings, or foundation beds, are plants that surround your home to hide the foundation. Most homeowners don’t realize that plantings close to your foundation are a route termites use to get to your house. Keep foundation beds eight to ten inches away from your foundation, and shrubs three feet away. These distances are a deterrent for termites and better for the plants too, as they get better light and air circulation from the air behind them.

3. Sunlight.

Termites hate sunlight. In fact, they can die from too much sunlight and heat exposure. If you suspect that a piece of furniture has termites, drag it to the yard to bake in the sun for a bit. Obviously, you can’t expose your whole house to sunlight, but pest control professionals offer heat as a whole-house, alternative termite treatment to fumigation.

4. Nematodes.

Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that are used to control subterranean termites and other insects biologically. Nematodes are bred to be safe for humans, animals, and plants, and they feed on termites parasitically until they die. You can mix them in water and then spray the affected area. The downside to this DIY termite-control solution is that nematodes often die in the shipping process.

2 Additional Things Termites Hate

The two things termites hate most are vigilant homeowners, and the professional pest control specialists who provide a solution to termite infestations. Vigilant homeowners know that the best way to keep a home free of termites is to schedule an annual free termite inspection so if termites are found, they can be eliminated before they have a chance to do significant damage. Nothing puts fear in termites like calling Ecola at 1-800- 332-BUGS (2847).