Homeowners often attempt do-it-yourself or DIY treatments for pest problems at their house. Are termites something that a homeowner should tackle on their own? Sure, homeowners can set a mouse trap, or use a fly swatter, but termites are another story.
Your home can be your largest investment and protecting and treating it against termites requires extensive knowledge and equipment. That’s not to say that homeowner absolutely cannot eradicate a termite infestation, but the likelihood is low.
We are located in Pennsylvania, so we’ll be talking about subterranean termites specifically in this article. Let’s discuss why DIY termite control might not be enough to resolve a termite infestation.
Store bought Termite Sprays for homeowners
Many homeowners only access to pest control and termite control products is from the store. These store-bought termite sprays are designed to be bought and sold by the general public. Since the termite spray manufacturers are selling to the general public, they have to formulate their termite spray as weak and diluted as possible.
This is because the general public is not experienced or knowledgeable enough about pesticides to handle and apply them correctly. The termite spray manufacturers have to plan on their spray being spilled, dumped, or used incorrectly. It is because of this that they intentionally make their product less potent.
When we look at termite control products sold at hardware stores and other stores, the active ingredient is listed on the bottle.
As a professional termite control company, we know what types of chemicals are best to treat and prevent termites. Often, the store-bought termite sprays do not have the proper chemical listed to eliminate termite infestations.
Sometimes, the termite sprays found in stores have the same active ingredient that you would use for other pests that will definitely not resolve a termite problem.
How most homeowners treat for termites
Most homeowners know they have termites by either seeing termite mud shelter tubes, seeing termite damage to wood, or by seeing termite swarmers or alates. You can learn more about termite signs and evidence by checking out our article early signs of a termite problem.
When homeowners discover mud shelter tubes or termite damage to wood, their first instinct is to spray those areas with a termite spray.
By spraying the termite mud shelter tubes or the damaged wood, the homeowner is treating some termites. In fact, the termites in that area will most likely be eradicated.
The problem is that termite colonies can have thousands of termites and the few that you spray will not make a dent in the colony population.
Spraying the termite swarmers
The other most common interaction homeowners have with termites is seeing termite swarmers. Termite swarmers are the winged reproductive members of the termite colony. They will look like ants with wings and emerge in great numbers in the spring and summer.
The job of a termite swarmer is to leave the colony, mate, and start a new colony. Many homeowners will find these swarmers on the basement floor or near a windowsill. You may also find just a pile of insect wings near a window or on the basement floor.
Will termite sprays from the store kill termite swarmers? The answer is yes, most insecticides and even natural products will treat termite swarmers.
The problem though, is that treating just the swarmers will not eradicate the termite colony. You can kill all of the swarmers and the termites infesting the house will carry on and not even notice.
Termite swarmers do not live very long indoors so given a few days and the swarmers would be dead anyways regardless of spray. Simply vacuuming them up is a better option than spraying for swarmers.
Why doesn’t store bought termite spray work on termites?
Besides the weak formulation of the store-bought termite sprays and how they are applied, there is another reason that termite sprays are not very effective. That reason is due to termite biology.
The termites we have in Pennsylvania are subterranean termites which means they live and travel underground. This means that any store-bought termite spray will not get to where the termites are actually located and traveling. Professional termite treatments involve injecting termiticide into the soil and under the ground. This is where the termites are located, and the professional equipment can actually get the termite product where it needs to go.
Termites are social insects just like ants and bees. This means that they have a single queen, and the entire colony works to serve the colony itself. Since termites are social, termite sprays should be formulated with this in mind. We don’t want to simply kill a few termites, we want to eradicate the entire termite colony.
A proper termite control service involves using a termite chemical that will use the termite’s social nature against them. This means that a professional termite product will be used that doesn’t kill the individual termites immediately. We want the termites to come in contact with the professional termite product and live long enough to spread it to the rest of the colony.
What can a homeowner do to prevent termites
Although homeowners probably shouldn’t treat for termites themselves, there are some things that the homeowner can do to prevent having termites. Keeping moisture away from the foundation is a great option. Removing or inspecting wood structures is another great way to prevent termite infestations.
12 Proven ways to prevent termite infestations in your home is a great resource for homeowners wanting to protect their home.
Catching termite problems early can prevent expensive home repairs later. Having a termite specialist inspect your home for termites can be good peace of mind as well.
Of course a pest control company is going to say a homeowner can’t DIY a termite infestation
While we admit there is some bias when it comes to termite control, the above reasons are still solid. Lack of equipment, professional chemical, and termite knowledge are why most homeowners fail to eradicate termite problems themselves.
There are many pests that a homeowner, if brave enough, can tackle themselves but termites is not one of them. The risk of damage to your home is too great to be trusted with a novice treatment approach.
Another reason a homeowner shouldn’t treat termites themselves is the paperwork involved when they eventually sell their home. During the real estate selling process, the new home buyer most likely will have a termite inspection performed. When the termite evidence is discovered during then inspection, a proper treatment record will need to be produced. This document is evidence that the termite treatment was performed by a licensed termite control company and that the property is warrantied against future termite infestations.
Unfortunately, even if your DIY termite treatment is successful, you may still need to pay a termite control company to re-treat for termites to have the proper documentation to sell your home. Why pay twice for a termite service when a professional termite company can resolve the termite problem the first time and provide you with all of the documents you need.
I treated the termites myself and still have a termite problem
Like we mentioned above, termites are social insects. If a store-bought termite spray is used, it may hinder a professional termite treatment if needed later on. You may spray the termite swarmers and didn’t see anymore and thought “see, I told you I could treat these termites myself!”. Only to find that next year you have termite swarmers again.
This may be due to the fact that killing swarmers won’t eliminate the termite colony. Or it may be that you took care of a couple of termite workers, but thousands of termites remain. Don’t keep fighting the termites year-after-year. Call a professional termite company to help!
As soon as you discover a termite problem, or suspect you have termites, the best thing to do is to call a professional for a consultation. Most pest control companies will properly identify your termite issue and provide you with professional treatment methods.
DIY termite treatments cost less though
It is true that termite sprays you buy at the store cost less than a professional termite treatment. Consider though that if the termites are able to continue damaging your home, how much more will the repair cost? Although professional termite treatments cost more than DIY termite sprays, in the long run, the professional treatment will be more cost effective.
Many termite control companies offer financing and accept many forms of payment to ease the burden of a termite treatment. On average, our termite treatments cost around $1000. This may seem high at first to a DIY’er but it is way less than the cost to repair the foundation of your home!
I need a professional termite company, who should I call?
If you live in Southeastern Pennsylvania, then Prudential Pest Solutions is who you need to contact. We have the knowledge, equipment, and experience to handle and resolve any termite issue you have.
From traditional liquid Termidor HE termite treatments to termite baiting systems, we have a termite solution for you. Our termite treatment options will protect your home for years.
When it comes to your home, you need to protect it from termites and the damage they cause.
Prudential Pest Solutions are the experts at treating and preventing termite problems and infestations.
In addition to termite treatments, we also consult with homeowners on WHY they had a termite problem and what can be done to prevent termites in the future.
Termite Solutions for your home
Prudential Pest Solutions offers termite control solutions to all of Southeastern Pennsylvania including:
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