Termites are one of the most dangerous pests in your home. They eat at your home’s or building’s foundation, often going unnoticed until they have done considerable damage. The purpose of termite pest control is to prevent invasive termite species from infesting your home, or if already infested, to remove these pests and prevent another infestation.
Termites are a formidable pest, and there are different types that require integrated pest management solutions.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about termites: how to identify a termite infestation, termite control methods, different termite treatments, how termite treatments work, and the benefits of termite pest control.
Know Who You’re Dealing with: Structure-Attacking of Termites
First, let us talk about the types of termites that frequently terrorize homes and buildings. These are the main types of termites you can find in the Philippines:
Subterranean Termites
This type of termite lives primarily underground. Their colony can be identified through the mound they build to serve as ventilation or the mud tubes they use to travel. Because they tend to have sizable colonies, they can cause major damage to a structure.
Drywood Termites
Drywood termites live inside wood, so you may find a colony inside your home. Their colonies tend to develop slowly so it may not be easy to detect their presence or the damage they cause.
How to Identify Termite Infestation?
The first step to controlling termites is identifying a termite infestation. You need to know the signs of a termite infestation, which varies based on the type of termite colony present on your property. Here are the signs of a termite infestation:
As soft-bodied insects, termites must protect themselves from the environment. You may be able to find signs that they have built a nest in your property if you spot any of these around:
- Termite mounds
- Mud tubes
- Termite tree nests
- Mud trails
- Termite droppings
- Groups of winged insects (alates) or discarded wings
- Termites
Termites consume wood and other cellulose materials, often from the inside. As a result, wooden structures like windowsills may appear sturdy but may actually be hollow inside.
Over time, these structures may start to crumble and, eventually, sag. Before they start to sag, you can tell if it has been ravaged by termites by checking these:
- Hollow wood
- Cracked paint on wood surfaces
- Sagging floors or ceilings
What is a Termite Control Treatment?
Termite control treatments are methods for preventing pests from penetrating a structure’s foundation or, in the case of an active infestation, eliminating them. Termites live deep into structures or the ground, and an effective termite control treatment addresses the root cause of the infestation thoroughly.
Professionals have developed strategies for delivering termiticides and baiting systems specifically created for termites that will eliminate the entire colony or prevent them from entering the property from the onset.
What are the Advantages of Termite Pest Control?
As a consumer, you may find a few products that will allow you to address a pest infestation by yourself. However, termite infestation is not a surface-level issue. Failing to address the infestation from its root will only result in re-infestation.
At the root of termite control in the Philippines is the timely and correct identification of the infestation. A professional knows how to identify a termite infestation, as well as the type of termite you may be dealing with. They can also accurately locate the termite colony within your property with minimal damage.
A professional also knows the uses of termite pest control treatments, such as which treatments will best tackle the type of termite in the property or how to best protect it from potential infestations. They can strategically apply the treatments, ensuring not only effectiveness but also the safety of everyone who uses the premises.
Furthermore, professionals can offer proactive termite management strategies that will enable you to avoid serious damage to your structure and protect it from future re-infestations.
Methods of Termite Pest Control
There are two main termite pest control methods—pre-construction and post-construction methods. Both methods are necessary and effective at preventing and keeping termites under control.
Pre-Construction Method
Pre-construction anti-termite treatments are protective treatments that are applied before the construction of the building. Professionals apply termiticides to the ground before a building or home is built to create a chemical-treated zone that will serve as a barrier against subterranean termites.
Post-Construction Method
Post-construction anti-termite treatment is a soil injection treatment that is applied to already constructed buildings or structures to establish a barrier against termites and prevent future infestations.
This type of treatment is also ideal for older structures to ensure that they stay protected from termites, whether it’s to eliminate an infestation or prevent future infestations. Post-construction treatments include remedial treatments that tackle active termite infestations, such as thermal imaging to locate termite activity or damage to ceilings and walls in a non-destructive manner, chemically treated zone, above-ground baiting, in-ground baiting, and dry wood termite management.
Given the damage that termites can cause, homeowners and building owners cannot afford to be complacent in the fight against these pests. Their property must be protected at all times. This is why ENTECH considers effective termite treatment as one that takes advantage of both methods to control termite infestations.
Different Types of Termite Treatment and How They Work
Termites are difficult to expunge, so it’s best to get help from a professional pest control provider to help you prevent and treat termite infestations. Professionals use an array of methods to eradicate termites. Let’s discuss how termite pest control treatments work.
Bait Stations
Bait stations are a simple but effective way to control termite infestation, and they can be used in combination with termiticides.
Bait stations use wood or another type of cellulose material that is saturated with a slow-acting dry termiticide. The bait attracts worker ants that will bring it back to their colony as food. Once the termites in the colony ingest the bait, they will eventually die out.
There are two types of bait stations:
- In-ground
- Above-ground
The bait station may be set up above ground or in-ground. This system allows the termite expert to target the termite colony without even identifying its exact location.
Since it targets the colony directly, it is considered one of the most environment-friendly pest control treatments against subterranean termites.
Chemical Treated Zone
Chemical treatments are widely used as both pre-construction and post-construction methods. In this method, an FDA-approved termiticide is diluted in water and then applied to the soil under or around the structure’s foundation.
The process will build a chemical barrier that will prevent termites from penetrating the building’s foundation.
Apart from being effective at repelling termites, one of the benefits of this termite pest control is that it can last up from eight to twelve years.
Wood Treatment
A type of termite does not live underground but inside wood. Dry wood termites may live inside wooden planks and furniture and are difficult to spot.
Furthermore, since they may live inside wood materials around or inside your house or building, other methods like chemical treated zones may not work on them.
Wood treatment involves the application of termiticides to wood materials to prevent an infestation or, if there is an existing infestation, inhibit termite movement and feeding, eventually leading to the elimination of the colony.
This method may be used in support of other methods to keep termites at bay.
Gas Fumigation
In cases of severe termite infestations, most parts of the structure are likely to have been affected by the termites. Gas fumigation applies termiticide throughout the entire building — ensuring that it penetrates deep into the structure — as well as the affected furniture.
In this method, the house or building must be completely sealed to allow the gas termiticide to circulate and seep into the crevices.
This method uses a potent gas that requires professionals and high-quality gear during application. After fumigation, this treatment also requires at least 12 hours of aeration to ensure that people do not inhale the fumes.
This type of treatment has a high success rate of killing termites on the property, including those in the nest. However, this treatment’s effect is limited to eliminating an active infestation; it cannot prevent future infestations, so it needs to be coupled with other methods to avoid re-infestation.
Foam Termiticide Application
This method applies insecticide with a foaming agent and is often used as a topical treatment in conjunction with liquid termiticide.
Foam termiticide is injected into wall voids or other areas where it spreads laterally to fill the area. Since it is injected into the structure, it reaches through hard-to-reach crevices that liquid termiticide may not reach.
After spreading inside the foundation, the foam breaks down and leaves a residue of termiticide on the inner surfaces of the walls.
ENTECH focuses on environmentally friendly approaches to termite pest control. As such, our customized termite management programs exclude some of the commonplace methods. Instead, we have strengthened the sustainable pre-construction and post-construction methods, particularly in-ground and above-ground bait stations, chemical treated zone, and dry wood termite management.
Let the Experts at ENTECH Do the Work
Termites are a complicated pest to manage, and when infestations are left untreated, they can truly wreak havoc on your property. Property owners have a lot to gain by protecting their homes or buildings from potential termite infestation.
As one of the leading providers of environmental services, ENTECH integrates different methods of pest management to create an environment-friendly treatment that matches the needs of your property, ensuring that we nip the problem in the bud.
Chat with us about our termite control methods and see which one may suit your needs. Send us a message here.
