Did you know that according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Citizens spend over $1 billion dollars each year or removing termites? 

If you’re a homeowner in Maryland or Virginia, you may be concerned about termites causing costly destruction to your home and property. 

Termite control is a necessity for many, and treatment cost will no doubt be a concern. You may find yourself asking if there is a DIY termite treatment that could be used to rid yourself of these troublesome bugs. 

In this article, we’ll provide Virginia and Maryland homeowners with a guide to termite prevention and treatment. 

Identifying Termites

The first thing that you need to do if you want to rid yourself of termites is to identify them. Because termites look a lot like ants, you need to make sure that you’re looking for the right thing or you may be using the wrong pest treatments. 

You can tell the difference between ants and termites by closely inspecting them. 

An ant will have a thorax and constricted abdomen which are clearly defined whereas a termite will have a ribbed abdomen in one continuous thick piece with no waist. 

The wings on an ant will be larger at the front than the rear and will be only slightly larger than their bodies. On a termite, there are two pairs of vein filled winds that are the same size and double the size of the body. 

Antennas also differ between ants and termites. Ants have distinct elbow-shaped antennae which are elongated in the first section. Termites have a straight and short antennae. 

DIY Termite Treatment

It is important that you leave termite removal to the professionals. However, it is always useful to know how the process is carried out. 

One of the more popular ways of ridding your property of termites will involve treating the soil that surrounds your property using an insecticide. You can also treat wood directly if there are signs of termites inside it. 

Once chemicals have been placed on the soil, it is essential that the soil is not disturbed. 

By placing termite baits at strategic points around your yard, you’ll be able to lure the termites in. Once they’re in, the termites will get coated in a slow-acting insecticide or a regulator to prevent their growth. Still alive, these termites will return to their colony and the insecticide will poison every other termite in there. 

There are several other techniques. Foam can be used where you cannot put liquid insecticides. If you cannot use foam or liquid, then you could apply a dust agent. 

Finally, fumigation is an option, however, this does not prevent termites from returning.

Planet Friendly Termite Treatment 

Although there are DIY termite treatment options available, they are not guaranteed to be as effective as professional pest control methods. 

At Planet-Friendly Pest Control, our termite treatment is designed to have as little environmental impact as possible. 

Get in touch to find out more about the services we offer in Maryland and Virginia.