Drywood termites can be very destructive to any wooden structure. From the name itself, they are species of termites that are highly adaptable to dry areas. Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites don’t need to have contact with soil to nest underground nor do they need moisture. They directly infest dry woods and create tunnels and chambers. Their size is typically 1/4 to 1/2 inches and their color is pale to dark brown. Once they enter your home, they can extensively damage the frame of the house, wooden furniture and any other area with dried wood. If you know that you have these pests infesting your house, you must take immediate action to exterminate them before they can cause irreparable damages. The following details of this article will tell you how.
Confirm That You Have Drywood Termites
The presence of dark fecal pellets is an indication that you have drywood termites. Drywood termites remove their fecal pellets from their colony so it will eventually accumulate and pile up outside the infested area. You can also seek the help of a professional who knows exactly how to determine drywood termites.
Fumigate the Infested Site
This is usually done by a professional termite exterminator. He will cover the area using plastic material and fill it with poisonous gas that kills the termites. You will be advised to stay out from the premises for about 48 to 72 hours while fumigation treatment is on progress.
Try Localized Treatments
If the infestation is not that really severe, localized treatment can be a better option rather than having a full-structure treatment and you can attempt most of these methods yourself. Localized treatments are best suited for furniture where the infestation can be isolated. This type of treatment is done by injecting poison to the infested wooden areas where a drywood termite colony might seem to reside.
Consider Heat Treatments
Heat treatments are equally effective as fumigation treatments and they are almost exactly done in same process. Just like fumigation treatments, the area is tented but instead of using poison, hot air is used. Drywood termites are known to have low tolerance to extreme heat so they can just die easily. The advantage of heat treatments is that you can safely return to the premises sooner without the fear of inhaling the poison like during a fumigation treatment.
Try Natural Treatment
Professional termite exterminators will usually advice you to use citrus-based products to prevent termites from coming back. The next time you do general cleaning in your home, use citrus-based cleaners when wiping the wooden parts of your home as well as your furniture. Citrus based cleaners do not really kill the termites; it only irritates them drives them away.
Preventive Treatments
There are actually two kinds of preventive treatments which you can do to avoid drywood termites. One is done during the pre-construction and the other one is during post-construction. For the pre-construction, the wooden frames of the house must be treated by spraying borate solutions directly to the pressure-treated woods. Post-construction usually involves using the aforementioned citrus products.