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HOW SHOULD YOU EXTERMINATE YOUR TERMITES?




by Kupuna Kanary

What if you learn that you have termites? You remember the ad on television that claimed termites would destroy your home unless you do something. After the initial scare, you decide to investigate your options.

The tenting companies that use Vikane (sulfurly fluoride) gas claim that it dissipates quickly, has no smell and is an easy fix. But symptoms of overexposure are nose and throat irritation, nausea, excess fluid in the lungs, sleepiness, pneumonia, itching, convulsions, and sometimes death. Hundreds of people are poisoned each year.


Upon reading the Fumigation Study Guide for Hawaii you learn that the control achieved through fumigation is temporary. It’s toxic to humans. It can damage equipment or cause a chemical reaction. Under Determining Need for Fumigation there were listed six items to consider. Two of those caught your attention. The first was “Hazards Located in the Treatment Area.” How about pets, plants, humans, or a close senior neighbor on oxygen? A second consideration that spoke to you was “Available Pest Management Alternatives.”


Now is the time to learn what could be used as an alternative to exterminate termites. Some companies use orange oil. You also talked with a man whose company uses heat to eliminate termites. Both of these options can be done on your whole structure or as a spot treatment.


What if you only have a very small area of infestation and want a low-cost, DIY option?


Matt McWilliams of the Expert Home Report wrote an article, “9 Ways to Kill Termites Naturally That Actually Work.” These are:


Boric acid, cayenne pepper, diatomaceous earth, white vinegar, neem oil, nematodes, orange oil, salt, and cardboard bait.


Favorite Do It Yourself Extermination Ideas - The Expert Home Report

1. Add 1 teaspoon of boric acid powder to 1 cup of warm water. Mix in a spray bottle until it is well dissolved. Use where needed. Termites taste it and die.

2. Combine the juice of two lemons with a half cup of vinegar. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle. Spray onto actual mounds you see or any wooden structures. It sinks into cracks and grooves to kill termites.

3. Sprinkle cayenne pepper quite generously in the desired area and repeat until all the termites are eliminated. Spreading a paste of cayenne pepper and cooking oil is another option to kill termites.

4. The fossilized algae, known as diatomaceous earth powder can be spread indoors or outdoors to kill termites. Sprinkle where needed.

5. Termites don’t like salt. You might want to give it a try.


Instead of buying orange oil, I grated orange peelings and placed them in a drawer of a table on my lanai and it totally eliminated the termites.


Consider these options for the health of your family, pets and your neighbors.

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