Five Natural Methods To Get Rid Of Termites · Non Chemical Termite Treatments

On some home inspections when discovering termites the following question pops up: How to get rid of termites without using chemicals? Either by chemical or natural methods, it's almost impossible to get rid of them for good. They will eventually find their way into your home again. Any method works just temporary, however some of them are more effective than others. One thing is for sure - "terminating" the termites is no quick fix! You're going to need to plan ahead, and to repeat the treatments.

Treatment is most effective if you find all their hiding spots. Try and target all colonies at once.

Sample of wooden furniture consumed by termites:

Let's see how you can get rid of them, or at least reduce their number:

Set Up Some Cardboard Traps
Termites simply love the cellulose that is found in wood, cardboard and paper. Compared to wood, cardboard is gourmet food for termites. Creating a cardboard trap is easy: wet 4-5 sheets of cardboard and stack them. Next, place them near the spots where you found most termites. After a couple of days, you will notice that when you flip the cardboard, it will be crawling with termites. Using gloves, carefully carry it into your backyard and burn the cardboard along with the termites. This method isn't going to get rid of all of them, but will certainly reduce their numbers, preventing them to settle into your furniture and closets. It's one of the quickest remedies available.

Use Beneficial Nematodes
This is a very effective method. Beneficial nematodes are a small worm species that are natural parasites to garden insects, including termites. They kill termites within 48h by releasing a particular kind of bacteria into their bodies. When you use beneficial nematodes, you won't be getting rid of just termites, but you'll also be destroying any other kind of bugs that may be harming your home and garden, including wood carving insects.
Unfortunately we don't know any place that sells them in Mexico, but if you can get these nematodes you should definitely use them - immediately after they are purchased. They require refrigeration if not used, therefore buying them online is probably not a good idea because of the shipping. Spray them in the early morning or after sunset, as UV light will harm them. Using beneficial nematodes is an effective technique, there's a good chance that the entire colony will be affected.

Direct Sunlight Treatment
Place the problematic piece of furniture in the sunlight as long as possible, preferably 2-3 days. Sunlight gets rid of certain kinds of termites, they either die or move away because of the light and the heat.

Freezing Treatment
Freezing the termites is a guaranteed method. But this is no option in the Mexican Caribbean, unless you have an enormous freezer, or very small pieces of furniture...

Heat Treatment Using Microwaves
This must be done by a professional, as the required equipment isn't available for anyone to purchase or use. You should call a local pest control company and see if they provide this kind of treatment, and if it's an option for your home. Having your home heated to a very high temperature will surely kill the termites. But as I've mentioned at the very beginning, it's impossible to get rid of them for good, most likely you'll have repeat the treatment once or twice a year.

There are certainly more ways to deal with termites but they´re not part of this article as they imply the use of chemicals. The most common method of dealing with termites here in the Mexican Caribbean is by chemical fumigation.

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