Why Aren't Your Termite Control Efforts Working?
Termites are incredibly destructive little pests. They can chew apart a fence, a deck, or even your home's structural beams. Maybe you've been taking steps to control them, but they still seem to be chewing away at your structures. What are you doing wrong? Well, probably one of these things.
1. Using insecticides rather than baits.
Insecticides are not incredibly effective against termites. They work well against cockroaches and ants, so they are the first thing many homeowners reach for when termites start showing up. However, termites live in large colonies, and whenever you spray insecticides, you are only killing a few termites at a time. Knocking off 10 - 15 termites a day won't get you very far when there are 10,000 of them breeding nearby. A far more effective way of fighting termites is with baits. You put the bait down, the termites take some of it back to their nest, and all or most of the termites eat the bait and die.
2. Not putting the baits in the right place.
Maybe you're already using baits, but you're not placing them properly. Many homeowners try to guess where the termites are nesting and where they are coming from, and then they bait accordingly. The problem with this strategy is that it's nearly impossible to accurately tell where the termites are nesting and where they are coming from. They don't walk straight lines to their destination. So, when you bait for termites, the best strategy is to surround your entire home. Place them every 10 feet around the perimeter. Some baits will go unused with this strategy, but you'll be surprised by which ones they are.
3. Treating subterranean termites when you have drywood termites.
Subterranean termites are the most common type of termites. However, there is another type of termite called drywood termites. These live in the wood they eat, and they are perfectly happy to eat dry, intact wood. If there are termites in your attic, but not in your ground floor or basement, this is the type you have. No amount of baiting and spraying outside will get rid of them. You need a pest control expert to inject the wood they are dwelling in with insecticides.
Termite control is complicated. If you've been struggling to get rid of the bugs and you're not sure why, then your best move is to call in termite services.