The Best Termite Treatment For Pest Control - Bob Vila
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Termites are elusive pests that can quickly form colonies in your home before showing significant signs of the infestation. Since termites feed primarily on wood and wood products, a colony in your home can quickly cause a lot of damage. Common signs of termites include discolored drywall, peeling paint, hollow-sounding wood, and pinpoint holes in the drywall.
If a colony is left untreated long enough, your walls will literally begin to crumble. However, you can eliminate and prevent termites from reentering with the best termite treatment for your home. These product categories and their respective recommendations can help you choose.
- BEST OVERALL: Taurus SC 20 oz bottle
- RUNNER-UP: Ortho 0200010 16 Oz Concentrated Termite Killer
- NATURAL PICK: ECO-Safe Wood Guard Termite Prevention And Treatment
- BEST CONCENTRATE: Bifen IT Control Solutions Insecticide Concentrates
- BEST FOAM: BASF 805571 Termidor Foam Termiticide
- BEST BAIT: Spectracide Terminate Detection & Killing Stakes2
- BEST FOR SOIL: BioAdvanced 700350A Termite Killer
- BEST WOOD TREATMENT: Bora Care – 1 Jug Natural Borate Termite Control
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Before You Buy a Best Termite Treatment
Termite infestations can grow quickly, requiring a termite treatment to rid your home completely of these annoying pests. However, if your home has not yet been infested, you can take these steps to help prevent termites.
- Inspect the foundation each season for signs of termites. These insects create mud tubes to protect them from the sun. Mud tubes appear like lines of mud leading up the foundation and into the siding.
- Proper ventilation and sealing reduces the moisture buildup in a home that termites love. Ensure all windows, doors, and vents are properly sealed and schedule yearly maintenance for attic ventilation if necessary.
- Keep wood piles away from the house and trim vegetation that is creeping too closely. Termites are drawn to these sources of food and can easily follow the trail to wooden walls or frames.
- Use pressure-treated wood for all outdoor construction projects. Termites are rarely interested in wood that has been combined with chemicals.
If these preventive measures don't keep the termites away, you might need to take steps with a DIY termite treatment or even consider calling in a professional exterminator, though the termiticides pros use are far more powerful and could require you to vacate the home temporarily.
Types of Termite Treatment
Treating a termite infestation can be as easy as setting baits or as involved as digging a trench around your home to set up a termiticide barrier. The four main types of termite treatments include liquid-soil termiticides, termite baits, building materials with termiticides, and wood treatments.
Liquid-Soil Termiticides
Liquid-soil termiticides are a long-lasting treatment that can keep a home safe from termites for up to five years on average, though some products claim a longer protection period. However, this treatment isn't simple. It requires digging a trench around the home and applying the liquid treatment into it, making sure that there are no gaps in this chemical barrier before filling the trench. Termites can find gaps in the barrier and could enter, so it is suggested to have yearly termite inspections just to be certain.
An easier method of applying a liquid-soil treatment is with a sprayer. The treatment doesn't last as long when applied without a trench, but the concentrated spray termiticide is easy for most DIYers to use to form a chemical barrier in the soil surrounding their home.
Termite Baits
Fighting a termite infestation with termite baits requires strategically placing bait stations around the home for the termites to find. The bait includes powerful active ingredients, like hexaflumuron, that kill the termites slowly. Foraging termites will take the readily-available bait back to their nest, infecting the other termites in the colony.
This method is effective for destroying an infestation but could take a month or more before acting on the termites. Termite baits also need regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure that the bait stations still have bait.
Building Materials With Termiticides
A great way to prevent termite infestations in new construction is to treat the building materials with termiticides before beginning construction. Lumber can be treated with a spray or a brushed-on concentrated solution. An alternative is to apply termiticides anywhere the new structure touches the ground to pretreat the soil.
Building materials that are repellent to termites, like pressure-treated wood for building a deck, are other good alternatives. Or choose naturally-resistant materials like metal, concrete, or some types of wood.
Wood Treatments
Instead of treating the soil or setting up bait stations, wood treatments include surface sprays and treatments and injected sprays and foams. These treatment options kill existing infestations and soak into the wood to prevent future infestations. Pretreated termite-resistant construction materials use a similar product to coat lumber that will be used to build a home. However, applying wood treatments often requires direct access to the wood so that treatments can soak into the fibers. This is why sprays are best for new construction as it is easier to apply the wood treatment directly to the material's surface. Injection foams are best for pre-existing structures where they go into cracks and crevices to properly soak into unpainted edges of the painted wood.
Our Top Picks
The products below were chosen for quality, price, and customer satisfaction to help you find the best termite treatment for your home.
Photo: amazon.com
1. BEST OVERALL: Taurus SC 20 oz bottle
Like all long-acting liquid-soil termite treatments, Taurus SC 20 oz bottle. Liquid Termiticide needs to be applied in a trench that surrounds a home's perimeter. This sets up a chemical barrier that poisons termites in the area, taking less than 90 days to begin working. However, the poison does not kill on contact. Instead, termites carry it back to the nest, where it destroys the entire colony.
The chemical barrier created by this termite treatment remains in place for up to 10 years, keeping a home safe from termites, as well as from ants, centipedes, wasps, and roaches. The active ingredient, fipronil, is used in cat and dog medicines to treat fleas, so it is pet-friendly. Though this isn't a fast-acting treatment, it is a complete solution to keep a home safe from termites for years to come.
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2. RUNNER-UP: Ortho 0200010 16 Oz Concentrated Termite Killer
Ortho 0200010 Concentrated Termite Killer can be mixed with water to create 5 gallons of termite treatment. This solution, when applied in a trench around the perimeter of a home, can kill existing pests and repel future infestations for up to five years. The solution also works as a surface spray on wooden surfaces, wood piles, tree stumps, and more to treat existing infestations, although its effectiveness as a surface spray does not last as long as when it's applied in a trench.
The active ingredient, bifenthrin, is a pyrethroid, which is a powerful insecticide designed to mimic the toxic effects of naturally-occurring pyrethrins by destroying the termite's central nervous system. This termite treatment can kill termites, and treat carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and other wood-destroying pests.
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3. NATURAL PICK: ECO-Safe Wood Guard Termite Prevention and Treatment
Some termite treatments use harsh chemicals that can make a home's residents feel light-headed or nauseous from the strong odors, but Eco-Safe Termite Prevention and Treatment doesn't use harsh chemicals. Treating a termite infestation shouldn't come at the expense of a family's health, and this eco-friendly formula uses sodium borate, a naturally occurring mineral, to treat existing termite colonies and protect against future infestations.
The non-toxic and volatile organic compound (VOC)-free treatment should be applied directly to all exposed interior and exterior wood. The boron salts in the wood treatment soak into the fibers of the wood to treat existing colonies and repel future infestations of termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, beetles, and decay fungi.
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4. BEST CONCENTRATE: Bifen IT Control Solutions Insecticide Concentrates
Bifen IT Insecticide Concentrates uses an impressively powerful concentrated formula to treat a broad spectrum of pests, including termites, ants, bees, centipedes, crickets, earwigs, gnats, spiders, wasps, and many more. The active ingredient, bifenthrin, damages the central nervous system of pests, killing them within 24 hours.
This termite treatment can be applied during new construction to pretreat materials, or as a solution inside or outside existing homes. The fast-acting solution lasts for up to 90 days before needing to be reapplied. However, consider wearing a ventilator during application because this product has a strong chemical smell that can cause dizziness.
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5. BEST FOAM: BASF 805571 Termidor Foam Termiticide
DIYers can spray BASF 805571 Termidor Foam Termiticide behind baseboards, into termite holes, and other difficult to access areas of a home using the narrow spray hose. The foam takes only five seconds to expand, with 1 ounce quickly becoming 1 quart of foam. This expansion fills any gaps and forces the foam deeper into the termite tracks.
The nonrepellent formula is almost undetectable to termites, so they inadvertently make contact with it, ingest it, and share it in the nest. The active ingredient, fipronil, binds to a termite's nerve endings, disrupting the central nervous system and killing them within 24 hours. BASF Termidor Foam Termiticide also works to treat carpenter ants, stink bugs, carpenter bees, and many other pests.
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6. BEST BAIT: Spectracide Terminate Detection & Killing Stakes2
Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes are easy to install around the perimeter of a home using 10-foot spacing between stakes. The bait trap sinks into the ground where it is accessible to subterranean termites. Once the termites begin to take the bait, an indicator will be released on the top of the trap to show that the elimination of the nest has started.
The bait traps use the active ingredient hexaflumuron to destroy the reproductive abilities and maturation cycle of pests. The downside with this method is that it can take a few days to a few months to see any progress against termites and the need to monitor the bait regularly and replace the stakes at least once yearly to ensure ongoing protection.
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7. BEST FOR SOIL: BioAdvanced 700350A Termite Killer
BioAdvanced Termite Killer Home Perimeter Treatment is a powdered substance that DIYers can sprinkle around their home's perimeter. They must then water the powder with a hose or any other method of applying water to the powder that will allow it to seep into the soil. The treatment acts within a month to kill existing nests and can protect a home for up to six months.
The active ingredient, imidacloprid, works in a way similar to fipronil, killing insects by disrupting communication in their central nervous system, but it is less toxic to humans and pets. Unfortunately, due to the method of activation, this termite treatment can only be used outside, but it is an excellent option for perimeter defense in the yard.
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8. BEST WOOD TREATMENT: Bora Care 1-Jug Natural Borate Termite Control
Mix Bora Care Natural Borate Termite Control at a 1:1 dilution with water and grab a sprayer, brush, or roller to apply to new or existing wooden materials. The active ingredient, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, is a borate compound that disrupts the enzyme production and digestive systems of the termite, ultimately causing death.
The treatment kills any existing infestation in the wood and can last as effective protection against recurring infestations for decades. The wood treatment will kill all species of termites, wood-infesting beetles, carpenter ants, and decay fungi and can be used on both interior and exterior structures for extensive security.
FAQs About Your New Termite Treatment
Consider these frequently asked questions about termite treatment before buying.
When should you worry about termites?
Common signs that you may have termites include discolored or drooping drywall, peeling paint, hollow-sounding wood, pinpoint holes in drywall, excessively squeaky floorboards, crumbling wood, and loosening floor tiles from the extra moisture termites add to a floor.
Can a termite treatment make you sick?
Yes. All pesticides should be handled with care and termiticides are no exception. Users must apply these chemicals properly to avoid ingestion or absorption into the body.
When are termites most active?
Termites are most active between March and November but can remain active all year in warmer climates.
How many years does a termite treatment last?
Termite treatments can last on average for up to five years, depending on the type of treatment you choose. Some treatments claim to last longer, while others require monthly monitoring.
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