While walking out onto your home's deck, you may have noticed that you have termites starting to set up a colony in one of the boards. If so, use the following three-step guide for getting rid of the termites and keeping them from infesting the rest of your deck.
Step 1: Remove the Board That Is Infested
The first step involves removing the board that is infested with the termites. Not only does this remove the existing population, but it allows you to fully inspect the boards to see if the insects have started burrowing into them.
Before you start ripping the board out, cover it with a plastic trash bag to keep the termites inside. This keeps the bugs from falling out on and under your deck, where they may try to make a new home in the wood left behind.
Once you have removed the board, look closely at the other ones to make sure you do not see any holes. If you do, your problem is larger than you think, and you should contact a pest control service to have them deal with it. If you do not find any signs, go on to the next step.
Step 2: Spray Orange Oil on the Surrounding Boards
Just because you did not see any visible signs of termites in the first step, it does not mean that the remaining boards are not vulnerable to termite infestation. To keep the termites from trying to make their home in them, spray the surrounding boards with orange oil.
The orange oil helps prevent infestation in two ways. First, the odor is unpleasant for the termites. Second, even if the termites get past the smell and do try to eat the wood, the taste will be unpleasant for them.
After spraying the boards with undiluted orange oil, let the oil soak in for a few hours. Then, go on to the next step.
Step 3: Install a New Board to Replace the Old One
After you have treated the adjacent boards, it is time to replace the one that you removed. When selecting the board, use one that has been pretreated with chemicals that not only deter termites but also prevent rotting.
If you catch the termites early enough, the above guide should help keep the infestation from spreading to the rest of your deck. However, if you find that the termites have migrated to other boards, contact a company that provides affordable pest control services, such as BUG Busters-Do IT Yourself Pest Control, to have them inspect the extent of the problem and discuss options for getting rid of the insects.
Share7 August 2017
After marrying my sweet husband ten years ago, I moved into a fixer-upper. I immediately started making a list of remodeling projects I wold need to complete before the house would be comfortable to live in. For instance, I had to rip out the old linoleum flooring in the kitchen, mud room, and bathrooms. I also had to buy a complete set of new furniture. Only a few days after moving into this house, I also discovered my need to contact a reputable pest control specialist. The house contained huge, disgusting roaches. After a local pest control technician visiting my house, my home was free of potentially health damaging roaches. On this blog, you will discover the latest trends in the pest control industry for successfully removing roaches from a home.
