How to Kill Off a Termite Colony
Posted on: 8 June 2015
Termites pose a serious problem for some homeowners. If left unchecked, a colony can inflict a devastating amount of damage to a property's structure. Many people who have had experience of a termite infestation will tell you that the only option is to call a professional pest control company; no home made remedies are fully effective.
While this is a bit of a blanket statement, there is some truth in it. You must deal with the termite problem as the professionals would; that it, deal with the termite colony. This article details the procedure of poisoning a termite colony, if you have never done so before.
Gather Necessary Equipment
You will need some old cans, such as coffee cans, and a tool to punch or make small holes in the lids of the cans. You will also need some small strips or squares of cardboard. You should have a spade or a hand trowel available, and should also have purchased your termite poison. The poison you need to use is a biological poison, or one that delays the illness until the termites have returned to the colony.
Soak the Cardboard
Make up a batch of the poison as recommended by the instructions. Poisons of this type (biological) are very dangerous, so work slowly and follow all the guidelines. Once you have allowed the cardboard to soak in the poison for several minutes, you can remove them and correctly dispose of the poison. Wear gloves as you transfer the soaked sections of cardboard into the coffee tins. A good amount to place is three soaked pieces of cardboard into one coffee tin, and use three or four coffee tins in total.
Pierce Holes
At the top of the tins, make a large amount of small holes. Use a tool to punch holes into the lid, allowing the termites to get in and out of the tins. This will also allow you to monitor the progress of the termites as the process continues. Once ready, grab the spade and head to the area of the colony.
Bury the Cans
Bury the cans, at lid level, in the ground. You can bury them side by side or on top of each other. The aim is to provide easy food for the termite to eat and then return to the colony. You can place a piece of soaked cardboard under the cans, or on top of them to act as bait too.
After about a week, check the cans to see if there are many termites present. If so, refill the cans with soaked cardboard; the more cardboard soaked in poison that you can get them to eat means higher chances of the whole colony becoming poisoned. If only a few termites are present, bury the cans at another location close to the colony.
With about three months, most—if not all—of the colony should be dead. For further tips or assistance, contact resources like Ranger Pest Control.
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