How to get rid of termites in my garden
I have termites in my garden and shed. I have noticed damage to the wood of the shed and was wondering if I can repair it? Could they be in the garden because of a rotting tree stump? Do they live deep underground or could I just spray the soil with something? Help, I need advice on how to get rid of termites naturally if possible!
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Termites live underground in nests and have to be exterminated professionally by someone who will set dispensers in the ground to kill them. They feast on wood so if you have any wood around your house, like the rotting tree, remove it. Ask the exterminator to check your house and shed to make sure they are not building tunnels in the foundation up to any wood.
Get the termite kits from Home Depot. Stick them in the ground around your house.
Professional remediation is the way to go. Any of the homeowner DIYs are just a band-aid. Homeowners' insurance policies do not cover termites, it is part of standard home maintenance.
You can kill them with a bait station: Coat or spray wood (or another cellulose material) evenly with boric acid. Plant the boric acid bait in the garden near your house or an open infestation. Check on the bait station regularly and replenish it with boric acid as needed.
The only treatment that works and is guaranteed are spikes in the ground and proper spraying by a licensed exterminator after current termite damage has been dealt with. Best wishes 😇
I found termites attacking my home. I put termite treatment granules from Bayer around my house, hosed the granules with water per the instructions, and never saw any more termites again. Four years on and the treatment has lasted.
Since termites live under the ground and can't survive in the open air I wouldn't count on your spray completely getting rid of them all. I wouldn't risk those termites swarming later in the year and possibly infesting your home. If your tree is already half eaten away it poses a fall risk during storms and high winds. My suggestion would be to go ahead and bite the bullet and have the tree taken down as close to the ground as they can get it, then put a metal barrel or enclose it with some fence wire and burn the stump entirely out. The best way to start a fire is to take old used motor oil and add just a little bit of gasoline to it and put it in an old empty dawn dish soap bottle. Pile a few leaves on and around your stump then wet them with your oil/gas mixture, stand back 10 or 15 feet away and put a little of your oil/gas mixture onto the end of a tree limb light it then throw it onto your pile of leaves. As your fire burns down you will have to stand a few feet away and squirt a little more of your mixture until your stump is burning on its own. At this point, if you have any small limbs left laying on the ground you can rake them onto your fire and they will help your stump burn better. Just keep a close eye on your fire until it dies down some. It will take days to completely burn out your stump if it's a big tree but you will be assured it has also completely gotten rid of your termites as well as your tree stump. Once the ashes cool then backfill your hole and plant another tree of your choice in its place.
I would poke around in the wood of the shed with a screwdriver or awl. If it penetrates the wood, no way to save it.
Here are a number of ways to eliminate them for good:
Orange Oil. Simply, drill small holes at the places infested by the termites and inject the orange oil into the hole. This will help you get rid of termites in 3 days to a maximum of 3 weeks, depending on the severity.
Boric acid is a natural insecticide that damages the nervous system of termites and kills them. Note: It is advisable to wear masks and gloves while handling boric acid as intake or inhale of boric acid is dangerous for human beings.
Aloe Vera kills termites on contact. Crush and submerge an entire plant of aloe in water and store it in an air-tight container for a few days, allowing the juice to infuse. Put the Aloe Vera mixture in a blender, then strain the mixture to remove any large bits. Use this solution as a spray for infested wood.
Table Salt. Sodium chloride is an insecticide ( 19). To kill these tiny creatures, spray a sodium chloride/table salt solution directly onto the affected areas or soak some cotton balls in the solution and place it near the affected area.
Beneficial Nematodes. Great for the garden too. Commercial products are available that contain parasitic worms, called nematodes. The preferred host for these worms is the unlucky termite ( 22, 23), and the product works by releasing the worms on their unfortunate prey. There are two types of nematodes: cruisers and ambushers. Cruisers search for insect prey. Ambushers wait for prey to pass by. Nematodes enter host body through openings such as respiratory spiracles and they release bacteria which liquefy the innards of the insect. After consuming their host, nematodes split up to infect other insects ( 24).
Diatomaceous Earth is another natural insecticide that kills termites by scorching and desiccating.
The powder can be sprinkled liberally across the home (as you would use boric acid) as it is harmless to pets and humans.
It can be added to water to make a paste that can then be ‘painted’ onto wooden structures.
Caution*** Always wear a mask when applying this as it is very harmful to the lungs.
Call an exterminator.