Why Household Products Do Not Work to Kill White Ants
Many years ago, I was searching for a pest control company near me, here in Sydney, who could be trusted to give good advice and quality service. At the time, I was young and had just bought my first house. The pre-purchase inspection said the house was clear of white ants. Fast forward 12 months, and I noticed termite activity. I decided to take things into my own hands and try some homemade treatments to kill the termites.
How did my DIY treatments go? Read on to find out.
Household Products for Termite and White Ant Pest Control?
There are many old wives’ tales telling of certain products that get rid of termites. The most popular ones are boric acid, vinegar and… ants.
Boric Acid (Borax)
Boric acid is used in a range of products including cleaning chemicals, fertilisers, and some pesticides(*1). The amount of boron in each product differs which changes the toxicity of each product. Boric acid can pose a risk to plants (particularly citrus), children, pets, and some aquatic life. In decades past, people would make up a spray of boric acid and water and spray it on termites. If the termites eat some of the boric acid, they usually die(*1). Problem is – only the termites that eat the boric acid would die. Termite colonies have thousands, if not millions of termites. As you can guess, boric acid did not get rid of my termite colony.
Because termite colonies have thousands, if not millions of termites, boric acid does not work to kill the colony or the queen termite. While the queen lives, so does the colony.
Vinegar
Vinegar is great for many things – particularly cleaning and sprinkling over fish and chips. Vinegar tends to slow down the termite if it comes in contact with it while the vinegar is still wet. That is about it really! It may kill one termite here or there, but it definitely does not work to kill millions of termites in a termite colony and has absolutely no chance of killing the queen termite.
Keep vinegar for fish and chips – not for eradicating termites.
Ants
Some ants LOVE eating baby termites! The trick is getting ants into the colony and close enough to the queen to kill it(*3). This is hard because:
- It is very hard to locate the queen termite.
- Soldier termites emit a scent that ants do not like(*3).
- Soldier termites will attack intruder ants.
DIY Home Remedies Do Not Work – Contact a Termite Pest Control Company
After trying some home remedies, you will discover that termites are not only resilient, but they are smart. They will rebuild, relocate, and continue expanding their colony unless they are dealt with by professionals.
Professional and Natural Termite Treatments Are Available
Look for termite and white ant control companies who are licensed to use products such as Altriset. Altriset is natural and non-toxic so pets and children are not at risk of being harmed. When properly applied, the colony (and the queen) will be destroyed. That is not all. Other beneficial insects (which would be negatively impacted by the natural treatments listed above) are not killed by Altriset. It has been developed over many years to only target termites.
Do not Let Your Home Become a Termite Nest
Skip the DIY treatments and contact Home Termite Control in Sydney. Do not let your home become a termite nest!
A Current Affair video showing a house that has been devastated by termites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhZBs8XNZ0Q
Home Termite Control are available for pre-purchase inspections, prevention control plans, annual inspections, and effective treatments. Contact the team today!
References *1. National Pesticide Information Center. Boric Acid. 2013. *2. Savino, V. Efficacy of Salt Water, Lemon Juice and Vinegar, and Orange Oil as Isoptera Rhinotermitidae Insecticide. Vol. 5: Instars: A Journal of Student Research: Entomology. 2019. *3. Home Termite Control. In Search of Nasutitermes Walkeri Termite Queen. YouTube video. 2018.