Termite infestation is a significant problem for many homeowners because it can cause substantial damage to properties. You must take immediate action if you notice even a slight glimpse of termites within or outside your property. Some individuals have asked if they can use duct tape on termite entry sites or if termites will eat through it.
You can use duct tape to cover the entrance or exit points of termite holes before you start looking for a solution. Covering those spots can stop termites temporarily from escaping and invading other sections of the house. So yes, termites will eat through the duct tape, which is not a long-term fix.
Duct tape is only used to buy extra time so you can make a DIY fix or quickly rush to the store to buy some termiticide.
How to Get Rid of Termites at Home?
The best approach to handle massive infestations is to hire a professional exterminator, but there are less expensive and simpler ways to manage more minor infestations.
You can use the methods listed below to deal with small infestations and still use them as an ongoing treatment to stop termites from returning to your property.
1. WD-40
You might be surprised to learn that you can use WD-40, the most popular household lubricant. The pests suffocate after becoming stuck to the lubricating oil. Use a straw applicator to apply the oil where the termites have built nests.
2. Vinegar
Another effective method you can use to get rid of termites in your house is vinegar. It is readily available since most people use it for home cleaning. To increase effectiveness, combine two tablespoons of lemon juice with half a cup of vinegar.
Spray the mixture around the areas where you think there are termites by pouring it into a spray bottle. The vinegar’s acidic ingredient instantly kills the termites. You will need to repeat this process several times to get rid of the termites that survived the initial spray.
3. Regular laundry bleach
Clorox bleach is the most potent laundry bleach to eliminate termites in your house. It is readily found in most homes. Since termites breathe through tiny openings in their exoskeletons, spraying Clorox Bleach kills termites rapidly.
You can successfully eradicate any termite colonies you have found by pouring bleach on them. The toxic bleach kills any termites that come in contact with it. Put on safety goggles and rubber gloves before using bleach.
4. Table salt
Using table salt is one of the most reliable and effective ways to get rid of termites in your home. Put some salt in a glass jar and add warm water. Stir until the salt dissolves.
Spray the areas with the mixture using a syringe in the termite-infested areas. The termites die as a result of salt dehydrating them.
Since they don’t entirely eradicate termites, DIY remedies are more expensive in the long run. Hence, when dealing with termites, it is usually advisable to contact a specialist so they can assess the damage and offer recommendations.
Can Termites Eat Concrete?
Termites’ jaws are mighty, but they can’t eat concrete. Mainly for the simple reason that concrete has no cellulose and hence has no nutritional value for the termites.
Secondly, termites cannot digest concrete because their digestive system cannot break it down. However, concrete frequently starts to crack as soon as it begins to dry. Termites will squeeze themselves inside these cracks to pass through the structure.
Termites will begin excavating individual sand grains and other materials to gain entry to the building if the cement is weak. They leave behind what appear to be mud tunnels as they work, which over time expand. These tunnels continue to apply pressure to the cracks, weakening your structure over time.
Can Termites Eat Metal?
No. They can’t. There are no species of termite that can eat metal. Most of the metal varieties have undergone such extensive processing by manufacturers that they are no longer edible to termites.
However, if the termites are hungry enough, they only require a little area of compromised metal to pass through and reach the other side. They only need to sniff cellulose-containing materials for them to make an effort.
Therefore, it is not because termites can eat metal that you see them emerge from metals; instead, they have found a tiny opening to squeeze through.
What Can Termites Chew Through?
Although termites find it nearly hard to chew through concrete, metal, and glass, there are several materials that they can. Here are just a few of them:
1. Drywall
Termites will chew through the paper on either side of the plaster material that makes up the drywall. Once done with the paper, the termites will chew through the plaster material.
2. Wood
If necessary, termites will eat wood all day. Its primary food source is cellulose, which is found in wood. If you notice termites near wooden furniture, you should know that it won’t be long before they eat the entire piece.
3. Bamboo
Termites are drawn to chew through the cellulose of bamboo since it is a plant. Due to its hollow interior, bamboo is not a termite’s preferred food source. Termites want solid wood throughout.
4. Cardboard
Termites enjoy eating cellulose, which is abundant in cardboard. Wood, particularly pulp from quick-growing pine trees, is used to make cardboard. Damp cardboard is simple for termites to chew through.
How to Detect and Deter Termites?
Most people are unable to tell flying ants from termites. Hence, determining whether termites are the ones invading your home is the first step. Termites have three identical body segments, two sets of wings of similar length, and straight antennae.
On the other hand, flying ants have three distinct body segments, two sets of varying length wings, and bent antennae. The signs listed below will also assist you in determining whether you have termites.
- Swarms of flying insects or mud tubes filled with white, squishy insects.
- Fragile wood.
- Sagging floors
You can now look for solutions to stop the termites from spreading since you have determined that you have termites.
The steps you can now take are as follows:
- You should fill any gaps or cracks you find around or in your home’s foundation.
- Discard any wood piles in your yard or along the walls of your house to prevent attracting new colonies to your property.
- Trim any shrubs, trees, and possibly old tree stumps near your house.
- You should fix leaks in your house since termites love moisture.
- Increasing ventilation prevents termites from constructing nests in your crawlspaces or attics since there will be ample light there, whereas termites prefer dark areas.
Will Termites go Away on Their Own?
The termites will likely disappear on their own. But usually after severely damaging whatever wood items they had inhabited. When you see inactive mud tubes, it is easy to conclude that the termites have moved on.
There is a good chance that the termites have left if you break off a portion of the mud tube and discover after a few days that it hasn’t been repaired.
You shouldn’t feel at ease leaving termites alone just because they can disappear on their own. If the spots are still untreated, they will likely return.
You are advised to apply termite insecticides to the soil surrounding your property, such as Imidacloprid or Fipronil. The termites won’t be able to return, thanks to these two insecticides.
What to do if Termites are in Your Walls?
Here are a few signs to look out for if you want to establish whether you have termites inside your walls:
- When you tap the wall, hollow noises are heard.
- There are a few tiny pinholes where termites have damaged the paper covering wallpaper or drywall.
- The termite tunnel is seen from outside the wall.
- Baseboards that break apart with the least prodding.
- Your wall has a patch of paint that is beginning to peel and swell.
- Discovering termite feces, also known as frass.
- Indentures that follow the wood’s grain.
- Discarded wings beside the termite colony or on window sills.
It is essential that you act quickly to eradicate termites once you discover them inside your wall. Termites can damage your house and ultimately destroy it.
Here is what to do if termites are within the wall of your home:
- To treat the walls, you need to call a pest control specialist.
- Consider applying a perimeter termite treatment to the area around your house. A specialist will administer liquid termite killer around your house and up to the foundation walls as part of the treatment.
- Have termite control experts do routine inspections for termites.
What Attracts Termites to a House?
While it is true that most termites are attracted to wood, each species has a particular preference. Included below are a few factors that may be attracting termites to your home:
- Moisture: Dampwood termites will seek out wet wood for its moisture. The reason why you will find termites inhabiting unfinished basements or wet cardboard. Subterranean termites attract moist soil, which is why termites will attack your potted plants.
- Warmth: Termites will enter your house through cracks in the outer walls or foundation. Termites enjoy living in warm places and know that a house’s inside will be warmer than its exterior.
- Food: Since wood contains cellulose, termites attract any piece of wood, especially untreated wood used to build your home. Termites are l also attracted to untreated wood furniture.
Conclusion
Termites’ strong teeth allow them to chew through duct tape quickly. Even though they can’t eat metal or concrete, if they discover any weaknesses in those two materials, they will still get access to your home.
If you want to prevent property destruction, which is every homeowner’s worst nightmare, getting rid of termites in your home is essential. If you see that they have already entered your walls, take immediate action.