Termites don't like vinegar. Vinegar kills them. Because of its acidic nature, spraying vinegar (or vinegar mixed with lemon juice) directly onto termites will kill them on contact. So, if you spot termites invading your home, you can spray them and kill them. However, there are several reasons why using vinegar or a similarly spray against termites is ineffective in the long run.
1. Termites Nest Deep Underground
The termites you see travelling through tunnels outside or within your home are just a few of the thousands that reside in the nest. And even if you kill several hundred termites, you'll still have the rest of the nest to contend with. Unfortunately, finding the termite nest may prove all but impossible since termites nest deep underground.
2. Termites Forage Far from Their Nest
Even if you do find a mud tunnel that emerges from the soil, that doesn't mean you have found the location of the termite nest. Termites will forage at least 50 metres from their nest in search of wood to devour. So, even if you spray all the termites you find in the tunnels emerging from the soil, you likely won't be able to locate the nest to spray the other several thousand.
3. Termites Will Find Another Way In
Destroying the termite's tunnels isn't an effective form of eradicating your termite problem. This is because the termites will simply attack from a different location. If the moist supply of wood in your home or on your property is abundant, then the termites will keep coming back to feast on it. So, if you do spray invading termites with a vinegar or lemon solution, expect them to return soon.
4. You Need to Destroy the Nest
If you want to remove your termite problem permanently, then you need to kill the queen. If you kill the queen, the nest will eventually die off. However, to kill the queen, you need to get into the nest somehow. Fortunately, you can use a termite baiting system to leave poisonous sources of food that worker termites then take back to their nest. Back in their nest, the termites, including the queen, will feed on those poisonous food sources and die. This would eradicate your termite problem.
If termites are invading your home, hire a pest control service to employ a baiting system for you. Within a few weeks, the nest will be no more.
No one wants to work in an office or to live in a home which is infested with pests. Not only can pests creep and freak you out, they can also pose a serious risk to your health. This blog has been set up to provide you with all the info you need to successfully prevent infestations of pests. I'm not a pest control contractor but I have done plenty of research into this topic. I have watched countless hours of instructional videos and listened to podcasts. I have also read many articles. Thank you for checking out this blog.