Termites usually live in colonies. Termites and white ants feed on the cellulose found in wood. Just like any other living beings, even termites play an important role in nature. But, the beneficial role is as long as they are within the natural boundary. Once they move into your house they can cause havoc and irreparable damage. It’s very important to initiate actions for termite prevention as it can cause significant damage to your house both structurally and financially. So if you suspect that termites have entered your house, you should take immediate action for termite control.

Identification of the Termites
To begin with you need to identify the termites that have entered and infected your house. Thus you will need to gather all the termite information to achieve effective result. In the residential areas the most common form of termite infection is caused by the subterranean termites. Apart from the subterranean termites, even the damp wood termites and the dry wood termites cause major infestation and damage to your home and property.

Elimination of the Termites
After identifying the termites, the next stage is effective elimination of them. There are three effective ways to eliminate termite infestation:

(1) Barrier Treatments
It is one of the cheapest ways of termite elimination. It includes applying the barrier products like termidor. Though termidors are very effective it does not kill the termites immediately. How it works is, first the termites who enter the termidor treated area receive the lethal dose of the fripnoil, the active ingredient in termidor. This lethal dose is then passed over to other termites that they come in contact with and then slowly and gradually they die. It works like a moat that helps to protect your house from termite infection.

(2) Bait Stations
In this case the bait stations are spread all around the perimeter of your house. As the termites are attracted to wood, these baits have a wooden base. When the termites come attracted to the bait stations because of the wooden base, it is then replaced with baits which are poison laced. Thus the termites feed on these poisonous baits and also carry the food back to their colony. Thus it helps to eliminate the entire colony.

(3) Licensed Professional
Another way that you can eliminate the termites is by using the help of licensed termite control professionals. If at any point in time you feel that the infestation is out of control then immediately you should seek the help of the professionals who are licensed termite controllers.

So what happens if you take all of these precautions and termites still begin to munch on your home? Use a pest control specialist in your area to help you deal with the problem. Here are a few of the treatment options that are currently on the market:

Liquid Termiticide: This liquid pesticide is generally applied around the foundation of the house, as well as underneath the foundation. For new construction sites, the termiticide is applied to the graded soil as the home is being built, but for existing buildings, the foundation is partially dug out and drilled to ensure proper coverage. There are termiticides on the market that act as barriers and repellents to termite invasions, and there are termiticides that act as nerve poisons, killing the termites upon exposure.

Subterranean Bait: Rather than acting as a deterrent to termite invasion, termite baits attempt to eliminate the colony at its source. Bait stations are set in the ground every ten feet or so around the perimeter of the home. The treatment begins when untreated wood segments are installed in the bait units to determine if termites are active around the house. The units are checked once a week, and if live termites are found, the wood is replaced with a toxic bait that is ingested by the termites and carried back to the colony. The toxins in the bait affect the termites by preventing the molting process, causing them to die ‘within their shell’. This long acting toxin allows the termites to both ingest the poison and carry it back to share with their colony. Special bait units can also be installed inside the home if termites damage is evident. A new series of bait traps have been developed by Dow Agrosciences to fight the more aggressive Formosan termite, which can penetrate cement, brick, heavy duty plastics, and high-pressure water lines just to get to food and water sources.

The best treatment option is a combination of termiticides and bait units setup both in the ground and throughout the house. Termites are hard to kill, and they are even harder to eradicate, so be tenacious in your efforts. Your best bet is to call a professional to help you. Over the counter solutions do not offer the same level of effectiveness that professional grade products do. Your house is one of your greatest commitments you will ever make. It is worth protecting the right way by getting the help of professionals who know what they are doing. But remember. In this case, an ounce of prevention really can take you far, ensuring a better chance of keeping these nasty bugs from eating up your investment before you have a chance to truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.