Having termites may become a serious problem because these insects may lead to the house damages and, consequently, to thousand dollars losses.
In order to avoid all these difficulties, you have to identify termites in time. That is why many professional pest control companies recommend special termite bait installation.
Unfortunately, the majority of termite baits are very expensive. Furthermore, they are supposed to be installed only by professionals.
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- Your first steps
- Simple cardboard station
- How to make a termite trap with Borax?
- Boric acid bait station
- Spectracide Terminate termite bait system
- Superway termite bait station
- Termite bait installation
- Useful articles
- Helpful video
- Final decision
Therefore, house owners are trying to avoid additional expenses and are looking for some homemade remedies against termites. And, of course, there are some instructions for possible homemade termite bait stations which are very useful. So, how to make a termite bait station?
Your first steps
Unfortunately, homemade termite traps are not supposed to be used as a single remedy against termites because they do not prove their efficiency.
That is why it is really important to realize that if you are planning to stop termite infestation, you have to take some additional measures (chemical treatment, for example).
Advice! Place DIY termite bait stations in the areas where termites are more likely to appear.
In order to find the best place for the bait you will have to inspect your house first. If you are planning to do it in a right way, you have to find out all the information about all possible signs of termite infestation.
Homemade stations are different in use (comparing with professional ones). Almost all professional termite bait stations have monitoring stations and bait stations. Homemade bait stations serve as monitoring stations as well.
The point is that the ingredients, which are used for baits, are non-repellent; therefore, they do not make termites avoid them. As soon as termites eat the poison, they die, consequently you see that the infestation is present and you can continue fighting pests.Learn more about subterranean termites: signs of their activity; best methods of treatment and DIY methods. Eastern subterranean termites and their tunnels and tubes with photo.
Simple cardboard station
This station seems to be not really effective but the most cost saving and easy-to-be-done bait. So, how to make termite bait stations?
You will just have to take some cardboard and place it in the areas where termites are more likely to appear. These cardboard stations are more likely to be used as monitoring stations but if you are still planning to fight termites using this method, you will have to check cardboards regularly.
As soon as you notice termites in the cardboard, you have to take cardboard out and burn it. Do not forget to replace infected cardboard with a new one.
Here you can learn more information about termite bait systems: Advance, Green, CSIRO, Nemesis, Exterra, Firstline, Terminate. Also find out how to refill them?
How to make a termite trap with Borax?
There are many different ways how you can make borax bait stations. For the easiest one you will need:
- Borax;
- baseboard.
Borax can be easily found in the store and in order to make a bait you will just have to place Borax on the baseboard and locate this bait in the area where you think termites are present.
There is another borax bait which you can make by yourself and which is a little bit more complicated, and consequently, more effective. Here is the list of the things, which you will need:
- wood;
- Borax;
- polystyrene foam;
- shovel.
First, you have to find the place where termites are present. You will need to check all the ceilings, doors, windows, wooden surfaces, etc. In the areas where you find signs of termite infestation (or where you suspect termites might be) you will need to dig a small hole where you will place the wood.
If you notice termite infestation outside of the house, you can dig a hole in the soil using a shovel and place the wood there. It is a good thing to use polystyrene foam when you cover the wood.Termites will get infected with this foam and transfer the poison to the rest of the colony. If you have children or pets in the house, it would be better to replace polystyrene foam with Borax. Again, Borax will help you to eliminate the whole colony.
Here you can learn more information about effective termite control remedies: Bora-Care, Boric acid, Borate, Fipronil, Chlorpyrifos, Chlordane, Borax, Timbor, Termidor, Terminator, Phantom, Lorsban, Biflex, Terro. You can choose different forms, such as – foam, liquid, powder.
Boric acid bait station
Another simple way of making termite bait station is boric acid usage.
There are just several things which you will need:
- cardboard (or other cellulose material);
- sugar;
- bowl;
- spoon;
- boric acid.
Take a bowl and make a mixture of sugar and boric acid using a spoon. The parts should be equal. Then pour the mixture on the cardboard (or other cellulose material) and place near the infected areas. Remember, that children and pets should not reach this place.
Spectracide Terminate termite bait system
Spectracide Terminate performs the minor part of bait systems which can be installed by house owners and can be found in regular stores. Its stakes have smaller size and can be installed everywhere around the house. Its active ingredient is sulfluramid which aim is to destroy termite ability to change food into energy.As soon as termite contacts the station, it gets infected. As far as the active ingredient is a slow-acting chemical, it takes some time for the poison to kill termite. That is why termites have time to transfer the poison to other members of the colony.
Superway termite bait station
Superway termite bait station is another bait station which can be found in the store and there is no need to call a professional pest control service in order to install it. Superway termite bait station is to be inspected every two-three weeks.
The manufacturer assumes that this is an effective termite bait station which can eliminate the whole colony and there is no need for calling a professional. However, they still accept that Superway termite bait station cannot be used as a single remedy against termites.
Termite bait installation
Termite bait stations can be installed below and above the ground. Everything depends on the type of the bait.
The ones which are sold in the store are mostly supposed to be placed directly into the soil.
That is why these bait stations are used as a preventative measure.
Do it yourself termite stakes need to be placed in the areas where termites are more likely to appear: near tubes, different connections, wooden parts of the house, attics, etc.
If the infestations are already visible, it is important to locate the bait in the place where termites build their tunnels because in this case you will reduce the possibility of their passing through the bait. As soon as you notice termite invasion, immediate measures are needed.Useful articles
If you interested in more information of termites we recommend you to read the following articles:
- All types of termites. Are they harmful to humans? Can they bite you? And what is the difference between drywood and subterranean ones?
- What does swarmers of different species look like: drywood, subterranean, formosan?
- Signs of infestation outside and in the house: in walls or furniture.
- How to treat them at home and in the yard: in wood or in fence. How long this process lasts and what is pre-construction and soil treatment?
- What does termite holes look like? What is droppings and is it toxic to humans? Do termites make noises?
- Posible termite damage, how does it look like? Examples of damage in walls and wood floors.
- All about flying termites: how do they look like, swarming season and what to do if there are swarmers in your house?
- How do they do nests and mounds? How to find it in your garden or inside the house?
- Termite life cycle – from egg to larvae. And social hierarchy: workers, soldiers, queen.
- Did you know that termites can infest living trees, for example a palm or a pine tree. They also like to live in stumps.
- You can prevent the infestation by using barriers, such as: HomeGuard, Physical systems, Safeguard, Stainless steel mesh, Kordon.
- If you want to get rid of termites naturally, learn more about such methods as: heat or cold treatment, orange oil, using nematodes.
Helpful video
This video shows how we go about installing an above ground bait station for termites:
Final decision
Termites may stay undetected for years, and in order to solve this problem different methods can be used. The easiest way is to install a termite bait station which will detect or/and kill termites.
Unfortunately, professional termite bait systems which contain termite bait stations are very expensive (about 1000 dollars) and are to be installed only by professionals because they have special equipment and are educated enough.
That is why house owners are looking for other cost-effective ways. Many termite bait stations can be easily made at home. The most popular homemade termite bait stations contain boric acid or Borax.
There are some additional non-chemical treatment ways, but they seem ineffective.
In addition, today there are some manufactured termite bait stations which can be installed by the owner of the house and there is no need to call a professional. Unfortunately, all these termite stations do not prove their real effectiveness; they can help to eliminate only some parts of the colony or to identify termite presence.
Furthermore, if termite attack is massive, additional treatment is needed. In order to solve termite problem, professional pest control advice may be needed because usually do-it-yourself remedies are not enough.