Do you know there are permanent ways on how to kill Formosan termites? And if termites are on your property they do a lot of damage. In the United States, termites do more than 5 billion dollars in damages annually.
As a homeowner, it cost an estimate of $3,000 to fix termite damages. However, in this article, we will enlighten you on how to kill Formosan termites permanently without any pest control expert assistance.
How to Identify Formosan Termites?
The first step of the process is identification. The Formosan termites are a species of termite colonized in the ground and also above ground and structures.
The lathes or swarmers are winged once they mature. They leave the original colony and are responsible for producing new colonies.
The body is tan and is approximately 1/4 inch, it has two pairs of wings equal in length. If you see this stage of termite inside or outside your home, it should be cause for concern.
It is an indication that your home is possibly infested. Also, there are the reproductive known as the king and queen that stay within the colony for their full lifespan.
The next member is the soldier there are approximately 1/4 inch long. Their bodies are cream-colored head is shaved, it is an orange color.
They have large mandibles that cross and are used to protect the colony from Intruders. And then there are the workers that are cream color about an 8 inch long.
They are responsible for damaging the structure by eating the wood to clegg cellulose. The majority of a colony consists of workers termites.
What does Formosan Termite look like?
Below is a picture of a Formosan termite:
Read also: Leaf Miner Treatment | How to Get Rid of Leaf Miner
Where can I find Formosan Termites?
Formosan termites are also known as the super termite does an enormous amount of damage because of their very aggressive behavior typically found in dry wood and warm coastal states including:
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- Texas
- Alabama
- Florida
- California
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Tennessee
Read also: Termite Season | When is Termite Season?
When is Formosan Termite Season?
They can be found swarming in the evening around dusk, at about 9:30 pm. The time of year is usually between April and July, and can also be found swarming around exterior lighting.
Read also: Signs of Termite in a Home
Signs of Formosan Termite Infestation?
It is necessary to confirm whether we have Forsoman termites or not as information gathered is applied when eliminating them.
Termites can do a lot of damage in your home and you do not even know it until several years later. Fortunately. There are signs you can look for that will help you identify whether you have a Formosan termite infestation or not.
Some of these signs are:
- Mud tubes,
- Fresh wings, and
- Feces.
Mud tubes are one of the most common signs that you have subterranean termites in or around your home.
These are pencil-sized tunnels made by termites that act as pathways for them to move back and forth from their nest to your structure.
These mud tubes will be found around wooden structures, foundations, or any other structural support.
Also, finding swarmer wings inside your home indicates an active infestation of termites. Remember swarmer termites leave the colony to start new colonies.
So finding these in and around your home means that you probably have a heavy infestation. When you find these signs, it is best to use a flashlight to check dark areas, like basements or attics.
You can use a screwdriver or another sharp-ended object to probe for termite galleries, pay close attention to all the woods construction by support, inspect your ceiling, joist, or areas where soil meets.
Read also: What do Termites Look Like? Termite Facts & Identification
How to Kill Formosan Termites Naturally (Outdoors)
Let’s start on the outside, no matter what type of foundation you have.
- You’ll want to dig a trench approximately 6 inches by 6 inches, all the way around the house.
- Cardboard snare: Wet and stack some cardboard sheets in a protected corner to occupy the termites from your resources. Cellulose in cardboard draws in the termites.
- Nematodes: Nematodes kill termites by delivering a specific sort of microbes into their bodies and thus is a successful killing method.
- Spot the termite hill: Locate all the termite hideaways. You would need to dispose of them across the board go. Else, they would just spread to the treated regions once more.
- Direct sunlight treatment: Direct daylight disposes of particular sorts of termites. Spot tainted furniture in direct daylight.
- Wooden mulch: Mulch is an incredible wellspring of cellulose and is essentially a termite chow.
How to Kill Formosan Termites Using Insecticide (Outdoors)
Taurus SC:
A professional-grade product such as Taurus SC. will work perfectly. To apply this product and the trench by using a poly sprayer once complete backfill.
This will create a chemical barrier that will prevent and kill termites from coming up from the exterior.
Red-eye termite stations:
Next, we’re going to use our red-eye termite stations. The red-eye termite stations can be installed around the house to control and prevent termites.
You have to place it in areas that are conducive to termites. They should be placed anywhere from 8 to 10 feet apart and back away from the drip edge.
Monitoring the red-eye termite station is very simple. There’s a clear view window at the very top of the station. There’s red-eye that sits there and it’s actually painted onto a wooden dowel.
Once termites come up through the bottom of the station, they begin to feed on all that wood material.
The red-eye drops. Now, you know that you have termite activity. Once that happens. We’re going to take FiPro foaming aerosol.
FiPro Foaming Aerosol:
You’re going to inject the FiPro aerosol into the red-eye station. The neat thing about this product is that it’s a foam, the longer you inject, the deeper it travels through the galleries and the ground, providing the direct kill.
How to Kill Formosan Termites Indoors
Now, let’s move on to the indoors. Formosan termites not only nest in the ground but also above ground in the structure where there’s adequate moisture.
It’s important that during your identification process, you identified the specific area where this pest is located.
You can use the FiPro foaming aerosols around cracks and crevices around your windows doors or fireplaces.
How do you Prevent Formosan Termites from Returning?
If you found during your inspection process that you didn’t have Formosan termites, but you want to prevent them.
- You can use a product called Reclaim IT instead of Taurus SC. Following the same steps mentioned earlier.
- Reclaim IT is a repellent and will provide many years of protection against termites.
- Do not forget your red-eye termite stations, will want to place these around the exterior of the house.
- It’s a great tool for monitoring and controlling termite activity.
- Be sure to eliminate any dry wood around the exterior of the house.
- Drain gutters
- Repair leaky roofs and leaky windows, all of these things need to be addressed both inside and outside.
Conclusion
Formosan termites may be your worst nightmare if you don’t act as soon as you spot their infestation on your property.
Following these DIY guides on how to kill Formosan termites permanently, you will get rid of other pests too on your property. Keep visiting Pestclue for more DIY pest control guides, do well to share!
About The Author
I just read a tremendously helpful article on how to destroy formosan termites written incredibly well by Will David. Thanks so much. I’ve been watching youtube videos, ordering the Taurus SC 70 ounces and two aerosol cans of the Fipro all last month from Solutions (somewhere in Texas). Mr. David’s article sums up what I’ve learned over the past two months of research and implementation. It’s kind of fun to finally get to the part of the trenching process where you get to pour the mix (I’m going hard-core insofar as using 1.6 oz per gallon, twice the mostly recommended dosage. I figure why not spend a little more on the potion as I’m saving so much money by ordering the materials myself and doing it myself (with some of the PPE – let’s not overdo it – I’m downwind when spraying the over head soffits with the Taurus SC again using 1.6 oz per gallon and using a pump sprayer for the overhead spraying (not to be confused with the 5 gallon bucket trench pour.) If I wasn’t so damn old I’d consider doing this for a living in sunny Florida. Thanks for the article.