Each year, termites are responsible for property damage across 600,000 homes in the United States. Owners of those homes spend roughly $5 billion trying to repair that damage and control termites to prevent subsequent damage. With that being said, it is no wonder that more and more homeowners are looking for ways to try to manage termites on their own naturally. Luckily, there are a couple of effective ways to kill termites in your home, including the following:

Orange Oil

Marked as both an herbicide and insecticide, orange oil is known to be deadly to quite a large number of insects, including termites. Orange oil is an extract that is derived from orange peels and can be very irritating to a human's skin and eyes. If consumed, it can cause nausea, diarrhea and allergic reactions. So it is important that, if you decide to use orange oil as a natural repellant against termites in your home, you use extreme caution and necessary protection.

Previous research shows that orange oil is effective against drywood termites thanks to its active ingredient known as D-Limonene. This chemical has the ability to dissolve the exoskeleton of the termite, which causes the insect to die little by little due to its loss of protein and water. In order for the process to work, the orange oil needs to be injected into the infested wood. For this to be effective, the orange oil needs to be injected into the walls regularly over the course of several days to several weeks.

Salt

If you can't get your hands on any orange oil, chances are that you have some table salt in your kitchen. Salt has been used for hundreds of used to kill termites and has been very effective. To create the salt solution, you will need a 2-gallon bucket, four cups of salt, hot water and a turkey baster or a large syringe. To mix the solution, pour the salt into the bucket. Add a small amount of hot water – only the amount that you need to completely dissolve the salt. You want more salt than water, as this will make the solution more effective. Once the salt is dissolved, fill your baster or syringe and inject the infested areas in the wall with the solution.

Still Having Problems? Call in a Professional.

If you can't seem to shake your termite problem, don't procrastinate calling in a professional. Termites can create significant structural damage to your home, so it isn't something that you want to continue putting off. You can discover more here about professional pest control services.

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