Buying a house is certainly a big deal, no doubt. But did you know maintaining it requires even more effort? And protecting it from pests like termites is a top priority. Every year, termites cause structural damage to thousands of homes across the country. Homeowners end up spending millions of dollars retrieving their homes and property from termite infestation. Prevention is ideal, but treatment is necessary.

While various pest control companies offer prevention methods and treatments customized for your home, termite treatment fundamentally boils down to three methods used in different ways depending on your home, the extent of damage, the area of infestation, and the type of termites. Here is a guide to various termite treatment options.

Soil treatment
Since termites nest in the soil, termite treatments generally include a method to kill subterranean termites. In this method, a trench of reasonable size is dug around the foundation, and the earth is treated with termiticide. Apart from being a fundamental step in destroying infestations, soil treatment also acts as the first line of defense against future infestations by killing termites before they can re-enter your home.

Wood treatment
Subterranean termites start their life in the soil, but colonies quickly make their way to building foundations. These pests enjoy munching wood used in the houses’ foundation. Pest control professionals have a variety of ways to rid woodwork of existing colonies and prevent future sprouting. These include borate treatments, surface sprays, injected sprays, and foams. If you are building a home, speak to your contractor about preventive surface treatments.

Bait
If your home’s foundation has been invaded and termites have made their way inside as well, wood and soil treatments may need to be supplemented by bait systems. Cellulose baits containing a slow-acting insecticide, a lethal insect growth regulator, are strategically installed in the ground around your house and sometimes inside homes (wherever there is termite activity). Termites are attracted to this, feed on it, and carry the deadly chemical to their nests. Most professional pest controllers will set up bait stations and monitor them routinely to ensure your home is freed of termites and stays that way for a long time.

Termite killing products
If hiring a professional service to take care of pests is not something you want to do, there are always measures you can take yourself. Many termiticides are available both in stores and online, and their application have been simplified over the ages. Some products you can consider are as follows.

• Taurus SC
  Taurus SC is perhaps the most prevalent termite treatment as it is highly effective and concentrated. It is a soil treatment, so you will have to dig a trench around your home and pour the solution at 10 feet intervals. The good news is once you apply the treatment, your home is protected for about 90 days. The active ingredient, Fipronil, ensures that all the termites are killed within the first few weeks. While dangerous to other insects like roaches, ants, wasps, fleas, and centipedes, Taurus SC is harmless to pets.
• Spectracide Terminate
  If digging a trench is too much work for you, consider investing in this bait. Spectracide Terminate not only detects the presence of termites early on but it destroys colonies by transmitting poisons from termite to termite. Depending on the size of your home, you can choose between 10 and 20 stake packs. Ensure that the stakes are placed at 10 feet intervals around your home and that they are concentrated near moisture-rich areas. Once installed, you can forget all termite-related worries for a year.

You can also consider Bifen XTS, a fast-acting termiticide. Also, you can opt for Termidor, one of the best foam treatments in the market.