How to get rid of termites: A comprehensive guide

Key points

• Droppings, mud tunnels and discarded wings are common signs of termite infestation.
• Chemical termiticides are the most common solution, but the specific treatment depends on factors such as termite type and location.
• Working with a professional is safer and more effective than tackling termites yourself.

Termites are small pests with a big impact. They cause billions of dollars in structural damage to homes each year — after all, they’re widespread in North America, invading every U.S. state except Alaska. 

Unlike cockroaches, termites’ distant ancestor, these bugs don’t scutter around but live in hidden spaces, making it challenging to figure out how to get rid of termites. 

We talked to pest control experts Michael Bentley, Ph.D., vice president of training and technical services for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), and Emma Grace Crumbley, an entomologist at Mosquito Squad, to discuss termite prevention. 

Advice from pest control professionals can help you get rid of an infestation and even explain how you can co-exist with termites that live near your home.

What are the signs of a termite infestation?

Termites can take a while to detect. They often enter the house where you might not go frequently, such as a crawl space. A termite colony might localize to a small area. Termites may also prefer wood sources within the walls of your home, making it hard to notice an infestation.

“Termites are cryptic insects,” Bentley said. “They survive by staying hidden.” Even so, there are a few signs of termite activity you can look out for.

• Frass: If a creature eats, its waste needs to go somewhere, too. Termites drill small exit holes in wood to push out their droppings, which end up as wood shavings called frass. “Some people say it looks like sand, some people say pepper,” said Terrence Robinson, owner and operator of Priceless Termite Control. “You’ll see it on the floor by an exterior wall or windowsill. They’re almost like little granules.” 
• Mud tunnels: Subterranean termites also construct mud tunnels, which keen-eyed homeowners might spot. “The biggest way you’re going to know if you have subterranean termites is to look at the lowest part of your home,” Crumbley said. Mud tubes or mud tunnels are about 1/2-inch thick and typically start from the ground. Then they make their way up the wall and can even extend to the house’s upper floors.
• Swarming: Termites, whether they’re subterranean, drywood or dampwood, only leave the wood they’re feeding off of when they swarm to find new mates and develop new colonies. This “homeowner’s nightmare” is a sure sign you have a termite problem, Crumbley said. You might also find piles of winged swarmers discarded after mating. Piles of dead swarmers may look like flying ants.

Identifying the pest in your house is an important step in removing it effectively. Note that some of the termite infestation signs, such as frass and swarming, could also apply to carpenter ants, another pest that loves to munch on wood. 

“Ants tend to be a little bit larger, especially in their reproductive form when they have those wings,” Crumbley said. “The connection between abdomen and thorax has a taper. A termite is one width from the abdomen through the thorax. There’s no indication of a taper at all.”

Termites and ants also have differently shaped antennae. Taking a picture or saving a specimen is a great way to help pest control experts identify the species they’re working with and come up with a tailored plan to get rid of them.

How much damage can termites cause?

As termites eat through wood, they create tunnels, called galleries, to travel through. Over time, an infestation can eat away beams from the inside, weakening wooden structures. In addition to the direct signs of termites themselves, you might suspect a termite infestation once you start noticing areas of termite damage.

“Homeowners might notice buckling floorboards, peeling paint, stuck windows and doors or damage that resembles water damage on baseboards and window sills,” said Glen Ramsey, director of technical services at Orkin.

Belongings in your home might also be at risk. Termites seek out and eat cellulose material, such as wood, books, boxes, drywall or furniture. “Homes with wood construction face the biggest threat, but termites can travel through cracked concrete or around metal structural elements to get to other wood as well,” Ramsey said. “Really, no structure is termite-proof.”

Which type of termites do I have?

The appropriate termite treatment can vary depending on what type of termite is in your home. Three of the most common termite species in the United States are subterranean termites, drywood termites and dampwood termites.

Subterranean termites

Subterranean termites are some of the most common in the U.S. and live primarily in the soil. That’s where they make their entry into your home.

Subterranean termites account for the vast majority of damage, about 80% worldwide and as high as 90% in the United States, according to American Pest. Subterranean termites tend to have the largest colony size, with hundreds of thousands or more than a million termites in a single colony.

Drywood termites

“Drywood move slower but are harder to treat because they live in the actual framework of the home and can go a lot longer without being seen,” Robinson said. 

Drywood termite colonies are smaller, totaling around a few thousand insects, but they can do major damage — partly because they are less picky about their food source than some other species.

These termites eat wood with the grain. “They eat all of it,” Crumbley said. “They’re going to try to devastate it.” 

Dampwood termites

Dampwood termites are a much less common household pest because they require high moisture content in the wood they seek out as a food source. If you have a water leak or other issue causing water-damaged wood, dampwood termites might move in.

“They are interested in softer wood areas,” Crumbley said. “If you look at the galleries, the termites eat with the grain and eat the softest part they can find. They leave trails where the wood is more aged or harder.” 

In a way, dampwood termites are a secondary problem because your main concern would most likely be dealing with water damage. “With dampwood there’s no treatment. You need to eliminate the leak, seal the area, and then remove and replace the infested boards,” Robinson added.

What are the most effective chemical treatments for termites?

Most common treatment methods for termites involve some form of termiticide. Various factors determine how to get rid of termites in your particular case. The size, type and location of the colony can affect whether termite treatments are effective. Your home type can also be a factor.

Pest control professionals have to abide by regulations at the federal, state or city level. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has vetted all of the control and prevention methods for safety and efficacy, Bentley said. 

A professional pest control company might recommend these types of treatment. 

Tent fumigation

Robinson’s most commonly recommended treatment is one of the more invasive options. “We do a lot of tent fumigations.” he said. This involved placing a tarp over the house and releasing termiticide gas into your home. You, your pets and even your houseplants must move out of the house for 36 hours. All food items must be put in protective bags or removed from the structure. 

The advantages of tent fumigation are an extremely high effectiveness rate (99.9%, according to Robinson) and no residual product after the treatment is done. The gas affects organic material, so seeds for planting, food and medicine can’t stay in the house, but fumigants won’t linger on nonorganic surfaces.

It’s also imperative to remove plastic-covered mattresses, such as baby mattresses, to eliminate the risk of trapping a bubble of fumigant product inside.

Soil-applied termiticides

Soil treatments are most likely to be effective for subterranean termite colonies, which have to return underground frequently. They aren’t as invasive as fumigation. According to Bentley, soil treatments can even co-exist with a gardening hobby. A licensed exterminator can tell you about where it is safe to plant your flowers or vegetables in relation to the treated area.

Termite baits

Termite bait systems use a slow-acting poison enclosed in a bait station that’s placed in the soil or near termite mud tubes. This option tends to be less invasive and uses less chemicals than fumigation or liquid termiticide soil treatments.

It can take a long time to take effect, giving termites more opportunities to cause damage. This treatment only works well with regular termite inspection and continuous replacement of cellulose baits, so the cost of pest control service visits can add up.

Wood treatments

While termites can do widespread damage over time, a colony usually doesn’t immediately infiltrate a large area of your home. Targeted treatments to the affected areas may take care of the issue without you having to spend days away from home.

The termites might only be in one area, Robinson said, who uses a liquid termiticide that is injected into the wood membranes behind the sheetrock. “What that does is allow us to concentrate on the specific area because,” he added. “Most people lean toward doing a localized treatment rather than fumigate.” 

The downside is if you have undiscovered termites in another area of your home, the treatment won’t reach them, and it may take a long time to find the other colony.

Are pesticides for termites safe to use yourself?

It’s possible to find insecticides or termiticides that you can buy directly. You might even attempt to make your own boric acid solution to spray infested areas. Across the board, experts agree it’s not a smart idea to tackle a termite infestation as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project. “No pun intended, you bite off more than you can chew,” Bentley said. “It’s not something that somebody without the license and training would want to consider. And most of the time, it’s exhausting and back-breaking work.”

If you are going to attempt to tackle a termite infestation with DIY methods, you need to read and follow any applicable regulations and requirements in your area, which can be complex. Many termiticides are highly toxic and can harm people or pets if misused. You also might not have as effective results. For example, a spot treatment might not eliminate subterranean termites if you don’t deal with the termite nest underground.

The pest control industry is highly regulated, so licensed and trained professionals follow strict rules to perform their work safely. “There’s a misconception that it’s haphazardly applying chemicals, but it’s carefully monitored and broken down to a science,” she said. 

Because of this standard, finding the right provider for you comes down to finding someone you trust who is experienced with pests in your area. Crumbley recommended looking into local companies or your state’s Department of Agriculture website for information and resources. The EPA can also provide information about regulations for various pesticides.

What nonchemical termite treatment options do I have?

During home construction, a few protective measures can help make a home less vulnerable to termite infestation. For example, construction companies may apply a protective product to the slab of a new build or use protective treatments on the lumber.

Some companies may also use physical barriers like stainless steel mesh to block potential termite access points. Particle barriers work by using a layer of rock grit with particles that are too big for termite mandibles to grasp and packed too tightly for the insects to wriggle through.

Of course, if you’re already living in a home that doesn’t have these features, you can’t go back and reconstruct your house. Depending on your location, there may be options available to treat an existing termite issue without pesticides.

“Other companies use different treatments like heat treatments. One is heat treatment with hot air and one is a treatment with microwaves, and those are the only two that I know of in California,” Robinson said.

Crumbley noted that temperature treatments can work both ways. Exposing termites to extreme heat or cold, like liquid nitrogen, can be effective when the termite colony is localized and reachable. A professional can also assess the location and discuss whether liquid nitrogen would cause more damage to your home. 

Some evidence also supports using orange oil as an effective spot treatment for termites.

How can I prevent termite infestations in the future?

Termites are small enough to find their way in through tiny crevices and eat a wide range of wood types. Even after eradicating a colony, there’s always a chance of future infestations. Preventive measures can lower your risk of further termite damage.

Sticking with a treatment plan helps turn termites away.

“Your house is the filet mignon of termite food,” Bentley said.

You can also note conditions around your home that could be conducive to termites. Leaky gutters, pools of water near your home’s foundation or a sprinkler spraying the side of your home could create the humid conditions termites love.

Bentley also warned against accidentally creating a termite lure. For instance, if your house has a wood-burning fireplace, but you don’t want to walk through the snow to get the firewood, you might be tempted to pile the wood against the house. “You’re piling up termite food against other termite food,” he said.

Move firewood 20–40 feet from your home and elevate it on a platform so subterranean termites don’t have easy access. Store mulch away from your home’s foundation, too. Regular home maintenance that focuses on high-moisture spots can help make your home less appetizing than the enticing rotting tree stumps outside.

The goal isn’t getting rid of termites anywhere near your home but making your house a tougher meal prospect than wood termites find outdoors. That way, they can keep their role in the ecosystem, and you can enjoy a pest-free home. 

Do termites go away on their own?

Sometimes, even after discovering a problem, you might not call termite control immediately. While seasonal stragglers might go away on their own, termites tend to stick with a good food source once they find it.

“Your house is the filet mignon of termite food,” Bentley said. That’s because the Southern pine lumber is a termite delicacy that happens to be a premium expense when you have to deal with the pest.

In other words, even if you win the “termite lottery” and a colony dies off or leaves on its own, it’s likely they’ve caused damage that could have been remediated. Plus, the conditions that attracted the termites in the first place are likely still there, meaning it’s only a matter of time until new termites find their way in.

If you notice signs of a termite infestation in your home, call professional pest control providers to gather quotes and assess treatment options.

What’s next?

Whether or not you suspect an infestation, it’s smart to keep up with regular home maintenance to catch problem spots that could be attractive to pests like termites or carpenter ants. Robinson recommended a termite inspection from pest management every 3 to 5 years. 

If you don’t know the last time your house was inspected or treated for termites, Crumbley advised checking the lowest parts of your home (including crawl spaces) at least once a year. 

Any sign of flying ants, or potentially termites, especially in tandem with exit holes and frass in your home’s structure, are a sure sign you need expert opinion. Call in the pros sooner than later. Start with these providers below.

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