9 Best Termite Treatment Do It Yourself Options for Determined DIYers

Except for maybe cockroaches, no insect is more feared by homeowners than termites. Working quickly and devouring wood, they can cause a lot of damage to homes, costing over $30 billion in damage each year. But not everyone can afford professional pest control companies’ services, so many opt for the best termite treatment do it yourself options.

Very often, these termite control options allow homeowners to tackle or prevent termites and termite infestations without calling an exterminator. This can be a huge plus for small infestations, but homeowners need to know which termite treatments to choose. This guide will help.

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Before Buying a Home Treatment for Termites Do It Yourself Option

Let’s take a deeper look into the best termite treatment do it yourself options. The following sections will include all of the information you need to ensure you’re purchasing the best product for your needs. 

Types of treatments

There are different types of treatments available for termites, and each has its pros and cons. Choosing the best termite solution for your needs depends on many factors. These are some of the most common termite treatment product styles on the market.

• Liquid-soil treatments involve digging a trench around the home’s foundation and applying a liquid chemical treatment. It’s important to dig the trench deep enough to keep termites from getting under, as these products create a barrier to keep termites away from the home. However, if applied correctly, these chemicals can provide up to 5 years of coverage.
• Foundation spray follows the same concept as liquid-soil, but doesn’t require a trench. It isn’t as long-lasting, but it does create a barrier that termites will not cross.
• Termite baits are excellent for handling large infestations. Placed around the property, termites will take the bait and bring it back to their colony to share with the others. Eventually, the entire nest will consume fatal levels of the bait and die. These options include stakes, granules, and bait stations. 
• Termiticide building materials, such as pressure-treated wood, can be a first line of defense for termite control. Using this wood anywhere the structure meets the ground can keep termites of all sorts away.
• Wood treatments are a meet-in-the-middle of foundation sprays and termiticides. These products can be applied to existing nests to get rid of termites, but also to wood to prevent a new colony. They can include sprays and injected foams, and they’re great for DIY termite control.
• Dust treatments such as boric acid or diatomaceous earth can be effective termite control against small termite infestations, as well. The challenge is spraying the dust into the nest, but there are dust applicators available that DIYers can use to puff these dusts in. 

Where to treat

Other than the termite colony itself, there are some areas that DIYers should consider treating for termites with the best termite killer. They include outside areas like around the foundation, deck posts, joists, and any porches or railings. 

Also, if there is crawl space clearance, homeowners should consider treating their floor joists and exposed framing under the home. This is the most common area that subterranean termites will use to access a home, so it’s good to get ahead of them.

Finally, place bait stations two to four feet away from the foundation and 10 to 20 feet apart for the best coverage. Be sure to concentrate on the side of the home where wood piles, tree stumps, and moist areas are most common for the best termite control.

Best Termite Treatment Do It Yourself Options

1. Best Overall: Spectracide Terminate Termite & Carpenter Ant Killer

Type: Foundation spray
Active ingredient: Lambda-cyhalothrin

Folks hunting for a high-quality termite killer that they can spray around their foundations, fences, porches, and decks need to check out our top choice for the best termite killer: Spectracide Terminate Termite & Carpenter Ant Killer. This foundation spray contains Lambda-cyhalothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid, making it effective against termites, spiders, roaches, fleas, and ticks, as well as other wood destroying insects like carpenter ants and carpenter bees (which require a responsible approach to bee pest control). It can keep these bugs out or treat active termite infestations. 

This termite treatment product comes in a ready-to-use liquid form with a battery-operated nozzle. This allows users to coat their foundations and other areas quickly without pumping their hands. The liquid itself is non-staining and doesn’t leave an odor, and it remains an effective termite treatment for up to 9 months, and despite its usefulness outside, it’s also suitable for indoor use. Just keep in mind that this is a strong insecticide, so it’s imperative that users follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pros

• Comes in a ready-to-use form that the user disperses with the battery-operated nozzle for easy application
• Chemical treat wood destroying insects like termites and carpenters ants, but also spiders, ticks, roaches, and more
• Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, allowing users to treat their homes for prevention or attack a nest. 

Cons

• Powerful insecticide that needs to be respected

2. Best Budget: Bonide 4626 Termite & Carpenter Ant Control

Type: Foundation spray
Active ingredient: Pyrethroid 

For homeowners and renters whose pest control budgets are tight, there may be no better answer for termites than Bonide’s Termite and Carpenter Ant Control. This product is affordable, allowing folks on tight budgets to handle most termite infestations on their own. And, as a bonus, Bonide can handle carpenter ants and other ant species, wasps, mud daubers, hornets, yellow jackets, and bees. 

This product fights infestations from two angles. First, it kills on contact, allowing users to douse a nest to quickly quell a termite infestation. However, it also has a residual effect that will continue to kill termites and other bugs for up to 4 weeks after application. It comes in a ready-to-use liquid form with an included sprayer, as well, allowing folks to treat their apartments, homes, cabins, garage, gazebos, decks, and other areas, both inside and out. The hand pump will get tiring over time, however. 

Pros

• Affordable price point allows homeowners and renters who are tight on money to handle their own termite infestations
• Works on multiple species including termites, carpenter ants, wasps, mud daubers, and much more
• Provides a contact kill as well as residual protection for up to 4 weeks

Cons

• Users have to pump the bottle by hand to spray, and this will get tiring

3. Best Granules: BioAdvanced Termite Killer Granules

Type: Liquid-soil
Active ingredient: Imidacloprid

When it comes to liquid-soil applications, it might not get any easier than BioAdvanced Termite Killer Granules. These granules don’t need a trench, but rather the user sprinkles them on top of the soil or mulch and waters them in with a hose. One jug can treat up to 200 linear feet of foundation or other structures.

BioAdvanced Termite Killer Granules can kill termites and termite eggs with just one application. There isn’t any measuring or mixing, and the built-in spout distributes the exact recommended width to allow for proper application. If applied properly it provides a perimeter defense while also killing bugs that walk across it. However, it’s only for outdoor use.

Pros

• Doesn’t require the user to dig a trench around their foundation, they simply sprinkle it on top
• Built-in spout distributes granules in the recommended width for the best result
• Acts as a defense perimeter while also killing bugs that walk across it.

Cons

• Outdoor use only

4. Best Bait Stations: Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes

Type: Bait
Active ingredient: Hexaflumuron

When it comes to prevention, homeowners should consider adding Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection and Killing Stakes to their termite arsenal. These stakes install in the ground outside the home, attracting any termites in the immediate area. The stakes themselves contain hexaflumuron, which is a termite-specific pesticide, killing foraging termites. It also has an indicator built-in that pops up when termite activity is detected.

This kit comes with 15 stakes and indicator shields, graph paper, and an auger for digging into the soil. First, the user maps out their home on the graph paper to plan their installation, then they use the auger to dig room for the stakes. Users can install these stakes around their property to prevent termites and infestations from occurring, especially in termite-rich areas. However, this is not a product that can be used inside, and it won’t help with an active termite infestation.

Pros

• Termite-specific insecticide keeps termites from getting to the home but will also kill them on contact
• Comes with 15 stakes to surround the home but also allows the user to increase concentration in trouble areas
• Installs easily using the included auger, making drilling holes in the ground for these stakes easy

Cons

• Outdoor use only
• Doesn’t help with active infestations

5. Best Spray: BioAdvanced Carpenter Ant & Termite Killer Plus

Type: Foundation spray/wood treatment
Active ingredient: B-cyfluthrin

When it comes to flexibility, BioAdvanced’s Carpenter Ant and Termite Killer Plus is at the top of the heap of DIY termite treatments, This product works on foundations and outdoor areas, but also for indoor applications. It contains the insecticide B-cyfluthrin, which makes it effective termite killer, as well as handling carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and over 75 other insects. 

Users can apply BioAdvanced Carpenter Ant and Termite Killer Plus in many areas on their property. This includes lawns, landscaping, foundations, trenches, decks, patios, wood piles, and other wooden structures around the home. They can also use Bio Advanced termite killer around sinks and storage areas, baseboards, doors, windows, and under refrigerators and appliances. And while it is a residual barrier, it also kills on contact, allowing users to target nests if necessary. This product doesn’t include the battery-operated wand, but there is an additional product that does for an added expense.

Pros

• Works in a wide range of areas and applications for the most flexibility
• Works on 75 different species including termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and more
• Can work as a residual treatment or contact killer for getting rid of infestations quickly

Cons

• Not the battery-operated pump version

6. Best Foam: BASF 805571 Termidor Foam Termiticide/Insecticide

Type: Foam
Active ingredient: Fipronil

When it comes to filling the voids and spaces that termites often hide in, BASF’s Termidor Foam may be the best of the DIY termite treatments. This foam termite killer contains Fipronil, an insecticide that interrupts bugs’ central nervous systems, killing termites and ants quickly and effectively. Also, termites can’t see, smell, or taste this foam, and this will prevent termites from avoiding it.

This Termidor Foam comes in an RTU (ready-to-use) spray can with a specialized nozzle for pinpointing the application. Once sprayed, the foam expands up to 30 times its size. BASF states that spraying for one second can produce 1 ounce of foam that expands to 1 quart. Just keep in mind that this can get messy. 

Pros

• Contains special formula that termites can’t see, smell, or taste to prevent termites from avoiding it
• Expands up to 30 times its size to fill voids completely and increase its surface area
• Special nozzle makes directing this termite killer into a hole or crack easier, ensuring users can get to the termites

Cons

• Expanding foam can get messy quickly

7. Best Spray Can: TERRO T1901-6 Ready to Use Indoor Carpenter Ant & Termite Killer Spray

Type: Spray
Active ingredient: Deltamethrin

Whether it’s a small infestation or taking down individual termites, carpenter ants, and carpenter beads, Terro’s Indoor Carpenter Ant and Termite Killer Spray has what it takes. This aerosol can has a standard nozzle as well as an extendable straw that makes reaching into cracks, crevices, or holes very easy while also helping pinpoint the spray. And, because it contains deltamethrin, a powerful insecticide, it kills on contact.

Terro’s spray not only takes care of individual wood destroying insects, but it also lasts for up to 4 weeks on whatever surface it touches. This makes it effective against carpenter ants, carpenter bees, termites, wood wasps, beetles, and borer bugs. And while it’s listed as an indoor spray, it works outdoors as well. The real downside to this product is its compact size makes it hard to treat an entire foundation.

Pros

• Two-way nozzle allows for broad application or pinpoint application in cracked or crevices
• Kills termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, beetles, wood wasps, and borers
• Works indoors and outdoors and can last up to 4 weeks on whatever surfaces it touches

Cons

• Compact size probably won’t coat a whole foundation

8. Best Application: Nisus Bora Care – 1 Jug Natural Borate Termite Control

Type: Wood treatment
Active ingredient: Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate

For those looking for flexible application techniques from one product, consider Bora Care’s Nisus Termite Control. Users can put this product in a sprayer, roll it on with a roller, or brush it on like paint. Users can coat deck posts, spray foundations, and treat fences all with one product while minimizing waste.

Nisus is effective against subterranean termites, drywood termites, Formosan termites, and wood destroying beetles. It also protects wood against algae and fungi, ensuring that wood structures last as long as possible. There is a downside, however: despite all its application techniques, it doesn’t come with a sprayer, brush, or roller. The user will have to supply them all.

Pros

• Flexible applications techniques allow users to coat all of their wood structures with very little waste
• Effective against wood destroying insects as well as fungi and algae to help wood structures last as long as possible

Cons

• Doesn’t come with a roller, spray nozzle, or brush

9. Also Consider: BioAdvanced Termite and Carpenter Bee Killer Plus

Type: Foam
Active ingredient: B-cyfluthrin

BioAdvanced’s Termite and Carpenter Bee Killer Plus foam is worth considering adding to a termite tool kit. This foam expands up to 30 times its sprayed amount, filling cavities with termites, carpenter ants, and other wood destroying pests easily.

While this product can get messy, it’s perfect for spraying into wall voids, as well as damaged areas in basements, attics, and crawl spaces. Also, rather than a termite and carpenter bee fogger, this product can be pinpointed into specific areas rather than filling the whole home with poison. It can also fill termite tunnels and carpenter ant galleries in outdoor structures like decks, fences, siding, and sill plates on top of foundations. 

Pros

• Foam expands up to 30 times its size to fill gaps and voids in hard-to-reach places
• Works on termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and other wood destroying pests
• Suitable for indoor use in walls, basements, attics, and other spaces, as well as outdoor structures like decks, fences, and siding

Cons

• The foam can get very messy

How We Picked

Termites are no joke, so we wanted to ensure that we were offering only the best termite treatment do it yourself options. We had to call upon all of our experience with pest control, DIY projects, and even construction to pick out the most important features that a termite treatment had to offer.

Once we knew what to look for, we did a ton of research to find the best products on the market. We compared their ingredients, price, efficacy, and application process to ensure that each product offered enough value. Those that made the cut are on our list with their respective awards, while those that failed were tossed aside. 

When to Call the Pros

In many cases, DIYers may be able to handle their own termite problems. However, if they’re not succeeding, it’s important that they know to call a professional pest control company. These companies can perform WDI inspections to determine the location of the nest and the type of termite, as well as the extent of the damage.

These companies can treat most infestations in one or two treatments, putting an end to the problem faster than most homeowners can. They can also help homeowners come up with a plan moving forward that protects their home from these wood destroying pests.

If you do decide to DIY it and feel pretty comfortable in the process, you might even consider starting a pest control business of your own.

What You Need To Know About Termites

Now that you know more about the best termite treatment do it yourself products, let’s take a closer look at these bugs. Arming yourself with a top-notch product is part of the battle, but it’s important to know a bit about these wood destroying pests, as well. 

Different Types of Termites

There are actually several types of termites that homeowners might have to deal with. While most of the sprays, stakes, baits, and other treatments will work regardless, you might want to know what you’re dealing with.

• Subterranean termites are one of the most common termite species. As their name suggests, they spend most of their time underground, living in large nests in the soil or tree trunks. They actually look a lot like white ants. When they need access to fresh wood from a home or deck, they’ll build mud tubes from the ground to the rafters, posts, or joists. This is most common in crawl spaces.
• Formosan termites are a subspecies of subterranean termites, and they’re most common in the southern US. They also build mud tubes.
• Dampwood termites are less concerned with living in soil and more concerned with finding wet wood. They live in trees, wood piles, or areas of the home where leaks or high moisture levels dampen wood. They do not build mud tubes.
• Drywood termites are slightly less destructive than other termite species, as they live in small colonies. They seek out dry wood, such as dead trees, framing, and hardwood flooring. They don’t build mud tubes.
• Conehead termites are a subspecies of drywood termites. They’re not native to the US but have been introduced in Florida, spreading to some of the southern US states. They live above ground in very large colonies and can cause a lot of damage quickly. 

Do understand that all of these termites eat wood. Termites are one of the few species that can digest cellulose, along with silverfish. Unlike carpenter ants and carpenter bees who just dig into the wood, termites actually eat and digest it.

Life Cycle

Understanding the termite life cycle isn’t necessary for treating these bugs, it can help explain the stages and what to look for when determining if there is an issue.

Let’s start with reproduction. Established termite colonies will produce winged reproductive termites called alates. Alates will swarm in late spring and early summer, and this is to find a mate. Once they find a mate, they break their wings off and disappear to find a new home and reproduce.

Of the mated pair, the female becomes the queen and the male the king. The female will lay eggs in the new colony, which hatch into larvae that then become a nymph. Nymphs join one of three castes: workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Each has a job to do, living in harmony in the colony.

Once the colony is established and several years old, it will start to outgrow its confines, so it produces winged reproductives. These alates swarm, find mates, move out, and start new colonies, spreading the species.

Workers and soldiers can live up to two years in the colony. Winged reproductives often die during the swarming process, but should they succeed and become queens, they can live over a decade, producing millions of eggs in that time (they can lay 20,000 to 30,000 a day).

Why you have termites

There are many, many reasons you might have termites. They include having leaky pipes or a roof that causes wood framing to get wet, or cracks around the foundation that make getting into the home easier. 

Also, bringing firewood too close to the house could’ve caused a colony to spread into a home. The same can be said for shrubs that grow up alongside the home, as they make perfect highways for termites and other bugs. 

Signs That You Might Have Termites

Termites might do most of their damage within the walls and floors, but there are signs to look out for with these pests.

Noise

If you’ve been hearing the sounds of clicking or scratching behind the wall, it may be a sign that there is a termite infestation. Soldier termites bang their heads against the walls inside their nests to let other termites know that danger is near. Because this sound is so faint, it’s usually a dog or cat that hears it first.

Piles of Discarded Wings

When alates, or termite swarmers, successfully choose mates, they break their wings off in a pile and leave to find a new home. These piles are generally near a window, door, or another light source, and it’s a telltale sign that there is a mature infestation within the home.

Frass

Frass is essentially the poop of a wood destroying insect, like termites, carpenter ants, or powder post beetles. These piles of waste are small and look like pepper flakes and sawdust, but they’re definitely an indication that termites are successfully eating and surviving within the home. 

Note: Frass is a totally different form of poop distinct to wood-destroying insects. It look significantly different than other insects’, such as stink bugs’ poop which is liquid and oily.

Hollow wood

Hollow wood and hollow sounding wood are both indications of a termite infestation. As these bugs burrow through the wood, they eat it and then dump the waste outside of the nest. This hollows out the wood, allowing the colony to move freely, lay eggs, and expand its territory. Knocking on a piece of wood and noticing that it sounds hollow likely means that termites are calling it home. 

Mud tubes

There may be no better indication that there are subterranean termites in the home than mud tubes stretching from the soil to the home’s framing. These tubes shelter termites from exposure to dry air conditions and predators, and they’ll use them like ladders to get to fresh wood. 

Tunnels in wood

Many folks first find they have termite damage during DIY projects. Whether it’s tearing out a wall or patching up some drywall, they’ll notice that the framing is full of tunnels. These are likely termite tunnels, and they can turn a load-bearing framing member into a piece of swiss cheese. 

Understanding a Termite Bond

For those folks who prefer to go the route of hiring one of the best certified pest control companies, they can enter into an agreement called a termite bond. There are many termite bond pros and cons to consider, but these are agreements that essentially protect the homeowner from termite damage.

After a termite inspection for wood destroying organisms, the company may offer a termite contract. This contract states that if the homeowner were to continue using the pest control company’s services, any infestations or damage caused by infestations will be covered by the company. They’ll then continue performing termite inspections at set intervals, and any issues that come up with be covered.

Are termite bonds worth it? In areas where termites are prevalent, they certainly can be. Find out more about termite bonds here.

FAQs

Even with all of those that information on the best termite treatment do it yourself options, there may be some additional questions that need answering. The following are some of the most frequently asked questions on the subject. 

Can you effectively treat termites yourself?

You can treat a small to medium-sized termite infestation yourself, but it requires commitment and the right termit treatments. However, large infestations require a professional pest control company. 

What is the fastest way to get rid of termites naturally?

Natural products won’t work nearly as quickly as insecticides. However, the best product in that realm would be either diatomaceous earth or boric acid. 

How do I get rid of termites permanently?

Getting rid of termites permanently requires treating current termite problems, setting up bait stations in the yard, and being diligent about inspection the property. Conversely, professional pest control services can handle the prolonged maintenance.

Can I install termite bait stations myself?

Yes, you can install termite bait stations yourself. Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes comes with the bait, tools, and information required for the job. 

What kills termites naturally?

Diatomaceous earth and boric acid are natural termite killers. These products cause termites to dehydrate and die, and though they do take some time to work, they’re effective termite killers.