How to Get Rid of Termites in Wall? Signs and DIY Solution

Getting signs of termites in the wall indicates a major termite infestation in your house.

Because a termite nest in the wall can give shelter to millions of such termites that you can’t even see.

There are many signs that indicate the presence of termites in walls such as Mud Tubes in Walls, Termite Holes in Walls, Termite Noise in Walls, Hollow Sound of Walls, Frass on Floor, Discarded Wings, etc.

You can find these signs of termites on all types of walls whether it is painted walls, brick walls, or even concrete walls.

As long as the termites are inside the walls, they are a little easier to treat, but as soon as they start coming out of the walls, the risk of spreading the infestation also doubles.

Interior wall damage done by termites can cost you a lot, in such a situation it is necessary to take immediate measures as soon as you see the signs of termites on the walls.

In this article, I will tell you how you can get rid of termites in the walls and also prevent them from coming back.

But before that, it is very important to know the signs of termites in the walls.

Signs of Termites in Walls:

Termite Holes in walls: Termites are mostly not visible to you because it is inside the walls. But sometimes by gnawing on the walls, they accidentally come out, causing small holes in the wall.

Later, these pinholes are filled by termites with mud so that outside air cannot enter and they do not die.

Mud Tubes on Wall: You may see a shape like mud tubes on the walls. These mud tubes act like a tunnel for termites. From which termites connect their food source to the colony to carry out the food. Sometimes these tubes are attached to electrical wood plugboards on your wall.

Hollow Sound or Cracks on Wall: Termites love to consume the cellulose of timber within the walls. It causes the cavity in the walls and that cavity part sounds hollow when you tap on it. And due to wall infestation cracks can also be seen on your walls.

Frass on Floor: Termite excrement looks like sawdust and is most often found on door entryways, or on floors of infested areas. This type of feces is of dry wood termites.

Discarded Wings: When the termite colony matures, it produces swarmers (winged termites). The presence of these winged termites is a sign that they are now going to form a new colony. And the process of wing discarding is done at the time when adult termites start mating.

Friends, these are the five main signs that show termites have attacked the walls of your house.

Now we will know which are the types of termites that mostly damage the walls of your house. Also, I will tell you how you can get rid of termites using home remedies that work instantly and effectively.

Types of Termites That Damage Your House Walls:

If you want to get rid of wall termites, then it is very important to know the type of termites that cause maximum damage to the walls.

There is a total of 45 species of termites in the US, we can classify them into three main bodies.

1. Subterranean Termites
2. Drywood Termites
3. Dampwood Termites

Subterranean and Dry Wood termites are most responsible for infesting the walls of your home while Damp Wood termites are mostly found in wet wood, stumps, and tree branches. Damp wood termites can infest cracked drainpipes and roof leaks, but their infestation on walls has been rarely seen.

Now the question arises that how will you find out which type of termite has infested the walls of your house? Let me tell you.

Main Signs of Subterranean Termites:

• The signs of termites can be found on interior as well as exterior walls of your house. The main sign is the mud tubes. These termites construct such tubes with their saliva and excrement. This tube protects them from outside air and help them to carry out food from the source to the colony.
• Another sign is uneven or bubbling paint of your house walls.
• Small piles of feces that resemble sawdust near a termite nest.
• Discarded wings on the floor or near door entryway.

Main Signs of Drywood Termites:

• You will see tiny mounds of powder on the floor near walls, in the infested area. This is the droppings of termites that is called frass.
• You will feel a hollow sound on walls when you tap on them. It indicates that drywood termites are inside the walls.
• Bubbling or peeling paint of the house walls also indicate drywood termites infestation.

Now I will tell you some natural ways to get rid of termites, with the help of which you can easily get rid of them instantly.

How to Get Rid of Termites in Wall Using Natural Methods:

Now I will also tell you some natural ways to get rid of termites in walls, these methods will not completely get you rid of termites, but if you detect termites at the early stage then these methods are effective.

Nematodes:

Nematodes are worms that are used in organic farming to destroy pests. As soon as you release them on the infested areas they start feeding on termites. These worms keep reproducing themselves until they have eaten all the termites.

Nematodes are not lethal to humans and die spontaneously within a few days once the termites are eradicated. This method takes a few days but is also an effective natural way to get rid of termites on the walls.

Vinegar:

Many people also use white vinegar to get rid of termites on the wall, but this method is not as effective as it kills the termite only when the termite comes in its contact, so it can not kill the entire colony. This method is not effective for walls, but if you have a small furniture product, then you can mix the juice of two lemons in half a cup of white vinegar and spray it.

Other Natural Ways to Get Rid of Termites in Wall:

There are many other natural ways to get rid of termites like orange oil, borates, neem oil, salt but these natural methods are not much effective on walls. Because seeing termites on the walls means that their colony has spread too much. And these on-contact methods kill only a few termites.

How to Prevent Termites in Wall:

If you don’t have a termite in your house yet or it has gone away, it is also very important to prevent it from coming back. For this, you can take care of the things mentioned below.

Protect Walls from Moisture and Dampness: If there is moisture or dampness on your walls, then this is the biggest warning sign that termites can attack the walls of your house. If you do not have sunlight in your home, then definitely you should use a dehumidifier. It protects your home from moisture.

Fix the Leaks in Bathroom Walls: You should keep checking the pipe fittings of your bathroom from time to time because if they are leaking then termites can also come due to moisture coming on the walls.

Remove Old Wallpapers from Walls: Termites love paper, cardboard, such things, when the wallpaper on your walls becomes old, then there is a danger of termites coming in them too. In such a situation, keep the walls clean and keep changing the old wallpapers from time to time.

Fix The Cracks on Walls: If there are cracks on the walls of your house, then fix them as soon as possible because the cracks often get moisture, and the risk of termites increases due to the moisture coming in. As much as you can, protect the walls of your house from cracks.

Use of Pest Repellent: By taking early prevention measures, keep the termites away from your house walls. It is best to use a pest repellant when you paint or repaint your house walls. The Hi-Yield 38 Plus Permethrin works amazingly well on termites. Please read all the instructions before using them.

FAQ’s

Question 1: What smell do termites hate?

Answer: According to Clemson University scientists termites hate cedarwood, geranium, and tea tree oil smell. Also according to Clausen and Wang’s report termites hate the smell of clove bud, cinnamon, and garlic oils. Reference

Question 2: What is the best termite killer?

Answer: According to my experience non-repellent chemicals work best as professionals also use them, the most used chemicals are Taurus SC and Termidor Foam. These chemicals destroy the entire colony.

Question 3: What attracts termites to a home?

Answer: Moisture, old newspaper, cardboard, old wallpapers, and leakage in pipes or cracks on walls can attract termites.

Question 4: Do termites come out of the walls?

Answer: Yes dry wood termites usually come out of the walls accidentally and that causes pinholes type shapes in walls that are filled with mud after some time by termites themselves.

Question 5: What kills termites naturally?

Answer: The best natural way to get rid of termites is nematodes. These are small worms that are used in organic farming to get rid of pests. These worms keep reproducing themselves until all the termites are gone. They do not harm humans.

Conclusion/ Get Rid of Termites in Walls

The presence of termites on the walls is a sign that their number has increased a lot. In such a situation, natural methods are not as effective as chemical methods.

With the help of chemical methods, you can get rid of termites on the walls instantly and effectively. If you have a very little budget then nematodes can be of great help to you in a natural way.

The two chemicals I have shared in this article are top-line non-repellent chemicals used by professionals. You can legally buy these chemicals online at affordable prices in most states. And you can save your money by applying DIY. I advise you to read all the instructions and precautions before using them.

If you want to keep your home safe from termites or prevent them from returning, then in this article I have shared all the effective prevention methods that prevent termites from coming back. I believe that now you can easily get rid of termites on walls.