Termites are a nightmare scenario for most homeowners. These little bugs eat their way through furniture, floors, beams, and any other wood structures, making them hollow and unstable - sometimes even unsafe. According to the National Pest Management Association, termites cost homeowners over $5 billion every year in damages. This is why it’s important to inspect your home for termites often, and immediately call in professional help if they’re spotted. 

How Long Does it Take to Get Rid of Termites? 

The treatments required to get rid of termites take just one day to apply and begin working immediately when you have a professional exterminator. It may take a day or a few days for the colony to die off, depending on the size of your property, size of the colony, and methods used.

If you have a larger property or a lot of wood furniture or other structures, it may take longer to get rid of all the termites. These pests are incredibly apt hiders that work together to protect their queen and save their population through quick reproduction. They infest quickly and in large numbers. If you’ve had a termite infestation before or bought a property with termite damage, you may need to have frequent inspections to make sure that colonies have not resurfaced. 

First Step in Termite Treatment is Identification

When you call an exterminator the first thing that happens is they come for an inspection. A trained eye knows the signs of termites in a home:

• Hollow wood/floorboards
• Tunneling or mud tubes outside on the property
• Discolored drywall
• Tiny holes in the wall (termites make entrances)
• Signs of swarmers (piles of wings)
• Blistering wood around the house
• Chewing noises

While you can inspect for termites yourself, most individuals do not realize there is an infestation until something they value becomes damaged. Once there are damaged items and you’re seeing signs of wood chips or chewed wood, the infestation is already large. It would be incredibly difficult to remove a termite infestation with store-bought chemicals. Termites spread over large areas are prone to re-infesting, and overall difficult to kill unless you’ve got professional-strength tools. 

Methods of Termite Removal

Once a professional has identified where the termites are, they’ll likely use a few different methods to get rid of the termites and make sure they don’t come back.

Spray treatment - Professional grade sprays can kill off the colony quickly. If the colony is large it may take a day or two to reach the queen, but these sprays are created to work quickly. The exterminator doesn’t need to spray much, but they will spray the right places which will eradicate the colony quicker. 

Bait traps - Bait traps will continue to work, as termites from the colony eat from them and bring them back to the rest of the worker termites, eventually killing them and their queen. It also serves as a distraction, preventing new termites from getting inside your home. 

Get Professional Help

If you suspect termites have been causing property damage, schedule a free inspection with Spence’s Pest Control. Our professionals have years of experience dealing with pests of all kinds, and provide friendly and economical treatments to keep you and your family safe from infestations.