When it comes to eradicating termite infestations, fumigation tends to be the most reliable method of termite control. However, the pest control industry evolves just like any other industry, and new methods of termite control are constantly being explored by experts. Researchers and pest control professionals are not the only types of people who are eagerly awaiting new forms of cutting edge pest control technology. For example, the Bureau of Inspection and Incident Response at the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Florida has reported a surge in phone calls from Americans inquiring about new or alternative forms of termite control, specifically microwave technology.
You would think that avoiding your home for a short period of time would be a small price to pay for eradicating a termite infestation. However, some people refuse to cooperate with pest control professionals when fumigation becomes necessary. Unfortunately for this rare group of people, there are very few reliable alternatives to fumigation. However, fumigations are not always necessary in order to eradicate termite infestations. Whether or not a fumigation is required depends on the species of termite infesting a structure. Most termite infestations are caused by subterranean termites. Since the extent of a subterranean termite infestation within a home can never be accurately determined, spot treatments are not an option for eradicating subterranean termite infestations. However, drywood and dampwood termites do not dwell beneath the ground; instead they infest isolated pieces of wood or dead logs. This makes spot treatments the best choice for eradicating these types of termites. When it comes to drywood and dampwood termite infestations, a fumigation treatment would be considered overkill. The use of microwaves is now being investigated for its potential as a spot-treatment for termite control. Studies have demonstrated that microwaves eradicate localized termite infestations within wood effectively. Researchers used an unshielded microwave device in order to raise the temperature of an infested piece of wood to one hundred and ninety degrees fahrenheit. This temperature increase rapidly killed all the termite pests inhabiting the wood. It will only be a matter of time before microwaves are used regularly by pest control professionals. However, putting termite-infested wood into your microwave oven at home will not be effective at killing termites.
Have you ever lived in a home that had to be fumigated?