The home, the garden, and now your potted plants? Yes, termites can even get inside them. Luckily, you do not need to break out the chemical warfare to get rid of these termites, you can use one of several natural methods that are very effective against localized infestations.
Trapping
You can create your own termite baits/traps by lacing wet cardboard with insecticide, or simply using wet cardboard to attract the termites out of the ground. You can then take the infested cardboard and burn it to remove the termites completely. After a few tries, the termites should be removed completely from the pot.
Using beneficial insects and animals against them
Termites are prey for a lot of animals and insects, and if you can attract these predators to your pots, you can get rid of the termite infestation. Frogs, lizards, ants, beetles, wasps and spiders all eat termites. You also have chickens, doves, weavers, starlings, swallows and sparrows when it comes to birds.
Home ingredients
There are plenty of home ingredients that you can use against termites, including cayenne pepper, white vinegar, insecticidal soap, diatomaceous earth, nematodes and essential oils. Most of these can be mixed with water or used directly on the infested pot, and they will have great effect without being detrimental to the plants.
Pretty much everyone has cayenne pepper or white vinegar in their home. Just mix them with water or lemon juice and then spray the mixture on the potted plants for a few days. Soon enough, all the termites will be dead. You can also use a few drops of essential oil in a gallon of water and spray the mixture once a week to have a long term termite barrier in place.
Getting rid of the larger infestations
Of course, having termites in your potted plants is a sign of a greater problem – it means that there is a colony on your property, and that termites may be in your home. In this case, you want to act fast and get the termites out of there as soon as possible. This is where we come in. We can help you get rid of large infestations and keep your home protected from future termite colonies. Contact us today if you have a termite infestation or if you would like to find out more information about your termite control options.