How To Kill Termites With Common Household Products

By  Erica Roth Updated
A hand holding a washcloth Paul Anderson for Hunker

Termites are pesky insects that can do major damage to your home if they are not stopped. Pest-control services use highly toxic chemicals to eradicate termites from your home and yard. If you suspect you may have a termite problem, you can get a head start and kill them with common household products while you wait for your fumigation appointment.

Warning

While you can use common household products to kill termites, it's not always a permanent fix. For every termite you see, there may be thousands more that are burrowed under and inside the structure of your home. Consider having a yearly termite inspection done by a reliable pest-control service to prevent major damage to your home. Find a local service provider with Pest Control Directory U.S. (see Resources).

Things Needed

  • Bleach

  • Rubber gloves

  • Safety goggles

  • Container

  • Table salt

  • Kitchen baster

  • WD-40

  • Insecticide

Step 1

Pour laundry bleach onto any termite colonies that you observe in your yard's mulched areas. The toxicity of the bleach will kill any termites that come in contact with the liquid. Wear rubber gloves and safety goggles to protect yourself from the harsh chemicals.

Step 2

Fill a quart-sized container (a plastic bucket or glass jar works well) with table salt. Slowly add enough warm water to dissolve the salt. Either pour the mixture over the areas where you have seen termites, or use a kitchen baster filled with the liquid to flood termite galleries in your yard. Galleries are tunnels or channels that the termites have created. The saltwater will flood the galleries to drown the insects and kill them with the high sodium content.

Step 3

Kill termites with the common household lubricant WD-40. The oil sticks to the pests and essentially suffocates them. Use the straw applicator to pump the oil into termite galleries.

Step 4

Disable some of the visible termites with a spray insecticide. This method may not actually kill the termites, but will stun them and slow down their movements enough so you can get some professional help.

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