How To Safely Destroy Termite Infestations In Your Kitchen
Termites are tenacious insects and can find their way into any room in your home if it contains timber they can consume. Kitchens are particularly vulnerable to termite infestations. This is any kitchens are full of cupboards, hardwood flooring, and other wooden fittings, and the high humidity created by cooking can make these wooden objects moist and easier to consume.
Unfortunately, many of the conventional insecticidal sprays and solutions that can kill outdoor termite colonies are not suitable for use in kitchens. These chemicals are frequently highly toxic and can contaminate food supplies and food preparation services if used in properly. There are still ways you can safely kill termite colonies in your kitchen.
How Can You Kill Termites In Your Kitchen Safely?
Anti-Termite Foam
Termites may be hungry little insects, but they aren't very good at chewing through the drywall. To enter your kitchen, they will usually find small cracks in your kitchen walls, gaps in the floor joists beneath your floor coverings, and cracks in the foundation slab beneath your kitchen. They will also use these cracks to exit the kitchen and carry food back to their colonies.
Anti-termite foams are used in the same way as regular void-filling foams and look more or less identical when applied. However, they are impregnated with long-lasting insecticidal poisons, which will kill any termites that come into contact with them. Many foams contain deliberately slow-acting poisons, allowing termites to return to their colonies and spread the poison to other insects before they die.
Because the poison is contained within the hardened foam, anti-termite foams can be used safely in kitchens without causing contamination.
Bait Stations
Bait stations are commonly used outdoors to capture and kill termite colonies, and versions designed for indoor use can be safely used in kitchens. These self-contained devices contain timber baits impregnated with slow-acting poisons. These baits are carried back to the termite colony, where they can poison thousands of termites.
Bait stations are particularly effective at killing termite queens, which can be very elusive and difficult to kill. Once a colony loses its queen(s), it will disperse and rapidly die, since only the queen(s) can produce eggs.
Because the poisoned timber is contained within a durable housing, termite bait stations can be used safely inside kitchens without causing accidental contamination.
Can I Use These Anti-Termite Measures Myself?
Over-the-counter anti-termite foams and bait stations are available in most hardware stores and can be reasonably effective. However, they do not contain the most effective insecticidal compounds, which can only be handled legally and safely by professional pest control services.
Anti-termite foams and bait stations are also only effective if they are placed in the right locations. Finding the cracks used by termites, or placing bait stations in locations where termites regularly visit, can be both difficult and time-consuming.
For these reasons, you should call in a professional pest control service specializing in termite control to place bait stations and anti-termite foam for you. These services have the training and experience to quickly detect where termites are traveling through your kitchen. Some services use sophisticated devices that can detect the pheromone trails left by passing termites.
Professional termite control services also have access to commercial-grade bait stations and foams, which are much more effective and long-lasting than their consumer-grade counterparts. Bringing in a professional service will guarantee rapid termite destruction and zero contamination, and let you get your kitchen back up and running as soon as possible.