How to Make Termite Bait from Household Items

It’s no secret that termites are much more than just an annoyance, and if you suspect you have them, you will need some form of termite bait. If you don’t take care of the problem, termites can end up doing serious and expensive structural damage to your house. However, while you can make your own termite baits to determine if termites are present in your house and help contain their activities, there’s no surefire way of killing them yourself. To treat an infestation of termites, you’ll need to consult a professional exterminator. If you don’t, you’ll almost certainly end up with problems in the framing of your house as well as other structural damage.

Step 1 - Inspect Your Home

If you suspect you have termites, you will need to carry out a complete home inspection to check where they might be. This includes sub floor areas and inside the roof as well as the basement.

For an inspection to be effective, you have to be aware of what termite activity looks like. A swarm of termites is usually very obvious but be sure to look for fecal pellets and the kind of mud tubes termites leave. Take time to research and view pictures of termite activity beforehand.

Once you’ve identified signs of activity, the best plan is to have your home professionally inspected to determine the extent of any damage that the termites might have done. If you inspect regularly, you should be able to notice any problems while they’re still easily manageable.

Step 2 - Making Cardboard Bait

Termites love wood fiber which is present in paper and cardboard. You can make a trap for them using old cardboard boxes.

Simply break the boxes down and wet them up to soften the cardboard. You can do this outside or, if you think there are already termites in the house, try it in the basement instead. The soft pulp of the cardboard will attract any termites that are around. Check the boxes regularly and if you find termites, take the boxes and burn them.

When you’re done, replace with new boxes. Again, check regularly and burn and replace whenever you find termites. This won’t eliminate your termite problem but it can help contain it.

Step 3 - Using Orange Oil Bait

Some people have reported success by using a spray of pure orange oil or d-limonene, see our tips for using orange oil to control termites. Again, it won’t kill off the insects, but some have said that by spraying it in a room it’s helped to keep termites out.

Step 4 - Borax Bait

Borax is effective on a number of insects and some say it’s good with termites, too. It’s readily available in most specialists stores and to apply it, you should sprinkle the crystals by the baseboards in any room where you suspect you might have termite activity.

Step 5 - Extermination

Once you’ve identified signs of activity, the best plan is to have your home professionally inspected to determine the extent of any damage that the termites might have done and to take steps towards getting rid of the infestation. If you inspect regularly, you should be able to notice any problems while they’re still easily manageable.