There are several effective ways to treat termite infestations. The type of termite,location and level of infestation will determine the best method of extermination. A termite inspection will determine the exact type of termites in your home. For minor termite problems, you may want to consider getting rid of the termites on your own by purchasing some termite baits and learning where and how to place them. For anything more than a very minor termite problem, you should consider hiring a professional exterminator who is specially trained in termite extermination.

There are three main methods for killing termites: Baiting, Liquid Treatment, and Fumigation.

Baiting and liquid treatments work well for subterranean termites, while most drywood termites (especially larger infestations) need complete fumigation. Dampwood termites are the only termite type that do not need chemical treatment. The best way to kill them off is to fix the excessive moisture problem in and around your home that attracted the termites. Once the moisture problem is fixed, the termites will simply leave. Baiting or minor liquid treatments will work in the case of termites that just won't go away even after the moisture issue is solved.

1. Fumigation

Fumigation is serious business and is used in Southern states, such as Florida,for getting rid of serious drywood termite infestations. A home is typically tarped and then fumigated, which usually kills all of the termites. Homeowners must leave their home for 2-5 days. Fumigation works by toxic gas penetrating through the wood to kill all the termites throughout the structure of your home.

2. Liquid Treatments

There are a number of liquid treatments which are applied by injecting the liquid into the soil around the foundation as well as under the slabs where the termites live. There are several different types of liquid chemicals used such as organophosphates and pyrethroids and each has its advantages and disadvantages, including odor level and toxicity level. Consult with an exterminator to find out which is best for you and your family.

3. Baiting

Baiting is the least toxic method for killing termites. It is also the most effective, as it works to kill off the entire colony of termites rather than the termites on the surface. There is no guarantee with baiting, as there are no guarantees that the termites will actually find, bring back and eat enough of the bait to kill of the colony. It can take a few months or as work as fast as a few weeks. Professional placement of the bait traps will help increase the chances for success.

Additional Methods:

Biological Products

Biological products are not as popular as some of the other conventional methods, but it should not be ruled out as a possible method to kill off your termites. Natural fungus is placed to infect termites, which in turn kills the termites and many in the colony. Thismethod poses a low toxic hazard to people and pests, especially when compared to some of the other chemical applications.

Worms

Microscopic living worms called nematodes can eat termites from the inside out, thusremoving them from your home. This method is perhaps best for smaller termite problems. Once eaten by a termite, the nematode produces enzymes that digest the termite from the inside out, until it eventually dies. From a single dead termite, up to 100,000 new nematodes can emerge, each finding a new host termite in the colony. (Source: ehow.com)

Borate Treatments

Borate treatments are used for newly constructed homes, as the borate is applied directly to the wood as the home is being constructed. Sodium borate works because termites do not actually digest wood. They eat it, and little protozoa in their digestive tract break it down into nutrients for them. Borate kills those protozoa, causing the termite to starve to death when it tries to eat wood that you have applied a coating to. (Source: Killthetermites.com).