Orange Oil Termite Treatment

Photo by Bernard DUPONTMost people who treat termites use highly toxic and dangerous chemicals. When fumigating a house, the chemicals being used are so toxic that families have to leave their homes, seal up their foods and remove any plants and pets. Because traditional termite treatments tend to be so toxic and unhealthy, many people want to know about and use alternative solutions to termite control. That’s where the orange oil termite treatment comes in.

Orange Oil is an organic and natural termite solution that is much safer to use because of its low toxicity levels. A lot of the other termite chemicals are made from a combination of other toxic chemicals whereas Orange oil is made from the chemicals found in the skins of oranges, specifically D-Limonene. When applying this chemical you will also notice a smell of oranges, which is much more preferable than some of the other off putting smells found in toxic chemicals.

Orange oil is usually used to target drywood termites. It will kills any termites that it directly comes into contact with and it will kill a termite if that termite has recently feed on any wood that has recently been treated with orange oil. Because orange oil has a lower toxicity level, this means that it is safer to use around children, plants, foods and animals.

How to use Orange Oil for Termites

However, this is still not to say that orange oil is entirely safe – it is still a toxic, it is just that the amount of toxins inside it are lower than normal. But because it has a lower toxicity is it much easier to use in the home. This is because you won’t need to evacuate your entire house, bag up all your food and remove your pets to get this chemical working. You can still apply orange oil straight to the infestation and then go about your daily chores in the home, without worrying about any major health hazards.

When orange oil is applied it is usually used in localized treatments. A general treatment would be a fumigation where the whole house is gassed, whereas a localized treatment only occurs in a specific area in the home. Localized treatments are where the liquid orange oil is injected only into the areas where the termites have been discovered. This may be behind a wall, beneath the floorboards or in some antique furniture.

The downsides to orange oil are that it is not as strong or effective as the chemical treatments on offer because of its low toxicity levels. There is also another downside: the effects of orange oil will not last as long as the protection offered by more toxic chemicals. Because of this, orange oil needs to be applied more frequently than other chemicals termite treatments.

Overall orange oil is a great method of natural termite control. Whilst it may not be as effective as other chemical solutions, it is safer and can still work well on minor termite infestations. Another natural method of termite control that you might want to consider is Bora Care: