Monday, August 27, 2007
Pesticide Alternatives for Controlling Termites
For those concerned about using toxic pesticides to get rid of termites, there are some alternatives. But you have to be careful to make sure that the alternatives do in fact work. One potential pesticide alternative is Orange Oil. This a by-product of orange juice production. There has been claims that the chemical called d-Limonene that is found in Orange Oil is a natural insect repellent for citrus. This San Francisco news article from an entomologist also makes this claim saying it's effective against dry-wood termites. However, the orange oil is effective for only a few days. Nevertheless, since it's not technically a pesticide, it's safe for homeowners to apply.
Not all experts agree that Orange Oil is effective against dry-wood termites. This UC Davis resource claims that there has been no published studies verifying the efficacy of Orange Oil in controlling drywood termites. There may be questions about its usefulness against drywood termites, but I don't see anyone saying it's effective against other termites like the subterranean termites. So first be sure that the termites you have are in fact the drywood variety. My post on termite identification may help you determine the type of termites you have. Drywood termites are most often found in California, Arizona, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia (credit to NPMA).
Not all experts agree that Orange Oil is effective against dry-wood termites. This UC Davis resource claims that there has been no published studies verifying the efficacy of Orange Oil in controlling drywood termites. There may be questions about its usefulness against drywood termites, but I don't see anyone saying it's effective against other termites like the subterranean termites. So first be sure that the termites you have are in fact the drywood variety. My post on termite identification may help you determine the type of termites you have. Drywood termites are most often found in California, Arizona, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia (credit to NPMA).
Labels: drywood termites, pesticide alternatives
# posted by Ken @ 5:57 PM 
