Crush Up This Cooking Staple To Get Rid Of Pesky Termites
They're called the silent assassins for a reason. With stealth, precision, efficacy, ruthlessness, and zen-like calm termites can rip through your home's structure before you even realize they are there. It's a frightening scenario that triggers many homeowners to hire professional pest control, who often mitigate the issue by dousing the house and surrounding soil with chemical insecticides. But if the thought of applying poison to your property is as unsettling as the image of hungry termites gorging on your home's wooden framing like it's a free all-you-can-eat buffet, consider fighting back with a safer and cheaper alternative. Crushing up garlic is an effective way to get rid of termites provided you don't have a severe infestation.
If your foot falls through the floor as a result of termite damage, your insect infiltration is probably too advanced to be solved with garlic alone. However, pulverizing the plant's cloves will create an effective termite deterrent, which can be used in conjunction with early detection. Listen for walls that sound hollow when you tap them. Look for piles of termite wings or mini mounds of wood-colored pellets, as well as drywall that is discolored or peppered with holes. When identified promptly, these signs of termite activity can be addressed by serving the insatiable insects chopped garlic. While the pungent vegetable's scent is repulsive to the termites, it's garlic's amino acids that power its one-two punch. The amino acids convert to allicin, a reactive sulfur species, which starves termites.
How to use garlic to get rid of termites
Leaving out an entire head of raw garlic near drooping drywall is not going to drive termites away. Rather, the key to releasing the vegetable's potency is to crush the cloves to create a natural extract. Begin by placing peeled garlic lobes in a mortar and using a pestle to thoroughly grind them. Next, place the pulverized garlic in a spray bottle with distilled water, using a ratio of 1 part garlic to 2 parts water. Allow the garlic to soak in the water for 24 hours. When you're ready to use, liberally spritz affected areas with the garlic solution. According to a study conducted by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University, this concentrated form of garlic-derived allicin spray killed 100% of laboratory termites within 24 hours of exposure.
Another option is to combine fresh chopped garlic with garlic oil. Start by placing 1 cup of garlic oil in a pan and heating until the oil gets hot, but is not boiling, then remove from heat. Next, finely chop a ½-cup of fresh garlic and add it to the oil. Let the garlic sit in the oil for roughly 24 hours before straining it into a glass jar. When you are ready to use, pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into a pint of water and mix thoroughly. Finish by placing the solution in a spray bottle and targeting areas of your home where you've detected termite activity.