If you’ve spotted droppings that look like sawdust around your baseboards or noticed tiny kick-out holes in your drywall, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a drywood termite infestation. Knowing how to get rid of drywood termites starts with understanding your treatment options.
In this article, we’ll break down five professional strategies that pest control companies use to eliminate them—and what makes each method effective for different types of termite activity.
Key Takeaways
- Drywood termites can quietly damage wooden areas in your home and are often hard for homeowners to detect.
- Five effective treatment options can target drywood termites depending on how severe or hidden the infestation is.
- Some methods are better for small areas, while others handle hidden termites in walls, crevices, and infested wood.
- Professional pest control can offer fast service, expert inspections, and guaranteed termite control that homeowners can count on.
1. Targeted Spot Treatments for Small or Localized Infestations
Spot treatments are one of the best ways to handle a small drywood termite problem before it spreads. Technicians start by performing a thorough inspection to identify signs of termites, such as frass (termite droppings) or swarmers.
Once termite activity is confirmed, they’ll drill holes into the infested wood and inject a termite treatment—typically a foam, dust, or borate-based product.
This termite control method is great for limited infestations in wooden structures like window sills, baseboards, or furniture. It doesn’t require you to leave your house, and there’s no fumigation needed.
Just keep in mind that if multiple areas are affected or the infestation is hidden in wall voids or the attic, other treatment options may be necessary.
2. Whole-Home Fumigation for Widespread Drywood Termite Infestations
Fumigation is often the go-to solution when drywood termite colonies have spread through different parts of your home. It’s especially helpful for reaching termites hidden deep in voids and inaccessible crevices—places where you can’t easily apply spot treatments.
During this process, your home is tented and filled with a gas that permeates everything, from floor joists to infested wood in hard-to-reach areas.
While this treatment method requires you to vacate your home for a few days, it’s one of the most effective ways to kill termites at every life stage, including reproductives and new colonies forming inside the wood.
3. No-Tent Drywood Termite Treatment Using Borate and Orange Oil
No-tent termite control is a popular choice for homeowners who want to avoid the hassle of leaving their house. This approach includes drilling small holes into affected areas and applying products like borate (or boric acid) solution or orange oil directly into the termite galleries.
These substances penetrate deep into the cellulose of the wood, disrupting their digestive system and killing them. This type of treatment is great for those who prefer do-it-yourself approaches, but professional application ensures complete coverage, especially in large or layered wooden structures.
4. Heat Treatments That Kill Termites Without Chemicals
Heat treatments are another highly effective way to kill drywood termites without the use of liquids or sprays. This method involves raising the temperature inside your home—or in isolated areas like attics or garages—to a level that’s lethal to termites, usually between 120°F and 140°F.
Heat treatments also don’t leave any residue, making them a good choice for sensitive environments. While it’s not a DIY job, it’s one of the cleanest ways to eliminate drywood termite infestations without damaging your home or belongings.
5. Preventive Treatments to Protect Uninfested and Damaged Wood
If you’ve had termites before or live in a high-risk area like Florida, preventative termite treatment is something you should seriously consider. After an initial termite problem is resolved, applying a borate-based product to exposed wood can help stop new colonies from forming.
This treatment method is ideal for attics, crawl spaces, and garages—places where damaged wood, cellulose debris, or mulch might attract termites.
Professional pest control companies can also recommend steps like removing excess mulch, sealing crevices, and reducing moisture to deter drywood and dampwood termites from invading.
Reliable Termite Control Backed by a Guarantee
At Reliant Pest Management, we know how stressful termite damage can be.
That’s why our termite control service includes a full termite inspection, multiple treatment options based on the type of termite species found, and a satisfaction guarantee. If the termites come back, we will too—at no extra cost.
Our team is trained to handle both drywood and subterranean termites, and we offer everything from localized treatments to full-structure fumigation.
Whether you’re dealing with small holes in wood or signs of structural damage, we’ve got the tools and the know-how to get it done right.
Think you might have a drywood termite infestation?
Contact us today for a same-day termite inspection and professional drywood termite control tailored to your home.
