Will Orange Oil Work in Eradicating Subterranean Termites?

It's common knowledge that orange peel extract can be good for your health in tiny doses. Although orange peel shavings may be used to flavor recipes and modest doses of its oil are thought to have health advantages, high quantities of the oil can cause nausea and vomiting in humans. Huge amounts of orange oil can be dangerous, causing severe stomach discomfort and vomiting, which can be used for insect infestation treatments, specifically termite prevention.

So will orange oil work in eradicating subterranean termites? Most definitely. Humans' stomachs, eyes, and skin may become irritated by orange oil, but termites are completely destroyed by it. Orange oil can be a lethal poison for cockroaches, ants, dust mites, flies, wasps, spiders, crickets, and certainly termites. This water-insoluble extract is used as a herbicide and insecticide, and it can be very successful in the control of a subterranean termite infestation. 

How Does Orange Oil Kill Subterranean Termites?

Orange oil is an extract from orange peels that is insoluble in water with an intense citrus aroma. D-Limonene, which is a reasonably powerful pesticide, is the active component in orange oil. It destroys termites' exoskeletons, damaging cell membranes and causing death due to a lack of water and protein. The effect is almost immediate and can kill termites on contact with the orange oil.

Although it sounds harsh, consider this hard reality: in the United States, termite damage costs over 1.7 billion dollars each year. They're difficult to eliminate, and several chemical treatments that have been shown to kill termite colonies can also be dangerous to humans and pets. As a result, both homeowners and termite treatment firms are always looking for non-toxic ways to eliminate them. 

How To Use Orange Oil Effectively on Subterranean Termites

First, try to identify the entrances to their entire colony. These can be found by following evident mud tubes or setting up termite bait to see where they bring it. No matter what types of termites you're dealing with, they will always have a colony to get back to. Orange oil should then be fed into the termites' feeding cavities through these openings. 

Many termites stop feeding after the orange oil is applied, and as a result, die of starvation. Direct contact with the orange oil will kill termites that refuse to quit eating. You can also put orange oil in a spray bottle to flush out termites that are on the surface, an effective method of termiticide. To further eradicate colonies, you can also pour hot water down mud tubes to destroy them and termites residing in them.

After a termite colony has been treated with orange oil, the building undergoes termite inspection for infestation on a regular basis to identify symptoms of future infestation. Frequently check for signs of termite activity the moment you have reason to believe that you have an active termite infestation, and attempt to find the termite population and termite swarms, then apply orange oil. 

There are a variety of methods for termite detection like structural damage and termite droppings. The orange oil's effect only lasts three to seven days, re-infestation is a possibility if each portion of the colony isn't handled. 

What You Need To Know About Orange Oil

Researchers in California began injecting arsenic into active dry wood termite infestations in the 1930s, choosing arsenic because termites that were not killed by the original injection generally succumbed to poisonous leftovers. As an insecticide, arsenic was quite effective. 

However, the poisonous residue of a potent poison offers a significant threat to other species, including people, thus termite control has long been a challenge. Orange oil is increasingly being sold as a natural pesticide and herbicide, with particular efficacy against dry wood termites.

It's not a novel concept to use orange oil to cure a termite-infested property, it's been used since the start of the twenty-first century by termite treatment firms. Although several studies have demonstrated its efficacy, it’s not a substitute for established pharmacological therapies. It's a viable option, but you should get professional help to decide the best way, or a mix of treatments, for treating your house.

It's also worth noting that orange oil isn't without its drawbacks. Overexposure can cause allergic responses in certain people but it does provide a far lower danger to human health than chemical treatments and doesn’t require individuals to leave their homes or remove food during treatment, not to mention that it's less toxic than most termiticides.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to termite management. In fact, many homeowners may discover that treating their properties with a combination of approaches is a superior alternative. If you believe you have a termite infestation, the first thing you should do is call an expert termite control firm that offers a number of treatment solutions and can give you an unbiased assessment of all of your alternatives. 

Orange Oil as Termiticide

Drilling holes into contaminated wood and injecting orange oil into the hollow places where the termites are eating is the method of treatment after a termite colony has been discovered. If the termite colonies are found and treated, the treatment will be more effective. From 3 days to 3 weeks following direct injection, studies reveal that various residual effects persist in variable degrees after applying orange oil directly. 

Direct contact kills termites, and because orange oil prevents termites from eating, other termites that rely on worker termites for food will also starve. Following the treatment, the owner of the house or company should check for symptoms of a fresh infestation on a regular basis. 

Sniffing out termite colonies with trained termite-sniffing dogs has shown to be quite helpful in detecting new or previously unknown termite colonies. Orange oil treatment isn't usually preventive, it has to be done every time a new infestation is identified. 

Orange Oil's Termiticidal Limitations

Orange oil is best against subterranean and dry wood termites since it's a lot less poisonous than the original arsenic or the popular current pesticides like fipronil, imidacloprid, and hexaflumuron. However, orange oil isn't a cure-all for termites, and it comes with a number of disadvantages. In order to inject the oil, termite galleries must be found and drilled into. 

On the other hand, commercial fumigation may destroy termites throughout the house without the need for any additional work or damage to be done to the structure. The oil injection boreholes might also require additional repairs and additional costs. 

Pinnacle Pest Control - The Best Pest Control Service To Get Rid of Subterranean Termites 

Pinnacle Pest Control’s  professional pest control technicians are dedicated to detecting, planning, and treating termite damages and infestations 

Our team of pest control professionals can help you with all kinds of pest and insect infestations from invading and taking over your space. Free your home from pests no matter the termite type of termite species and contact us today to receive a free quote. 

Call us now at 916-381-5793.