Termites can really cause a lot of damage to both furniture as well as other parts of your house that has got wood in them.
They are mainly of two types - the subterranean termites and the dry wood type.
The subterranean ones are found more commonly as they tend to construct colonies at the ground level.
Their tunnels as well as chambers are just higher than ground level and on continuous exposure to air, they wither away.
It is thus essential for them to maintain contact with the soil as well as the ground.
The dry wood termites on the other hand are more prominent in the coastal regions.
The damage caused by termites is very serious.
They make the wood hollow and weaken it substantially.
When you see lines of dried mud on wood or walls, you must conclude that termites have attacked the house and though it may not always be visible, constant scrutiny will help detect them and take necessary action.
Termites can be treated in three different ways.
They are through heat treatment, the use of orange oil and through fumigation.
The area of treatment is first heated up making use of normal burners.
Propane gas is burnt till it reaches about 150% degrees and since the dry termites are very sensitive to heat, they get eliminated.
Fumigation is a process that is done using certain fumigants at a particular temperature as well as pressure.
This combination in the right concentration can be used to eliminate all pests and termites within an area.
The orange oil treatment is done by extracting the oil from the orange peel and that is also water insoluble.
The D-Limonene ingredient present in orange oil helps getting rid of the white ants.
The control of termites is thus a simple task and these procedures can be used regularly to keep homes as well as offices free of termites.
Many professional companies also have their pest treatment services which they extend to homes and offices through a membership scheme.
Under this, they provide services to regularly check the growth of termite colonies and get rid of them if need be.
Natural termite control through the use of boric acid along with water is yet another method for people who do not like chemical treatment such as the ones recommended or followed by pest control companies.
This solution can be applied on the affected wood furniture.
Another method is by using physical barriers to prevent access to the termites from gaining inroads into the furniture.
They may not always be very effective but can be tried out before going for chemical treatment.
These can be put in place before as well as after construction and serve as a good natural way of preventing termites from entering your house.