Before you go visiting death and destruction upon the termite population in your precious home, arm yourself with some vital information about termite control chemicals. Not the most advisable do-it-yourself project, you really need to understand what you’re doing before tackling it at all.

Termite control chemicals are really best left to the professionals but, since DIY chemical products do exist on the mainstream market, you can feel reassured that they are safe enough to be entrusted to the average home owner who is confident in his or her adeptness at following instructions carefully and applying the information to the letter.

The last thing you want is to turn your home into a toxic wasteland that is unsafe for habitation. Those pesky termites do, by the laws of nature, have a right to move in on your territory, but of course, they wreak havoc on your most significant investment.

You want them gone! But do you have a degree in chemistry? Termite control chemicals read like a list of ingredients for Armageddon! Boric acid, Permethrin, Tralomethrin, Deltamethrin, Chlorpyrifos, Cyfluthrin and Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate … and that’s just for wood termites! There are more for soil termites!

Know thine enemy

Before attacking any suspected termite infestation, you should always investigate the facts. Don’t go applying termite control chemicals haphazardly; you could be using them hazardously, unless you understand how, where and when to apply them.

Wherever you have noticed signs of infestation, make notes and write a description of the damage caused and the suspected route to the affected area. You’ll need to differentiate soil from wood termites in order to treat them with the appropriate termite control chemicals.

See if you can determine the extent of the damage. There’s no point trying to save money by tackling the job from a handyman angle, if long-term, you stand to spend thousands more on a total overhaul of the infested section of your home.

Call the big guns first

Make a booking with two or three different pest control companies to inspect your home and assess the extent of the infestation. Compare the feedback and you should be able to identify similarities in the reports and make a decision based on what you have been told.

Is it wise for you to think of this as a DIY project? Would you be better off enlisting the services of a professional operator? Can one of these companies sell you the appropriate termite control chemicals that you need, or will you have to source this information elsewhere?

If it were deemed that the job required would be suitable for you to manage on your own, you would need to purchase the termite control chemicals from a reputable retailer who specializes in this kind of product. You should also keep the following points in mind:

• Don’t skimp on price; you don’t want to have to do the job again before time.
• When it comes to drilling holes in the structure of your home, you’ll want to be pretty sure you are not going to compromise the plumbing or electricals, endangering your home and your life!
• How will you know if you have under-applied the termite control chemicals, leaving the area vulnerable to repeat infestation in a short period of time?
• How will you know if you have over-applied the chemicals, wasting money and time and possibly creating a toxicity concern?

What’s more important? Homeowners’ pride or eradicating the termites?
When it comes down to the nitty-gritty … and with termite control, it always does … is it worth doing it yourself? Some jobs just aren’t worth the uncertainty of knowing if you’ve effectively solved the problem or if you’ll be faced with the same, or worse, a few months down the track.

Termite control chemicals are not to be toyed with. Your home handyman skills are far better put to use erecting wood decks, painting surfaces and installing wonderful landscaping. However, if you must, be armed to the hilt with information, buy what you need after quizzing the retailer until you fully understand the task at hand, and make regular follow-up inspections to see that your results are lasting.