Can I treat termites myself?
This is a simple question with a complicated answer. We'll try to answer it as concisely as possible.
If you're the type of person that likes to delve into technical jobs because "you can" then, sure. You can treat termites yourself! There is a caution though. You will have to do lots of research and determine what type of termite is in your property, how much damage they have done, what their entry point is, how many there are, the type of construction of your home and understand the range of products and limitations of each product, be able to obtain the products and equipment required to perform the required treatments for your home, then sure! Go right ahead!
If you're not that into reading, studying, don't have years of experience in termite biology and construction methods, don't have the discipline to regularly inspect bait stations, or have a looong list of things you're supposed to get done around the house but haven't gotten to them yet, perhaps it's a good idea not to treat the termites yourself!
It's unlikely you'll be carrying out a treatment by installing a chemical treated zone. This usually involves a higher level of experience, labour and specialised equipment.
Chemical Treatments require specialist skill and equipment and require access to restricted chemicals.
Most DIY termite treatments involve either destroying an obvious colony and installing and maintaining a perimeter baiting system, if you do plan on doing this, then there are a few words of wisdom we have for you:
Follow the manufactures recommendations strictly! Most reputable manufacturers of insecticides have years of experience and testing behind them, seldom will you get a better result by not following their instructions.
If you're installing a perimeter baiting system, then check the baits regularly and thoroughly. We cannot stress this enough! We have performed many treatments on homes with perimeter baiting systems installed that have not been regularly checked. The homes have been infested with termites whilst a perimeter baiting system has been installed but not regularly inspected, the termites have eaten out the attractant in the bait stations and moved on to the home...
Get familiar with termites and their behaviour! Sometimes termites have infested a bait station and the person checking the bait station did not have enough experience to detect termite activity in the station! We have even experienced this on properties being inspection by large, expensive pest control companies! If you are going to check bait stations, understand what termite damage looks like. Fortunately, there are great resources like our gallery page, blog and Instagram accounts!