Most termite pages open with products. This one opens with a limit, because that is what the sources put first and because putting it anywhere else would be putting it after the point at which a reader has already decided what to buy.
Five university extension services, writing separately, say the same thing about consumer termite products. There is no source consulted for this page that says the opposite. That agreement is unusual enough to belong at the top rather than in a footnote.
What Consumer Products Cannot Do
The point every source consulted agrees on
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System states: “Do-it-yourself products sold to homeowners at retail stores or bought over the Internet will seldom eradicate an existing termite problem.”
An active infestation in a structure is a job for a professional. Nothing further down this page changes that, and nothing sold on this page is offered as a way around it.
Four more sources say it in their own words:
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: “Controlling existing infestations is generally not a do-it-yourself project.”
- Mississippi State University Extension: “Do-it-yourself termite control is not a good idea!”
- UC IPM, on subterranean termites: “It is unlikely that homeowners will be able to execute subterranean termite control on their own.”
- UC IPM, on drywood termites: “do-it-yourself treatments are not recommended.”
There is one narrow exception in the material, and it is narrow. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System states that “A possible exception would be termite infestations in a mailbox, sandbox, or other small wooden object not attached to the house.” A detached wooden object is the whole of the exception. It does not extend to a porch, a deck, a subfloor or anything else that is part of the building.
One further statement belongs here, and its scope is part of the fact. UC IPM states that “There are no reliable over-the-counter termite control products available for the public in California”. That sentence is about California. It is quoted here as written and is not extended to the rest of the country, because the source did not extend it.
The Signs
The hardest thing about termites is when they become visible. Mississippi State University Extension states that “Infestations rarely become evident until populations have grown large enough to cause some visible damage or produce swarmers.” By the time there is something to look at, there has usually been something to find for a while.
Two signs are described as diagnostic, and they belong to different animals. UC IPM states that “Shelter tubes (sometimes called mud tubes) are the most commonly seen evidence” of subterranean termites. These are the earth-coloured tubes run up a foundation wall, a pier or a joist, connecting soil to wood.
For drywood termites the sign is the droppings rather than the tubes. UC IPM states that “These fecal pellets have six hexagonal sides and are diagnostic for drywood termites.” Six flat sides on a pellet is a specific thing to look for, and the source calls it diagnostic rather than suggestive.
Swarmers are the third sign, and Mississippi State University Extension names them alongside visible damage as one of the two things that finally make an infestation evident.
Subterranean or Drywood
The distinction is not academic, because it changes what any treatment has to reach. A subterranean colony is connected to the soil. That connection is why University of Florida IFAS Extension states that “Application of liquid soil termiticides is still the most common method” — the treatment goes into the ground because that is where the colony is.
A drywood infestation is inside the wood and is not connected to soil, which is why the soil approach does not apply to it and why the evidence it leaves is pellets rather than tubes. UC IPM addresses drywood termites separately and reaches the same conclusion it reaches for subterranean ones: “do-it-yourself treatments are not recommended.” That is a statement about the approach, not about any one product.
The Formosan Termite
University of Georgia Extension describes the Formosan subterranean termite separately from native subterranean termites, and gives three differences a person can actually observe.
| Feature | Formosan | Native subterranean |
|---|---|---|
| Swarmer length | One-half of an inch | Three-eighths of an inch |
| Swarmer colour | Caramel- to brownish-yellow colored | Black |
| Soldiers, share of colony | 15 to 20 percent | 1 to 3 percent |
Those three figures are all this page carries on the Formosan termite. The source distinguishes the two, and the distinction is recorded; nothing is added about range, severity or treatment that the source consulted did not state.
Getting Rid of Them
The honest answer for an active infestation in a building is the one at the top of this page: it is a professional job, and the sources are unanimous about that. What follows is what the sources say the professional methods are, so that a reader knows what is being proposed to them and on what basis.
Liquid soil termiticide. University of Florida IFAS Extension states that application of liquid soil termiticides is still the most common method. It is applied to the soil around and under a structure, which is why it is not something that comes out of a bottle bought for the afternoon.
Baiting. Mississippi State University Extension states that “bait stations must be inspected and maintained on at least an annual basis.” Baiting is a programme with a maintenance schedule rather than a one-off application, and the same source states in the same place that do-it-yourself termite control is not a good idea.
Borate wood treatment. University of Florida IFAS Extension states that “Borate treatments for termites are usually only done during the new construction phase.” The Alabama Cooperative Extension System adds the constraint that decides where it can go: “All borate-based products are water soluble, thus borate-treated wood should be used only interiorly”. Borate is a way of treating bare interior wood, most usefully before a building is closed up, rather than a remedy for a house that already has termites in it.
Treating a drywood infestation. UC IPM states that do-it-yourself treatments are not recommended. That applies to any spot treatment a homeowner might reach for, including the foam product listed further down, and it is the reason nothing on this page is offered as a whole-structure remedy.
Prevention
Two prevention specifications appear in the sources, and both are about separating wood from ground.
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: “Eliminate wood-to-ground contact.”
- UC IPM: “Keep a 12-inch barrier of smooth concrete, coarse sand” between soil and wood.
Prevention is the part of this subject where a homeowner genuinely can act, and the twelve inches is a measurable figure rather than general advice. It is also the reason the products further down are scoped the way they are: the sources support acting before there is an infestation far more strongly than they support acting after.
What Treatment Costs
One source consulted publishes a cost figure, and it qualifies the figure itself. Mississippi State University Extension states: “As a very rough estimate, initial treatment cost for most single-family homes will be in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 and the annual contract renewal fee will be around $200 to $300 per year.”
The words as a very rough estimate are the source’s own and are kept here because removing them would make the range sound firmer than the people who published it intended. The same source states that some companies have buildings retreated approximately every 10 years.
That is the only cost figure on this page. University of Florida IFAS Extension publication IN1277 was checked for cost figures specifically and publishes none, so none is quoted from it.
Prevention, Monitoring and Spot Treatment
These four products are for prevention, for monitoring, and for treating a spot. None of them is a cure for an active infestation in a structure, and none is presented as one. The statement at the top of this page applies to every one of them: consumer products seldom eradicate an existing termite problem, and a structural infestation is a professional job.
They are in no order of preference and none is called better than another, because no source consulted compares any two termite products on any measure. Each card carries the limitation its own sources state. What is written under each product is what that class of product is for, not an assessment of how well the product performs, which is not something this page has a source for.
Monitoring and baiting
Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes, 15 Count
- Ground stakes, placed around a structure, of the detection-and-bait type.
- Mississippi State University Extension states that bait stations must be inspected and maintained on at least an annual basis. Stakes left in the ground and forgotten are not doing what the source describes.
- The same source states that do-it-yourself termite control is not a good idea. This is a monitoring aid, not a treatment for an active infestation.
Disclosure
The link below is not a paid affiliate link. PestPro Index earns nothing if you buy this tool, and we have no commercial relationship with its manufacturer or seller. It is named because it is a specific, identifiable example of the type of tool described above.
Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Replacement Stakes, 8 Pack
- Replacement stakes for the system above, listed separately by the manufacturer.
- Listed here because the annual inspection and maintenance that Mississippi State University Extension describes is an ongoing requirement rather than a one-time purchase.
Disclosure
The link below is not a paid affiliate link. PestPro Index earns nothing if you buy this tool, and we have no commercial relationship with its manufacturer or seller. It is named because it is a specific, identifiable example of the type of tool described above.
Borate treatment for bare interior wood
Bora-Care Termiticide Insecticide and Fungicide Concentrate, 1 Gallon
- A borate concentrate applied to bare wood.
- University of Florida IFAS Extension states that borate treatments for termites are usually only done during the new construction phase.
- The Alabama Cooperative Extension System states that all borate-based products are water soluble, thus borate-treated wood should be used only interiorly. Interior, bare wood, and not an exterior application.
Disclosure
The link below is not a paid affiliate link. PestPro Index earns nothing if you buy this tool, and we have no commercial relationship with its manufacturer or seller. It is named because it is a specific, identifiable example of the type of tool described above.
Spot treatment
BASF Termidor Foam, 20 oz
- A foam applied into a crack, a void or a gallery, for treating one located spot.
- University of Florida IFAS Extension states that controlling existing infestations is generally not a do-it-yourself project, and UC IPM states that do-it-yourself treatments are not recommended. This treats one located spot; it is not a whole-structure remedy.
- The Alabama Cooperative Extension System gives the only exception it recognises for consumer treatment as a mailbox, sandbox, or other small wooden object not attached to the house.
Disclosure
The link below is not a paid affiliate link. PestPro Index earns nothing if you buy this tool, and we have no commercial relationship with its manufacturer or seller. It is named because it is a specific, identifiable example of the type of tool described above.
Four products appear above and there is no fifth. Two further classes were looked for and are deliberately absent: no consumer liquid soil termiticide concentrate is listed, even though University of Florida IFAS Extension calls that the most common method, and no standalone monitoring-only device is listed because the detection function here belongs to the stakes already shown. Where a product could not be listed honestly, nothing is listed in its place.
Questions
Can I get rid of termites myself?
Five university extension services say no, in six separate places, and no source consulted says otherwise. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System states that do-it-yourself products sold to homeowners at retail stores or bought over the Internet will seldom eradicate an existing termite problem. University of Florida IFAS Extension states that controlling existing infestations is generally not a do-it-yourself project. Mississippi State University Extension states that do-it-yourself termite control is not a good idea. UC IPM states that it is unlikely that homeowners will be able to execute subterranean termite control on their own, and for drywood termites states that do-it-yourself treatments are not recommended. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System gives one narrow exception: a possible exception would be termite infestations in a mailbox, sandbox, or other small wooden object not attached to the house.
What is the most common sign of termites?
UC IPM states that shelter tubes, sometimes called mud tubes, are the most commonly seen evidence of subterranean termites. For drywood termites the diagnostic sign is different: UC IPM states that their fecal pellets have six hexagonal sides and are diagnostic for drywood termites. Mississippi State University Extension adds the timing problem behind both, stating that infestations rarely become evident until populations have grown large enough to cause some visible damage or produce swarmers.
How do I tell a subterranean termite from a drywood termite?
By the evidence each leaves rather than by the insect itself. UC IPM gives mud tubes as the most commonly seen evidence of subterranean termites, and gives six-sided fecal pellets as diagnostic for drywood termites. The distinction matters because it changes what any treatment has to reach: a subterranean colony is connected to soil, which is why University of Florida IFAS Extension describes application of liquid soil termiticides as still the most common method, while a drywood infestation sits inside the wood.
What does professional termite treatment cost?
Mississippi State University Extension publishes one figure and qualifies it itself: as a very rough estimate, initial treatment cost for most single-family homes will be in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 and the annual contract renewal fee will be around $200 to $300 per year. The same source states that some companies have buildings retreated approximately every 10 years. That is the only cost figure any source consulted for this page publishes. University of Florida IFAS Extension publication IN1277 was checked specifically for cost figures and carries none.
Do termite bait stakes work?
No source consulted for this page measures how well any particular bait product performs, so this page does not say. What the sources do state is the maintenance requirement: Mississippi State University Extension states that bait stations must be inspected and maintained on at least an annual basis. The same source states plainly that do-it-yourself termite control is not a good idea. A stake put in the ground and forgotten is not doing the thing the source describes.
Is borate wood treatment a cure for an active infestation?
The sources describe it as a construction-stage treatment rather than a cure. University of Florida IFAS Extension states that borate treatments for termites are usually only done during the new construction phase. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System states that all borate-based products are water soluble, thus borate-treated wood should be used only interiorly. Those two statements together set the scope: bare interior wood, ideally before a structure is closed up, and not as a remedy applied to a house with an active infestation in it.
Why does this page not rank termite products?
Because no source consulted compares any two termite products on any measure. There is no published specification for a termite product of the kind that would let one be measured against another, so there is no sourced basis for calling any product better than another and this page does not claim one. The products further down are grouped by what they are for, with the limitation each source states attached to each, and they are in no order of preference.
Sources
Every factual statement on this page traces to one of the eight extension service publications below. Where a source qualified its own statement, the qualification is kept. The product names above were read from each product’s own listing on 23 August 2026 and are recorded rather than assessed; the listings read were B00AA8WVLI, B00EORPBQI, B01HDYAOY2 and B00B5WI5VI. Each is reachable from its own card above, where the disclosure sits directly beside the link, and they are named here rather than linked again so that every link to a product on this page carries its disclosure. Framing and ordering are our own judgement and are not a finding of any source.
- UC Statewide IPM Program. Subterranean and Other Termites — Pest Notes, Home and Landscape. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/subterranean-and-other-termites/
- UC Statewide IPM Program. Drywood Termites — Pest Notes, Home and Landscape. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/drywood-termites/
- University of Florida IFAS Extension. Publication IN1277 — subterranean termite control. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/in1277
- Mississippi State University Extension. Signs of Termite Infestation. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://extension.msstate.edu/insects/termites/signs-termite-infestation
- Mississippi State University Extension. Common Questions About Termites and Termite Control — the source of the cost range. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://extension.msstate.edu/insects/termites/common-questions-about-termites-and-termite-control
- Mississippi State University Extension. Termite Bait Stations — Bug’s Eye View, Vol 7 No 10. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://extension.msstate.edu/newsletters/bugs-eye-view/2021/termite-bait-stations-vol-7-no-10
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Subterranean Termite Control Products for Alabamians. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://aces.edu/blog/topics/home/subterranean-termite-control-products-for-alabamians/
- University of Georgia Extension. Circular C868 — Formosan Subterranean Termite. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C868/