What Is Orange Oil & How Is It Used to Treat Termites?

How Much Do You Know About Orange Oil?

You may know that it is an extract that comes from orange peels, and that small amounts of it can be beneficial to your health. You may further know that large quantities of orange oil are actually harmful, and can cause severe stomach upset and vomiting. But what does this have to do with termite control?

Orange oil can irritate the stomachs, eyes, and skin of humans, but it’s absolutely devastating to termites. In fact, for creatures like cockroaches, ants, dust mites, flies, wasps, spiders, crickets, and termites, orange oil can be a deadly toxin. This extract, insoluble in water, is used as both an herbicide and an insecticide and can be quite effective in the management of dry wood termites.

Why Does Orange Oil Work as a Natural Way to Kill Termites?

Its active ingredient is D-Limonene, which is a fairly effective insecticide. In the case of termites, it dissolves their exoskeletons, destroying the cell membranes and causing the termites to die from loss of water and protein.

Sounds pretty brutal, doesn’t it? If that seems harsh, consider this brutal truth: termites cause more than 1.7 billion dollars in damage each year in the United States. They’re not easy to eradicate, and many chemical treatments that have proven effective at destroying termite colonies are also harmful to humans. Because of this, consumers and termite control companies alike are continually seeking non-toxic alternatives to get rid of them.

Treating Drywood Termites With Orange Oil

The first step in treating a dry wood termite colony with orange oil is to drill holes into the infested wood. Orange oil is injected through these holes and into the hollow spaces where the termites feed. Once the orange oil is in place, many termites are deterred from eating and therefore starve to death. The termites that don’t stop eating will be killed by direct contact with the orange oil.

Once a termite colony has been treated with orange oil, it’s crucial for the building to be re-inspected regularly, so that signs of new infestation can be detected early. Because orange oil is a local treatment and kills by direct contact, it must be applied to exactly the right spots, in order to eradicate the bugs. A termite control expert must seek out all affected areas, whether using visual inspections, acoustic detectors, or dogs to find each termite colony. The impact of the orange oil lasts for three to seven days at most, so if each part of each colony is not addressed, a re-infestation can occur. Hiring a skilled termite control expert is crucial to the successful removal of termites, no matter which method of extermination you choose to use.

Treating Termite Infested Homes

Using orange oil to treat a home that’s infested with termites is not a new idea. In fact, termite control companies have been using orange oil since the turn of the 21st century. Many studies have pointed to its effectiveness, but it’s not necessarily a replacement for traditional chemical treatments. It’s a good alternative, but it’s important to seek the advice of an expert to determine the best method- or a combination of methods- is best suited to treat your home.

It’s also important to note that orange oil is not entirely risk-free. While it’s essentially a mild substance, overexposure can lead to allergic reactions for some people. Orange oil poses a much lower risk to human health than chemical treatments, however, and doesn’t cause people to have to vacate their homes or remove food and medications from the house during treatment. It’s a natural substance that is far less toxic than other termite treatments, which makes it appealing to homeowners, especially those with children or pets. The convenience of being able to stay at home and go about life as usual, rather than booking a hotel room and boarding pets, is nearly as appealing as orange oil’s lower toxicity.

No one method for termite control is the absolute cure-all. In fact, many homeowners will find that a combination of different methods is a better option for the treatment of their homes. The first thing to do if you suspect you might have a termite infestation is to contact an experienced termite control company that provides a variety of treatment options and can offer a non-biased view of all the different choices available to you.

Termite Control Services in San Jose and Surrounding Areas

Mighty Mite Termite Services has been serving Northern California for more than a decade, committed to helping the community one termite infestation at a time. Orange oil is not the only termite treatment we provide, and our knowledgeable, experienced staff members are happy to discuss different treatment options with you, sharing our expert knowledge to help you make an informed decision. Whether the answer is rodding, drilling, fumigation, botanical-based products like orange oil, or another type of termite treatment, we’re dedicated to going above the industry norm, continually finding new and better ways to protect homes and business from termites. That dedication to excellence is what drives our success.

At MightyMite Termite Services, we can help you keep your home safe from termites, using treatments that are naturally derived and have a low impact on the environment. We diagnose and treat infestations with the most effective methods and unmatched warranties, solving your termite problems the first time, with an industry-best “no call-back rate.” That, combined with our experience, technology, and highly trained professional staff, makes us the leading extermination company in the Bay Area. For more information, call us today at 408-377-3761, email Info@mightymitetermite.com, or contact us through our website.