Termites cause millions of dollars of damage to homes in California each year. Because California is home to several different species of termites, the destruction they cause can happen at any time of year. When it comes to termite treatments, though, one size does not fit all. To determine which type of termite treatment is best for your house and the infestation you’re experiencing, you need the help of experienced termite professionals. Termite treatment professionals know how each termite treatment option works, which species it combats, and when it should be used.

Sometimes, products are designed to kill termites through indirect methods. Eradicating infestations this way involves using products that don’t kill the individual termites directly but work through a “transfer kill”. Using this kind of local treatment does not require access to the entire termite nest, so it’s effective for hard-to-reach or extensive nests. Termites pick up the product when they walk through it and, rather than dying immediately, carry it back to their colony. Over the next one to three weeks, the product is transferred throughout the colony and kills all of the termites. These products have a residual effect, continuing to work long after treatment, sometimes for several months. Examples of products used to kill termites indirectly include:
- Premise Foam: Injected into galleries that are then filled with wood filler, this product delivers precisely formulated treatment to eradicate termites. It’s fast and easy to use and perfect for targeted applications.
- Termidor Dry: This product is injected directly into termite galleries to treat drywood termites. It features a patented Mircollose™ based formulation that can be precisely applied and quickly kills drywood and subterranean termites. Because it’s transferred among termites it requires only minimal access to termite colonies to eradicate the entire nest.
- Termidor SC: A soil treatment, this product works by being spread throughout the colony. It’s highly effective against subterranean termites and uses a non-repellent, undetectable chemical technology that termites can’t see, taste, or smell. Rather, they ingest it and spread it to other termites in the nest. It’s engineered to be slow-acting to give it time to spread throughout the colony.
- Termidor HE: This product is injected into drill holes and can be placed in aesthetically pleasing positions in tiled and concreted areas. The holes are about the size of a nickel, and once they’ve been treated, the technician plugs them with a non-cellulose-based plastic or rubber plug, filling the rest of the hole with a concrete patch.
- Altriset: The first liquid soil-applied termiticide to be registered as reduced-risk by the EPA, this extremely effective treatment is applied to the perimeter of the foundation and sometimes injected into holes drilled in the concrete. It can be used in both pre and post-construction applications.
Other products kill termites directly. Whole-house fumigation and localized treatments can both provide an immediate kill. They must make direct contact with termites in order to destroy them, and dissipate quickly after completion, without a residual effect. Direct kill products include:
- Vikane Gas Fumigant: The top brand in whole-structure termite fumigation, it’s the only product of its kind developed, manufactured, and distributed in the United States. Fumigation is effective for the control of drywood termites and is used in cases of extreme infestation.
- XT-2000 Orange Oil Plus: Extracted from orange peels and injected into infested wood, this treatment is highly effective in eradicating dry wood termites. The d-limonene in orange oil works by eroding the termites’ exoskeleton and destroying their appetites so that they starve.
If you’re looking for an option that’s environmentally low-impact, you have several options. Borates, which contain the chemical boron, are one example, and is largely used as a preventive measure. Botanicals are another option, often made of orange oil, which contains the active compound d-limonene, which kills termites on contact. The advantage of environmentally low-impact products is that you don’t have to vacate the premises during treatment. Some examples of low-toxicity products include:
- Orange Oil Products: These are low toxicity, sustainably produced, and very effective against drywood termites. They don’t have a residual effect and reinspection will be required to make sure the termites don’t return.
- Tim-Bor: Made with borate salt compounds, this treatment works against drywood, subterranean, and dampwood termites. It’s commonly mixed into a water solution and then sprayed in attics and subarea with exposed wood, and it can offer protection that lasts between 10 and 20 years. It’s a preventative measure that offers maximum protection with minimal harmful chemicals.
- Altriset: Low-impact and reduced-risk, this product kills subterranean termites indirectly, as infected termites spread it through the colony. The active ingredient in Altriset is Chlorantraniliprole, which targets a very specific part of the termites’ muscles. This means it has a very limited effect on non-target animals, including pets, humans, and other kinds of insects.
- Termidor: This product targets drywood and subterranean termites, is odorless, and comes in different formulations. Termidor begins to work immediately upon application and offers complete control of infesting termites within three months of treatment.

At MightyMite Termite Services, we’re experts in controlling all types of termites in California. We perform termite inspections to ensure that your home is free of termites and work hard to help you keep it that way, 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. We understand that your home is your most important investment, so we work hard to provide excellent service, utilizing best practices to solve our customers’ termite problems in Northern California. For more information, call us today at 408.335.7053, email Info@mightymitetermite.com, or contact us through our website.