DIY vs. Professional Termite Treatment

When you discover termite damage in your home, you want a fast, effective solution to stop them and prevent further damage.  

A quick internet search will show a plethora of resources on termites and termite control, including both professional treatment options and do-it-yourself termite solutions. When trying to save some cash, a DIY treatment can be tempting. But what the Internet doesn’t tell you is this: DIY solutions only target the surface problem, not the source — the subterranean termite colony.

And that colony? It’s not small. Just like their name implies, these damaging pests live in underground colonies made up of millions of termites, and because of how they forage, that colony could be in your yard, under your foundation or even several houses away.

How to tell if it’s an ant or a termite

Ants and termites look similar at first glance — and both form colonies — but a few quick visual checks can help you tell them apart:

• Termites have straight antennae, while ants have elbowed antennae.
• Termites have thick, straight waists, while ants have a pinched waist with three distinct body segments.
• Termites have two pairs of wings equal in length, while ants have one long pair and one short pair.

If what you’re seeing looks more like a termite than an ant, the next step is to act quickly.

What to do when you find termites

If you confirm or suspect termite activity, the most important thing you can do is call a termite professional. Because termites live in large colonies, eliminating the colony — not just the termites you see — is the only way to stop damage and protect your home.

A termite professional understands termite biology, foraging behavior and how to target the entire colony, including hidden areas you can’t access with DIY tools.

Once a pro is on the way, you can expect an inspection that identifies:

• Where termites are active
• Moisture issues that attract them
• How far the infestation extends
• The best long-term treatment and monitoring plan

DIY termite removal misconceptions

Many homeowners assume treating termites is like treating other pests. But while a DIY ant or cockroach treatment might stop a nuisance, a DIY termite treatment almost always leads to more money, more time and more damage than calling a professional from the beginning.

Below are the most common DIY myths — and why they fall short. 

1. DIY termite removal will save me money.

   It may look cheaper upfront, but DIY almost always costs homeowners more.

   DIY treatments only target the few hundred termites in the home, leaving millions underground still actively feeding. Worse, DIY treatments can sometimes push termites into new, undiscovered areas of the home, making the infestation harder to address later.

   The only way to eliminate a subterranean termite colony is to target the colony itself. The Sentricon® system is a subterranean termite baiting system that is proven to deliver total termite colony elimination, including the native eastern subterranean termite and non-native Formosan subterranean termite.

   And unlike DIY solutions, Sentricon doesn’t just mask the issue — it stops it at the source. 

2. Treating termites myself will get rid of them faster. 

   DIY termite treatments often take longer. Spraying where termites appear with an off-the-shelf termiticide is like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone — it hides the symptom but does nothing to fix the underlying issue.

   A termite pro won’t just treat the area where termites are visible, they will:

   • Inspect your entire property — including hidden or uncommon feeding sites.
   • Identify moisture problems that invite termites.
   • Locate activity in firewood piles, shed doors, trees or rafters.
   • Create a treatment and monitoring plan so you know when the colony is truly gone.

   DIY solutions don’t offer any of this. They treat what you see — not what exists behind walls, under floors or beneath the ground.

3. If DIY termite treatments don’t work, I can always call a professional.

   DIY termite treatment tools can make it harder for pros to solve the problem later. Termite baiting systems are a proven termite control solution and are most effective when used independently versus paired with a liquid termite treatment.

4. Once the termites are gone, the work is done.

   Even after a colony is eliminated, your home remains a termite target unless you have a preventative plan. Without continued protection, a new colony can — and often will — move in. Choosing professional termite control helps:

   • Eliminate the current infestation
   • Monitor for new activity
   • Protect your home before termites return

Find a termite professional near you

Trying to treat termites yourself is almost always a losing battle. By the time you’ve researched treatment methods, bought supplies and attempted a fix, you’ve likely spent more time, money and energy than you would have with a trained professional — and possibly made the infestation worse.

Don’t go it alone. Find a Certified Sentricon Specialist® near you and protect your home the right way.

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