How to deter termites naturally?

I want to make water bowls from old paper/cellulose to put in the garden for birds, but termites will probably eat them. what natural product (plant oil?) can i mix with the paper mash to deter them without killing?

The best natural deterrent to termites will be the birds that will be attracted to your birdbaths.

Termites are attracted to ground water, and build their nests there...it is necessary for their survival.
If you find a cluster of nests (usually several smaller ones surrounding a larger one), the closest ground water should be directly beneath the largest nest. This technique has been used in India for over 1,500 years to find locations suitable for drilling wells.

dig out 1 cubic foot, fill space with scoria. place bowl on top. Termites dont build paths across it. i did this around my entire house on advice of termite treatment professional, worked a treat! (5 years and counting)

I just recently read an article about Garrett Juice that may possibly be helpful. A search will turn up information on the juice which you can buy, or make for yourself.

we had good results with boric acid.

How did you apply the boric acid?

John Polk wrote:The best natural deterrent to termites will be the birds that will be attracted to your birdbaths.

I was researching a non-chemical solution to termite control around the house and found out that free ranging chickens will pretty much take care of any termite issues by cutting them off from their food(wood). Unfortunately free ranging chickens isn't practical in a suburban setting. I might try a light on at night to attract the swarms of termites to the chicken coop though.

Swarms is the key word there. Our exterminator said termites only fly when they are swarming.

Search the inet "termite prevention sand". There is a size, #16(?), that termites can't easily cross or tunnel through; the sand needs to be entirely (more or less) of the correct size - too large or small and it doesn't work. I believe Aussies use this method around homes; it's available but not common in the US. Whether it helps you depends mostly on price and availability. I don't recall the installation specifics - just remember the concept and that it's doable provided you can get the correct sand in quantity.

Rufus

Joy South wrote:Swarms is the key word there.  Our exterminator said termites only fly when they are swarming.

Oh, that makes me think of one of the most spectacular nature events in the Dominican Repermies. Nighttime rainstorms trigger flying termite swarms. They come in the house, and the household commensals spring into action: anoles, tiny geckos, giant wolf spiders (which also eat the geckos!) all feast on the swarming termites. Along the foundation, I see moving black blotches -- aggregations of fire ants, also carrying off those termites who land. I have even seen the cat get in on the action! This happens every time it rains hard at night -- it is a mystery to me how the termites have a swarm ready to go every rain storm but never on dry nights, but they do!

I will be trying some of these ideas myself -- as it is, I have to keep after the tunnels on my foundation before they reach the wood.

Hello There,

The most common sign of a termite infestation is when there are winged varieties that are trying to escape the home. Homeowners will find them around their windows and doors especially, but they may be anywhere outside of the colony. It is also fairly common to see a cabinet infestation of termites have winged pests hovering around the colony site. This discovery usually happens during the first days of Spring.

Here’s some good news: you don’t have to wait until Spring to find out if you have a termite infestation. There are some common warning signs that can be observed at any time of year that can let you know that there’s a colony of these pests hanging around.

* Paint that has bubbled or cracked. Termites are feeding off of the interior of a structure, so as they approach the surface of it, the paint or coating on the surface will begin to bubble. There might be frass within the bubble, which is what the waste of the termite is called. Walls might also crack in ways that aren’t normal for foundational cracking.
* Solid wood now sounds hollow. Termites will leave the outer structure of a cellulose item intact, carving out the interior like a hollow chocolate Easter bunny. Tapping on the wood leaves a slight echo because the sound vibrates.
* There are mud tubes outside. Termite tubes look a little different than hornet or wasp tubes. Wasps and hornets tend to stay congregated in one place. Termites will spread along exterior walls, wood beams, and down in crawl spaces.
If Spring has turned into Summer and you find a bunch of discarded wings in your home, this is also an indication that termites are present. You’ll need to remove the pest completely to recover from the infestation.