Getting rid of termites starts with a correct identification, because the treatment approach for subterranean termites and drywood termites is fundamentally different, and applying the wrong method wastes money and leaves the infestation untreated. A liquid termiticide applied to the soil has no effect on a drywood termite colony living inside attic framing. A foam injection into a wood gallery does nothing to a subterranean colony whose workers are foraging from the soil. The decision tree below walks through species identification, severity assessment, and treatment selection in sequence, before pointing to the specific application guides for each method.
Step One: Confirm the Species
The signs each species leaves behind are the most reliable identification tool. Mud tubes on foundation walls, concrete piers, or floor joists point to subterranean termites. These species nest in the soil and build mud tubes to travel above the soil line. Frass in small hexagonal pellets accumulating below a surface, or tiny kickout holes in wood, point to drywood termites, which nest inside the wood and push fecal pellets out as they feed. Swarm timing and alate appearance also help: subterranean species generally swarm during the day in spring, while drywood species typically swarm in the evening in late summer or fall. The physical differences between termite alates and flying ants, which are commonly confused, are covered in the termites versus flying ants comparison.
If you have mud tubes and believe the infestation is subterranean, go to the subterranean treatment section below. If you have frass and kickout holes and believe the infestation is drywood, go to the drywood treatment section. If you are unsure, or if you have signs that suggest both species are present, treat as separate problems and address each in sequence.
Step Two: Assess the Severity and Accessibility
Severity and accessibility together determine whether a DIY treatment is the right path or whether professional involvement is warranted.
For subterranean termites, the key question is whether the infestation is active and whether you can access the full foundation perimeter for soil treatment. A liquid termiticide barrier must be continuous to be effective: gaps in treatment allow foraging workers to bypass it. If the perimeter includes areas under a concrete patio, a garage slab, or a deck where trenching is not possible, you need to plan for drill-and-inject treatment through the concrete, or switch to a bait station approach that does not require perimeter access in the same way. Formosan subterranean termite infestations, given the colony sizes involved, are more reliably addressed with professional application.
For drywood termites, the key question is whether the active colonies are localized to accessible wood or distributed throughout the structure in finished walls, roofing assemblies, or other inaccessible areas. A single colony in an attic rafter or a window frame is manageable with DIY foam or borate treatment. Multiple active colonies spread through a structure, particularly in areas behind drywall or inside roofing, are beyond what localized injection can reach reliably. In that scenario, professional tent fumigation is the practical path to whole-structure elimination.
Subterranean Termite Treatment: Liquid Soil Barrier
A liquid termiticide soil barrier is the standard treatment for subterranean termites and the most widely used DIY approach for perimeter infestations. The principle is simple: a continuous band of termiticide-treated soil around the entire foundation prevents workers from reaching the structure from the colony below and kills or repels workers that contact the treated zone. Products using fipronil (Termidor SC) are particularly effective because foraging workers that contact the treated soil carry the active ingredient back to the colony on their bodies, transferring it to other workers and reproductives over time, which can eliminate the colony rather than simply blocking it. Bifenthrin-based products provide reliable contact kill and residual barrier effect.
This treatment requires trenching along the foundation at the specified depth and width, mixing the termiticide concentrate to the label dilution rate, applying it to the trench at the label-specified volume per linear foot, and then backfilling. Slabs, hollow block foundations, and expansion joints require separate drill-and-inject application to close gaps in the barrier. The full step-by-step application process, including trench depth, dilution rates, injection technique, and safety equipment requirements, is in the how to treat subterranean termites in the soil guide. Product comparisons and Amazon purchasing options are in the best termiticide guide.
Subterranean Termite Treatment: Bait Stations
Termite bait stations are an alternative to liquid soil treatment that works through a different mechanism and suits different property configurations. Bait stations are installed in the soil at intervals around the perimeter. Each station contains a cellulose monitoring insert that foraging workers discover and recruit others to feed on. Once activity is confirmed in a station, the monitoring insert is swapped for a bait insert containing a slow-acting insect growth regulator such as hexaflumuron or noviflumuron. Workers carry this bait back to the colony, and the active ingredient disrupts molting and reproduction over a period of weeks to months, eventually collapsing the colony.
Bait stations are lower-disruption to install than liquid treatment, do not require trenching, and work on properties where perimeter access for liquid treatment is limited. They also function as a long-term monitoring system after the infestation is resolved. Their limitation is time: liquid treatment provides immediate barrier protection, while bait systems take longer to reduce and eliminate the colony. The best termite bait stations guide covers station spacing, monitoring schedules, and product comparisons.
Drywood Termite Treatment: Foam Injection
Termite foam is the primary DIY treatment for localized drywood termite colonies in accessible wood. The foam product uses an expanding carrier to deliver an insecticide, typically fipronil, imidacloprid, or permethrin, directly into the termite gallery through the kickout hole or through small holes drilled along the gallery path at intervals. The foam expands on injection to fill the gallery network, making contact with workers and reproductives throughout the colony. It is particularly effective for colonies in attic framing, window and door frames, furniture, and other accessible structural members.
Foam injection is most reliable when the gallery location is known. Using the frass pile and kickout hole to map the gallery, then drilling injection points at regular intervals along the gallery path, gives the foam the best coverage of the colony. After injection, holes are sealed with wood putty and the surface can be painted. The best termite foam guide covers product selection, drilling technique, and injection procedure. The step-by-step application guide for drywood termite treatment is in the how to treat drywood termites guide.
Drywood Termite Treatment: Boron-Based Wood Treatment
Boron-based products including Tim-bor and Bora-Care are the other DIY option for drywood termites and the preferred preventive treatment for unfinished structural wood. Borate dissolved in water penetrates wood and remains effective as long as the treated wood stays dry. Workers that consume borate-treated wood absorb the boron through the gut wall, which disrupts their digestive microbiome and kills them. Surface application of borate solution to all exposed wood in an attic or crawl space treats the wood against future infestation and is particularly valuable during construction or renovation when wood is accessible before it is covered with drywall or insulation.
For active infestations, borate products are injected into galleries through drilled holes and applied as a surface treatment to all surrounding wood to prevent the colony from simply relocating into adjacent untreated wood. The combination of gallery injection and broad surface treatment gives boron products their best results against established drywood colonies.
When DIY Is Not the Right Path
Several scenarios point clearly toward professional treatment rather than DIY. Whole-structure tent fumigation, required when drywood termite colonies are widespread throughout a structure in inaccessible locations, requires a licensed applicator and is not a DIY option. Formosan subterranean termite infestations in established structures are frequently beyond what a homeowner perimeter treatment can control given the colony sizes and multiple foraging fronts involved. Any infestation that has produced structural damage to load-bearing members requires a professional assessment of repair needs before treatment begins. If you are in any of these situations, getting a quote from a licensed termite control company is the correct next step rather than investing in DIY products that are unlikely to resolve the problem fully.
For infestations that do fit the DIY profile, the treatment guides above and the product guides linked throughout this page give you everything needed to address the problem effectively and at a fraction of professional treatment cost. For an overview of the entire termite hub and all its resources, return to the termite hub index.