Pest control doesn't have to always be associated with powerful, hazardous chemicals, in fact, a large portion of pests can be repelled and even killed by a large array of natural products in conjunction with toxic chemicals. Orange oil is a substance that contains D-limonene, which is extracted from the rinds of oranges.
Most insects, termites included, find certain substances in plants to be incredibly repellent and even deadly in some circumstances. Orange oil termite treatment can be incredibly effective for repelling interior termites, specifically drywood termites, and has a moderate extermination rate as well.
Is orange oil effective against termites?
Orange oil has a powerful potency against repelling drywood termites. Although an effective repellent, orange oil has only a moderate rate for killing termites that isn't effective against all termite types.
Orange oil treatment repels termites due to the strong smell of the substance. The acidity of orange oil can also poison the system of a termite, although this is rare. You will have better results if orange oil is used to treat wood and flush out termites as opposed to directly killing the insects.
In terms of overall effectiveness, orange oil treatment can aid in saving wood that is currently being ravaged by termites. Even with a moderately low kill rate, orange oil acidity can cause major disruptions to the sensitive exoskeleton of termites, which is enough to seriously wound the insects and cause them to leave the wood to seek another structure.
The reason that orange oil is not widely recommended solely as a termiticide is due to the uncertainty in merely causing disruptions in the colony versus the efficiency of the product to kill massive amounts of termites at once.
Whereas toxic termiticides are mostly guaranteed to kill the insects, a natural product has no such guarantee in place. The active ingredient in orange oil is D-limonene, which is strongly acidic. This acidity is harmless in larger animals and humans, yet incredibly antagonizing and potent to smaller organisms like termites.
What Are the Advantages of Orange Oil Termite Treatment?
Orange oil treatment is completely natural and organic. There are no toxic chemicals present in the substance, which makes this product highly desirable when treating against termites and other interior insects. Natural pest control is becoming more attractive to homeowners and this product is the premiere selection for treating against termites naturally.
Orange oil is safe on most wood surfaces and is proven to offer substantial benefits to overall termite control. For low to moderate termite infestations, orange oil can also provide a substantial kill rate against colonies of this size.
Are There Any Disadvantages?
As previously mentioned, orange oil termite treatments are usually only successful for smaller infestations where the infestation is limited to one or two wood structures in the home. Control measures for massive infestations will certainly need to be addressed with chemical treatment.
Orange oil is not as effective against subterranean and Formosan termites. These species of termite do not spend all of their time inside of the wood they colonize, which makes control measures more erratic. On the other hand, drywood termites spend nearly all of their lives inside of wood once they begin to colonize. This makes this particular species easier to eliminate with orange oil alone.
Even with powerful chemicals, termite control is incredibly difficult. Orange oil can kill termites, yet it would likely take multiple treatments and containment measures to ensure the insects have no way to escape the substance.
What is the Best Orange Oil to Buy for Termites?
Orange oil is widely distributed by many different manufacturers in many types of formulations and concentrations. When battling an industrious pest like termites, it may be advantageous to select a formulation that is as unfiltered and close to the original extraction as possible.
Orange Oil Technical Grade Cold Pressed
Orange Oil Technical Grade Cold Pressed by Chemsol provides a potent formulation of pure orange oil in a technical grade, which means that this formulation is essentially 100% orange oil. This product wins our top pick based upon the potency of the formulation. This product is also a replica of what professionals commonly utilize for pest control.
This product can be diluted in water for cosmetic and surface spraying or undiluted for more complex injections into infested wood. For those currently undergoing major termite infestations, this product in its undiluted concentration has the ability to kill termites upon contact.
Orange Oil Treatment Reviews
Due to a large number of orange oil products on the market, this brief buyers' guide will help to make the process of selection easier to wade through. These products are also worthy of consideration in addition to our previously mentioned top pick.
Artizen Wild Orange Essential Oil Therapeutic Grade
- Unparalleled purity and concentration
- Natural, with no adulterants or dilution
- Offers a lifetime warranty and guarantee
- Product may not be strong enough to kill termites
- Small quantity
- Not feasible for infestations requiring injections
Cold Pressed Orange Oil Concentrate
This product by Green Gobbler specializes in providing orange oil specifically for pest control and lawn and garden purposes. Featuring a cold-pressed formulation, which provides the strongest concentration of orange oil during the extraction process, this product combines potency with safety for all-purpose usefulness.
Due to the 90% concentration of D-limonene, this variety of orange oil works well in treatment scenarios, even if the product is advertised mostly for cleaning and disinfecting purposes. Although the concentration is high, this product is safe for most wood members that are prone to termite infestation.
- Contains 80-95% D-Limonene
- Cold-pressed for maximum effectiveness
- Pleasant scent
- May only work successfully as a repellent
- Low quantity may not be enough for complete termite control
Nature's Orange 100% Pure Food Grade D-Limonene
This industrial-sized concentration of 100% pure D-limonene by Nature's Orange is perfect for the complex and widespread treatment of termites. When using orange oil to treat termites, it is important to choose a product that is large in quantity and contains 100% D-limonene.
This product adds no fillers or additives to its orange oil concentrations, which provides the maximum benefit for termite treatment. With a superior safety rating from the FDA, this product is also completely safe when administered for termites.
- 100% Pure Food Grade D-Limonene
- Food grade formulation provides for maximum safety when administered as pest control
- No additives or fillers
- Highly acidic to skin
- Acidic potency may not be safe for all wood types
Pure Gold Bitter Orange Essential Oil
Essential oils are a group of oils that regularly assist homeowners during treatment for pests. Although these products are not always effective for killing pests, the substances do possess powerful repellant properties towards the sensitive systems of insects.
Pure Gold's formulation of bitter orange is highly effective at repelling termites that have burrowed inside of wooden structures. Although it will likely take a stronger potency of orange oil to kill termites en mass, this product will work to drive the insects out of infested structures.
- 100% Pure and Completely Undiluted
- U/V resistant
- Money-back guarantee
- Not strong enough to eliminate termites
- Termite resistance may occur due to low orange oil concentrations
- Treatment efficiency is low
People Also Ask:
How to Make Do It Yourself Orange Oil Treatment
Although purchasing orange oil is undoubtedly the most convenient method of obtaining this product, making the substance on your own is entirely doable. Start by buying a selection of oranges of your choice and peeling the oranges to obtain the peels.
It is important to completely dry the peels before the dilution process. This can be done with a dehydrator (see on Amazon) or by placing the peels in the oven on low heat for roughly 15 minutes.
The peels should then be soaked in 90% alcohol for about a week by which you should then squeeze the peels and leave the liquid out in the open for 1-2 weeks to congeal into the oil.
Once this is completed, you have your very own stock of orange oil, although it will take a large amount to combat a large termite treatment process.
In Summary
Orange oil is a powerful termite pest repellant and mild termite elimination product. Using a product that is completely natural is an attractive option, even if the product may only produce repellant results. Termites like to burrow deep into wood, which can make elimination procedures a bit difficult.
This product can always be used as a way to draw the insects out of their hiding places for easier elimination. Higher concentrations of orange oil have been shown to effectively kill termites, which is impressive for a completely natural substance.
