Let’s face it, when it comes to getting serious about eliminating a termite infestation, the prices associated with professional treatments can be staggering. Although, using a professional can ensure that your termite problem will be addressed by skilled technicians.
There are many ways that you can take matters into your own hands and begin a successful DIY termite battle that, with a little hard work, can produce the same results. In this article we'll introduce you to the best Spectracide Terminate Killer with reviews of each product for your consideration.
Top 3 Best Spectracide Terminate Termite Killers
Last update on 2023-02-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Spectracide Brand
Spectracide is a company that is respected around the world due to its firm commitment to deliver customer satisfaction, as well as their passion for reducing the harmful effect of pesticides within the environment. Spectracide patent’s its termite products to ensure natural alternatives are given just as much consideration in formulations as powerful chemicals.
This buyer’s guide will present to you three of the best and most effective Spectracide products for termites available to buy, with some additional questions regarding how they work and effectiveness.
In these Spectracide Terminate Reviews and buyers guide, you will learn:
- Pros/Cons of the top three Spectracide products for termites
- How each product works and its best method for use
- When it is best to use the different kinds of Spectracide termite products
- How effective Spectracide truly is
- What others types of insects Spectracide can kill
Spectracide Terminate Product Reviews
Termites are herbivorous creatures in that they generally only eat the cellulose that comes from wood and paper products. This behavior can actually serve beneficial purposes in the natural environment, but it is a nightmare when these insects decide to move into homes and eat the very foundations of a house.
Termites are generally attracted to moisture as well as wood. Although dry wood termites are attracted to wood with very little moisture, it depends on the particular type of termite when figuring out what attracts them. What is great about Spectracide products for termites is that the company uses multiple approaches to address termite behavior. It is important to remember that termites do not just eat wood, they will actually eat any items that have cellulose, including paper products, sheetrock, dry wood, and plaster.
Liquids are not always recommended for killing termites and Spectracide addresses this by making some of their products wood-safe. Even if they do not eat some of these materials, they can still burrow through it to reach a food source. They are attracted to moist, dark places that contain their food source and dry wood termites are generally attracted to wood that doesn’t collect large amounts of moisture.
When termites find their way into homes, they prefer to set their colony inside of their food source to limit exposure as much as possible. The key thing to remember is that moist soil attracts termites and cellulose products are what keeps them alive. Thankfully, the following three Spectracide Terminate Killer products cover all of these complex angles.
1. Spectracide Terminate Termite Killing Foam
Review
Although Spectracide Termite Foam may not seek to address preventative measures in battling termites, it is one of the cleanest, safest, and effective types of chemical insecticides to use against termites that have infested wood.
This termite foam contains Prallethrin as its active ingredient, which is a pyrethroid that is used to kill a large variety of indoor pests, including termites. As a foam formulation, this product is also less messy than traditional liquid insecticides.
To use Spectracide Terminate Killing Foam, simply apply it to all entry points that enter into your home, this is usually anywhere where the foundation of your home meets outside soil. This foaming formula is non-staining and kills on contact. This product also features an extension tube, which helps to direct spray into hard-to-reach areas.
Treat infested areas and areas likely to be infested, such as wood surfaces, voids and tunnels in damaged wood, behind veneers, in structural voids (between stud walls and spaces between wood and foundations), along cracks and along crawl spaces.
By utilizing foaming properties,  Spectracide Terminate Killing Foam receives our top pick due to its effectiveness as well as its safe contact with wood.
Pros
- Effective and safe poison
- Foam formulation has less of an odor and is safer for wood
- Kills all varieties of termites
- Can be used outdoors as well as indoors
- Extension tube for greater durability
Cons
- Foam can be hard to control
- Not a good preventative product
- Only works temporarily
- Doesn’t work well to kill the entire colony
2. Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes
Review
Termite stakes and bait stations work because they seek to destroy termites before they can infest the wood inside your home. The stand out feature of Spectracide Termite Stakes is the pop-up indicators on the tip of the stakes, which alert you when termites are in the vicinity. Each stake should be placed up to ten feet apart and no more than 2-3 feet away from your home.
The stakes work by using sensory chips to detect when termites are present, by which the stakes then emit the chemical hexaflumuron an insect growth regulator which is fatal to termites as it stops their growth, thereby killing them.Â
Spectracide Termite Stakes come with 15 stakes which should be spread out around the immediate soil perimeter of your home. For best results, you will want to place the stakes in areas of soil that are consistently moist, as subterranean termites thrive in moist soil.
This product is cost-effective and works by giving you peace of mind with the pop up indicators and further elimination of termites with the chemical emissions. Investing in this product will ensure that you will not have to worry about termites finding their way into your home. Spectracide Terminate Stakes last up to twelve months and ensures that you can remain termite-free for a year at a time.
Pros
- Highly potent and durable poison
- Pop up indicators alert you to termite activity
- Lasts a full year
- Money-back guarantee
Cons
- Pop up indicators may misidentify insect type
- Doesn’t work for active infestations
- Moisture can also create false positives
3. Spectracide Liquid Termite & Carpenter Ant Killer
Review
Spectracide Termite & Carpenter Ant Killer works well to kill termites, but due to this product’s viability in killing a large variety of other pests, including ants, this is more of a universal insect control product.Â
Spectracide liquid concentrate uses lambda-cyhalothrin as its main chemical ingredient, which is a potent and wide-ranging insecticide of the pyrethroid family. No termite is safe from the potent central nervous system antagonizing properties of this insecticide.
For termites, mix one cup of chemical to one gallon of water for 1,050 square feet of coverage. Spectracide Termite and Carpenter Ant Killer will work to kill all foraging termites around the perimeter of your home, as well as any wood that is treated with the chemical as well. You can also use this to kill carpenter bees and flying pests. You will need to purchase a sprayer, such as the one-gallon lawn and garden sprayer by Chapin, and this product also works well as a one month residual.
Pros
- Works well both indoors and outdoors
- One to two month residual effect
- Kill a wide variety of insects
- Well-tolerated by humans and pets
Cons
- Dangerous to aquatic animals
- Product can degrade depending on temperature
- Not a good termite preventative product
Related Spectracide Terminate Questions:
Q. How does Spectracide Terminate work?
Spectracide is a trusted brand around the world and ensures that its products will kill termites, but the key is in understanding how to use the products correctly. For example, the Spectracide termite stakes work by emitting poison to the surrounding soil once termite activity is detected in the vicinity of the stakes.
The use of Spectracide stakes involves monitoring for the presence or activity of termites in and around the target site. They deliver a slow acting insect growth regulator when and where the presence or activity of subterranean termites has been detected.
Q. How to install Spectracide termite stakes
Spectracide termite stakes are easy to install using a bulb planting auger like this one on Amazon. Simply attach to an electric or cordless drill and use it to dig the holes around your property for the stakes to go in.
Q. How far apart should you place termite stakes?
You should place Spectracide stakes every 8 – 10 feet apart but not more than 20 feet around the outer perimeter of structures such as your home.
Q. How often should you check termite stakes?
Spectracide Termite Stakes require some frequent monitoring. You should inspect every 30 – 90 days. When the indicator has popped up, check and replace. Once the poison is administered, termites spread the poison to the rest of the colony and rapidly die.
Q. How does liquid termite treatment work?
Liquid termite concentrates and foams work by saturating the soil immediately surrounding your home with the termiticide. Once the soil is imbedded with the chemical, you can then move into your home and begin looking for the signs of termite activity in wooden structures. Once you have identified infected wood, or if you decide to just begin treating all the wood, you can begin spraying the structures.
Q. Which Spectracide is best for termites?
It depends on wether you are using Spectracide for either preventative or infestation termite treatment. If you are actively fighting against termites, Spectracide Terminate Foam, or Spectracide Termite Killer will work the best. For preventative measures, use Spectracide Terminate Stakes.
Q. How long does it take for Spectracide Termite Killer to work?
One of the biggest challenges with Spectracide termite bait stations is getting termites to find the bait. The time it takes for termites to find the bait varies from property to property, depending on the size, number, and foraging intensity of the colonies, which in turn is influenced by soil moisture and temperature/time of year. This is particularly important in terms of how long a particular bait station’s attractants and poisons will last.
Typically, it can take a few months to even upwards of a year for a termite colony to find the bait stakes and a bit less for termites to pick up the scent of an attractive bait station. Patience is key and it is almost certain that if placed correctly, foraging termites will find their way into the bait stations. This is why pop up indicators on Spectracide stakes are important, which alert you to termite activity within the soil.
With Spectracide sprays and foam, the results and length of time for the products to begin working are a bit less. These formulations will begin working right away and also have the added benefit of being a residual, which means once the product has dried, the chemical keeps killing weeks and sometimes months at a time.Â
There is no quick fix when trying to kill termites, so you must invest in patience right along with your Spectracide products.
Q. How long does Spectracide take to dry?
Spectracide termite foam and sprays begin to dry as soon as you apply them. It is important to let the chemicals completely dry, as this will activate the residual components of the chemicals. Typically, Spectracide can take upwards of two to three hours to completely dry once applied. Try not to disturb the chemicals during this time to ensure that the residual is able to take effect.
The Bottom Line
Spectracide is one of the best insecticide companies on the market for private, DIY pest control. These three products are some of the best, private termite products that you can buy and work to both prevent and treat active infestations.Â
Whichever product you choose to buy, you can rest assured that Spectracide is a brand that is widely used and features safe chemicals to both humans, and the environment.
Use Spectracide Terminate Stakes for optimal defense against preventing termites from entering your home and follow up with either Spectracide Terminate Foam or Spectracide Termite Killer to eliminate termites from inside of your home.
References
- Lambda-Cyhalothrin. (2019). Retrieved from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/lambda-Cyhalothrin.
- Prallethrin. (2019). Retrieved from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Prallethrin.
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