How to get rid of termites in furniture?

If you see dust this may not be from termites or from many other types of insects that bore into wood. In any case, you want to prevent using harsh chemicals on the wood because of what the future will bring as far as storage of personal belongings in the cabinet. First off remove the cabinet outside of the house. If they are termites or any other wood-boring insect, you do not want them in the house. Remove all the drawers and carefully inspect everything, top to bottom and everything in between. Look for holes in the wood where the wood dust may be coming from. Once you have examined it and cleaned it really well to remove any dust that may remain, place some mothballs in every drawer. Keeping them slightly open, wrap the entire cabinet tightly using duct tape so that no air can get in or out. Leave it this way for a week. Once the time has passed, remove the plastic and mothballs to see if you find any dead insects or new dust in the drawers. If you do not, you can be pretty sure you do not have an issue. If you did find dead insects or additional dust, I would suggest that you get a professional into the house not only to look at this item but to check the rest of the house, where the cabinet came from, to assure there is no infestation elsewhere.

I've heard that vinegar works. I would just clean the whole piece over with a half and half solution of vinegar and water. It may alter the look of the wood a bit but that can be sanded and repaired once the infestation is taken care of.

Cardboard Trap

Exterminators often use cardboard for bait traps because it contains an organic compound called cellulose that is attractive to termites. Create your own cardboard trap by spraying three or four pieces of cardboard with water. Stack the damp cardboard together and place the trap near the furniture, which will draw the termites to the cellulose and into the dampness of the cardboard. Leave the cardboard trap in place for two to three days. Remove the trap and burn it to dispose of the trapped termites.

Sunlight

Termites prefer dark areas, so one natural approach calls for setting the furniture outdoors in the direct sunlight on a hot, sunny day. Rotate the furniture throughout the day to ensure that heat and sunlight reach any termites trying to hide. If there is no sign of rain for several days, you may wish to use the cardboard trap in conjunction with the sunlight to maximize termite removal.

Freeze It

If the piece of furniture is quite small and you have a large enough freezer to accommodate it, consider getting rid of your termite infestation by putting the item in the freezer. Place the furniture into a sealable garbage bag and leave it in the freezer for about two weeks. Once you remove the item from the freezer, allow it to stay in the bag for two more days to keep moisture from developing on the wood as it returns to room temperature. If the furniture is too large to go into the freezer, consider removing the infested pieces, such as drawers or chair legs, and giving them the cold treatment separately.

Eliminate Moisture

Termites thrive when water is present in dark areas. Move the furniture away from lingering moisture and relocate it to a dry location with sunlight. Treat the moisture problem in the room and allow the area to dry completely before returning the furniture to the location. You may find that you still need to use another method to eliminate the termites. Try the sunlight or freezing technique to treat the furniture before you return it to the room.

Parasitic Nematodes

Parasitic nematodes are small worms that feed on microscopic creatures, bacteria, and fungi. Certain types of nematodes are considered beneficial because they prey on other insects, such as termites. When used for insect control, they are typically added to water and sprayed on the termite nest where they then infect the termite workers or kill the queen. Purchase nematodes through specialty garden centers or online.

Use Aloe Vera

Did you know that aloe vera can be used to protect wooden furniture from termites? All you need to do is take an aloe vera and crush it till the gel inside it is released. Now after taking out the gel, rub it all over the wood furniture. Aloe vera gel basically creates a barrier that termites will never cross, or won’t be able to cross.

Olive Oil and White Vinegar

Another way to protect your wooden furniture from termites is by applying a mixture of olive oil and white vinegar. What you must do is make the mixture and apply it evenly to the wooden furniture you want to protect from termites. This mixture also acts as a barrier, and it will repel the termites quickly and easily.

Wood Polishes

There are certain wood polishes available in the market, which can protect your wooden furniture from termites. You may not be able to polish it all alone and that’s not a problem because you can hire a carpenter for a couple of days and get all of the furniture polished. It works to a great extent and helps in protecting wooden furniture from termites.

I would consult an exterminator that uses green products to see if there is a preventative product available.

If you want to treat these pieces, find an enclosed space where you can lay the wood down over a newspaper-covered floor. Make sure all windows, doors, etc. are closed off. Protect your face with a mask and depending on what type of insecticide you have, you should either spray all over the furniture or just liberate the gas from insect bombs that can be found in the industrial shops. After you have done this step, you have to get out of the room as quickly as possible. Go back after an hour and allow for ventilation. The dead termites should be on the newspapers so carefully throw that out.

If you see small holes in the furniture, these are air or access holes. Dry wood termites cannot be seen as they eat the inside of the wood. Take a small nail and press it sort of on its side anywhere near where you see a hole. If there is a termite tunnel under there the nail will collapse it. You can actually follow the path. If there are termites in the furniture pieces you find you may as well dump them as it's almost impossible to kill them without using a tenting process. Used furniture in the south often brings termites into. homes.

I have seen people on youtube using a solution of borax (20 Mule Team) in water then painting it on the wood. This may work on wood to repel termites but not to treat existing termites.

Take the piece of furniture outside and cover it with a huge tarp, then use bug killer for termites. Wait at least a day before bringing it back inside.

The most common method of treating furniture infested with dry wood termites is to inject a termiticide directly into the wood and allow it to penetrate deep into the infested pieces. This type of treatment is generally effective in killing all active termites in your furniture.

I read in a Swedish post that she put a wooden chair in a sauna for 3 hours and the woodworms all died, they don't like heat.

Back in the '70s when wood log, tree root, and burl furniture was a trend I would soak large pieces of greenwood in PEG (polyethylene glycol?). This substance replaces the water in the wood and prevents the cracking, checking, and distortion that would otherwise occur. It also acts as a bug deterrent.

You can purchase termite spray to treat the wood. The one we use is Hi-Yield 38-Plus, which is safe for indoors as well.

For decay, once the wood is dried you can treat it with a wood preservative that contains copper such as Woodlife Copper Coat Wood Preservative (Amazon).

I had a bug infestation in a decorative log, and I mean a 12-inch diameter, 2 &1/2 feet tall log. I sprayed the outside of it with Raid, and you should have seen the different bugs come scooting out of their hiding places! I did it again a few days later to make sure I got them all. Hope this helps!