Banish Termites With This Beyond Genius WD-40 Hack

Finding out you have termites is a nightmare for any homeowner. If allowed to go unchecked, these hungry pests can chew through everything from your sub-flooring to your framing to your roof. As you can imagine, that will severely damage the integrity of your home. They like to sneak into your house by getting in through foundation cracks or hitching a ride on firewood, antique furniture, or unscreened vents. And once you have them, they're challenging to remove. Luckily, before you spend a fortune on an exterminator, there is an easy hack you can try to kill them on your own. Termites don't stand a chance against WD-40.

Since professional termite treatment can cost anywhere from $450 to $2,000, trying to remove them yourself first can help you save a pretty penny. And since most people have a random can of WD-40 in their garage already, you likely won't have to run out and buy something to help you in this fight. Here is how to battle back termites with WD-40.

The good news is that WD-40 doesn't just deter termites — it will kill them. Most at-home hacks are usually only effective enough to push pests outside, but they don't actually exterminate them. This opens up the possibility that they'll come back in again. This hack, however, helps you put them down for good. To pull it off, all you need is a can of WD-40 and your observational skills. Walk around your house and notice where there is the most termite activity. Then, routinely check on those areas and use the WD-40 to spray any termites you see. You want to shoot the water displacer directly onto the pests, coating their bodies sufficiently. Since the liquid is viscous, it will suffocate the termites, effectively killing them. If you find an entrance into one of their colonies, use the straw applicator to spray the liquid inside to coat any working termites.

However, this hack is best used if you don't have a full-blown infestation. If you have noticed only some minor damage and a couple of termites wandering your house, this is a great way to eliminate them before they settle their colony. But if you have seen rather extensive damage, you won't be able to remove them by spraying each bug individually. In that case, you will need to call a professional exterminator.