How can we use electricity to kill termites?

Electricity is a source of energy, which is very convenient, renewable, eco-safe, but extremely hazardous to people and animals on contact. This damaging capability proved to be very profitable to human household activity. For example, in the case of localized wood infestations, the electro-gun treatment for termites is performed.

Professional pest control companies are likely to offer homeowners this eco-friendly and safe to mammals method of wood pest eradication. They have licensed, trained specialists with the required equipment for insect extermination with electricity. They also offer a warranty on their work and results.

The electro-gun for termites: functioning principle, safety to humans

The electro-gun for termites is an elecric device, registered in Arisona, Nevada, California and Washington. The elecro-gun treatment system uses the same amount as a 60-W light bulb. The electric shock termite gun uses electricity from the wall socket and transfers it through the circuit of the equipment to the termite zooids and to the ground.

The electro-gun operates on high frequency and voltage, but very low current. For this reason, it doesn’t cause any harm and damage to humans when they contact accidently. It can be explained by the phenomenon of high frequency electricity, well-known as “skin effect” (Pender and Delmar, 1956) ¹.

When you suddenly contact or “touch” the high-frequency current, it runs only on the surface of your skin in search of ground. It doesn’t penetrate in your tissue affecting the internals and the nervous system.

As insects are very tiny, this effect doesn’t work on them and the electrogun gets rid of the termites with current, by contact, without giving a chance to survive.

The arc from the electro-gun scatters over the surfaces and it is drawn into tubes, chambers and galleries. Electricity passes through them, leaving the termites killed.

Due to the fact that the voltage and current don’t steadily flow, they are pulsed, the temperature in the treated wood stays below the level needed for wood to burn.

Benefits of the electro-gun treatment for termites

The advantages of the electro-gun treatment for termites are obvious.

1. It can be used inside and outside the house.
2. It can treat several infestation areas in the same house and yard.
3. Treatment with the electro-gun is suitable for drywood and subterranean termites inside the wood structure.
4. It can be combined with other chemical and non-chemicals alternative treatments to expand its utility and for residual benefit.
5. The electric termite gun doesn’t emit radiation.
6. It is environmentally-friendly, as it doesn’t apply any chemicals itself.
7. The electro-gun treatment system is convenient-to-use and portable.
8. There is no side effects.
9. It doesn’t burn or damage woodwork.
10. You can stay at home during treatment.
11. It doesn’t damage house wiring.

Some difficulties and limitations for the electro-gun treatment

This extermination method can be applied only in the case of limited or localized infestations in accessible locations.

1. It is not suitable for the whole house termite treatment (as a rule, the fumigation treatment is used in this case: for extensive or generalized infestations).
2. A licensed and specially trained operator is required. Electric treatment can’t be performed yourself (diy).
   If you stay at home during termite eradication, you won’t be allowed to the area of the immediate treatment.
3. Home appliances (TVs, fridges, ovens, alarm systems) must be disconnected to avoid damaging their sensitive circuits.
4. If you use only the electric treatment method to kill termites, your house or yard is likely to be infested again.
5. After the electro-gun treatment for termites, it is necessary to use chemical or non-chemical producs (salty solution, borates, orange oil, termicides) for residual treatment. Injecting and spraying help to make tunnels and galleries (left after electric treatment) unattractive to termites.
6. Drilling is likely to be required to allow access to difficult-to-treat areas and for injections of the borates, orange oil solutions and others.

The efficacy of the electro-gun treatment for termites

The professional electric treatment for termites proved to be very effective and the pest mortality ranges from 98 to 100 percent of all the termites, exposed to the electric current within 4 weeks after extermination. The test results also showed the 100% productivity of drywood termite extermination by the electro-gun treatment system.