Fruit & Fruit Trees

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wolfyvegan@slrpnk.net

Anyone know of a fruit that repels termites? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 1 month ago by wolfyvegan@slrpnk.net to c/fruit@slrpnk.net

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I live in a "rustic" house made of wood that is not naturally termite-resistant and was apparently not treated before/during the construction. There are termites here. I know that borax works for termite-proofing wood, and it is possible to get borax in the big cities in this part of the world, but I would need to disassemble the house and treat each piece of wood. I would rather not do that. The borax is also prohibitively expensive.

The oil of Tectona grandis or Milicia excelsa or a similar tree would probably work for discouraging the termites if slathered all over the wood that they must climb in order to enter the house, but even if I can find the trees growing somewhere, processing the oil seems like a big hassle, so I am seeking a simpler solution.

I was wondering if there is a fruit (oily, perhaps) that I could apply to the wood in order to keep the termites away. Preferably with a tolerable smell, but I've lived with the smell of neem oil before, and I enjoy eating noni, so I can handle a lot. Would any of the "medicinal" fruits work for this? I live in a tropical rainforest climate, and I know people who grow fruits from all over the world, so I may be able to find something suitable if I know what to look for.

Thank you~

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[–] Doctorbllk@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 month ago

Re: professional help, have you tried looking at the options on a site like https://diypestcontrol.com/ ? They also have a live chat where you can speak to people who will provide advice and guidance for use of their product / pest control in general. I've spoken with them before and had a good experience with their help.

As for products, they have some hardcore stuff that is intended to go inside your walls, in the crawlspace, etc. a wide variety of use cases.