How to Get Rid of Termites in Antique Wood Furniture

How to Get Rid of Termites in Antique Wood Furniture

When you have an insect infestation in your antique wood furniture, like termites, this is a serious problem that must be dealt with effectively and efficiently if you hope to maintain the value of your piece and ensure that the problem doesn’t spread to other antiques that you have.

Termites are not a common problem when it comes to antique furniture, but depending on the location of the furniture and how long it was left unprotected, termites can easily move in and infest your precious antiques. So, what do you do to get rid of them?

Well, the first and most obvious answer is to take the piece of furniture to a pest control expert and fumigation specialist who deals in antique pieces.

They will be able to successfully get rid of the termites and any eggs that have still not hatched in the item without damaging the piece or reducing its value in any way. If there is already significant damage due to termites, your antique wood furniture might need to be restored and fixed to remove the holes and get it back to its original state.

To avoid doing certain things and taking care of your antiques correctly is the easiest way to get rid of termites before they even become a problem.

One thing that you must do is be careful of where you place your items. Termites like water and so placing it in a position that gets moist very quickly will attract them. Not only this, but the moisture can also damage your antique in other ways.

Checking your house for termites often will prevent them from nesting in the first place. If you find that there are small exit holes where termites or other bugs have been, you can take the item (if it is just a drawer for example) and place it inside a bag along with the appropriate poison for about 2 weeks.

Another way to get rid of bugs and termites that you think are inside your piece of antique furniture is to bag the items, if they are small enough and place them inside a freezer for 2 weeks. This will kill any termites and you will then need to leave them in the bags for another 2 days once they are out of the freezer to warm up again. This will ensure that no moisture condenses on the wood which will cause mould.

When it comes to antiques, you should try to use any non chemical product wherever possible, and you can find an exterminator that offers chemical free fumigation using special green products like they use to treat wood in green building, this could be the best answer. These products are natural and do not pose any threat to the antique piece.

They will get rid of the termites without damaging the finish of the wood or that actual grain. You should also always use protection methods to ensure that you don’t get termites.

If your antique is stored in your attic or not displayed in your house, there is more chance of it getting termites. Rather, instead of hiding your antique, display it and ensure that it gets dusted regularly. If you don’t want to dust it too much, you can use a special antique cover, but having it out in the open rather than locked away amongst a whole lot of other items, is much better and will keep any bugs including termites away.

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