It costs a lot to build a cute home and a library for the house, and at the same time, it is excruciating to wake up one day to see your beautiful library attacked by termites. Knowing how much money you have invested in the books is very painful.
When termites attack your books in your library, that is a big problem that requires immediate attention. How do you remove them and ensure that they do not return?
Termites are insects that love anything that contains cellulose. Wood and paper are one of those things that contain cellulose. So, it is no news to discover termites in books for the first time. It does not mean it doesn’t exist if you have not seen some before. In the U.S.A., termites are seen everywhere and can be very destructive.
I can vividly remember how termites began to destroy one of the beautiful storybooks I had some years ago. That incident made me very emotional and worried. I began to look for simple methods to remove the termites from my books and also protect my books from termites in the future.
This article aims to explore simple, straight, straightforward move termites from books and suggest five termite preventive measures.
How To Remove Termites From Books
The first thing I want us to look at is how you can remove termites from books when your books because when termites attack your library, and you do not take action early, they will destroy all your books and even spread to other properties in the house.
When termites attack books, the first action is to plan how to eliminate these bugs. There is a need to decide which method to use to stop the termites.
You can choose to use only the D.I.Y. natural method. You can also use the chemical method or combine the biological and chemical processes.
Since two options are available now, let’s look at both options and the process to do an adequate job.
Now, let’s look at how we can eliminate all the termites causing problems in the library before it is too late.
Look For Signs Of Termites In The Book.
The first thing that can confirm termites in a book is the signs of termites. So, if you suspect that there might be termites in your library, you need to start looking for some common signs that will prove that termite activities are happening there. Let’s look at some of the common signs of termites in books.
Empty The Entire Bookshelf
It would help if you lifted all the books from the bookshelf before moving anything. Removing them from the bookshelf to a new location would help. You can even send the books outside if it Is Safe Outdoors. Moving The Books From The Shelves Will Give You Enough Space To Work.
You Clean The Bookshelf
After you move the books away from the shelves, the next critical thing to do is to clean the entire bookshelf. Dust every part of the shelf so you can tell where the termites came from. That will help you.
Clean The Books
It would help if you dusted the books generously. You can use any duster or rug for cleaning. If you are two or more carrying out this exercise, one person can take care of the bookshelves while the other also attends to the books simultaneously. You have to clean all the dust on the books and the frass that termites have excreted on the books.
You can get yourself nose marks to cover your nose while dusting the books.
Expose The Books To The Sun To Destroy The Termites In The Books.
The heat that the sun generates is capable of killing termites within a few hours. That is why some companies use heat treatment to control termites. When you expose the books to the sun, they will all die once the sun’s temperature rises and hits 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most bugs cannot survive in this temperature. But if you put the books in the sun, that it does not produce enough, its day, it will be difficult for the termites to die. That is why termites can survive in warm temperatures. You can see them in 49 states apart from Alaska.
You have enough sun to ensure the day you want to do this. Also, if this incidence occurred in winter but not summer, using the sun would also be a challenge. When it happens like that, you can use the next heat option instead.
Apply Heat With The Iron
You can apply the heat from the iron to your books to kill the termites in the books once and for all. That can be another alternative to the sun. But you can also dry the books in the sun and apply the heat from iron.
That can make you 100 percent sure that you have been able to eliminate all the termites in the books.
Spray Termiticide On The Books To Destroy Termites In Books
The reason for drying the books in the sun and using iron is to ensure the heat kills all the termites in the books. But, one thing about the heat is that, at least, you have to open the book pages one after the other. That also depends on the number of books you have and the number of pages you have in each book. Sometimes, that will be cumbersome and difficult to do so you might skip some pages.
So what if termites are hiding in the pages that you have skipped? That is where the termiticide comes into the picture.
You have to spray the termiticide on the books so that other termites won’t die when you expose the books to the sun, and the iron can pass.
Spray every part of the book, open the page randomly, and spray. But do not use too much spray to wet the books.
The good thing about the spray is that it removes the pheromones or the chemicals that termites release on the books because they can also attract other termites to the library again.
Now, let us discuss some signs you can use to tell you have termites in your books.
When Pages Of The Books Become Very Dry
- Whenever termites are in books for a long time, they extract all the moisture from them, leaving them in a bad state.
That is why you will often notice that the books are arid. When the books are dry, the leaflets make some cracking noise when you flip the pages.
When you notice extreme dryness in your books, you should know that termites have begun to attack your books.
Changes In Book Color Is A Sign Of Termites In Books
- When there are termites in books, you will often see that the color of the books will begin to transform from the color you knew.
Most often, if the books are white, you will see that the color is somehow yellowish. When you start to see such a change in the Color Of The Books, that is a sign that you Have Termite Activities In Your Library.
Deformity In Books Edges Are Sings of Termites In Books
Yes! That is true. Deformity in book edges is a foul sign of termites in books.
When termites begin to infest your books, they affect their edges. You will see a deformity on the edges of the book. The edges start to food and crumble because they lose moisture and become extremely dry.
Holes In Book Pages Are Signs Of Termites In Books.
- Common termite infestation signs to let you be aware of their presence are tiny holes. You will detect a string of small holes in the books. These insects often create holes in the books to access the middle of the book. That is where they build their colony and reproduce.
Powdering Substances On Books
- When you see powdered substances that look like sawdust on your books, that is a sign of termites’ activities in the books. The sawdust-like powder is frass or waste that termites release as they feed on cellulose in books or wood. If you see a substance like that, do not ignore it or assume it is mere dust or sawdust. That will be a big mistake because leaving it unattended will lead to a big problem in the future.
How To Stop Termites From Attacking Books
One horrible thing about bugs is that when you finish killing the ones you see, you will see another badge returning the next day. Because of that, you need to develop strategies to stop them from returning after you have finished killing those in your books.
These strategies should be practical or easy to implement. It should be strategies that are simple and feasible.
Now, let’s look at a few simple ways you can use to stop termites from coming back to infest your books.
Seal Entry Points To Stop Termites From Attacking Books
You need to identify all the possible entry points and seal them. Sometimes, you will only see some entry points within a day. It can take you two to 5 days to identify all the entry points.
Use an excellent sealant to seal the entry points you have identified. You must describe the situation well and share all the entry points you have placed in your library. That will help you get the best sealant to block all the suspected gaps that termites can use to get into your library and books.
In choosing the sealant, you must select the color matching your walls and bookshelf. Some are unsafe to use indoors, and others are only use indoors. Find out all this information before you make a purchase.
Use Termiticide To Stop Termites
When you have successfully sealed all the termite entry holes in your library, you can get a good termicide. Spray the termiticide on every part of the bookshelf and all the books. This step is essential because the termiticide you spray will kill all the remaining termites, and in case you can’t see, since you have sealed the existing holes, there will be no way for the rest of the termites to escape. They will all die as a result of the termite spray that you apply.
Fumigate Your House And Library To Deter Termites From Your Books
Some experts use fumigation to expel active dry wood termites on most occasions. The treatment can take about 24 hours or more, depending on the house or the library size.
You always have to ensure you cover all your items well before you start with the fumigation exercise, but if you need to learn how to do fumigation, it will be better to let an experienced person do it on your behalf.
The moment you release the fumigant gas into the air, it will penetrate the walls, books, and the wooden items there and kill all the wood termites active inside.
Call Pest Exterminators
Most people prefer to avoid involving professionals when they encounter pest attacks in their homes because of the money involved. There is the assumption that the fee will be too high to pay, and because of that, some homeowners sometimes want to exterminate the termites themselves.
There are other house pests that you can try and deal with yourself, but issues of termites always require professional pest exterminators.
They will inspect your house and library, identify all the entry gaps, and seal all well. They will also fumigate your library for you to ensure there are no traces of termites in the library.
They will also educate or show you how to ensure you no longer get termite infestation in the library.
What Type Of Termites Can Destroy Books?
The dry wood termites can also attack wood and books simultaneously because they can leave without humidity. But they prefer to stay in the woods more often.
If your library books get attacked by termites, they could be dry wood or subterranean termites. First, check the ground to know the types of termites you are dealing with. Suppose you see mud tubes on the wall. In that case, that indicates that you have a subterranean termite infestation, but if you do not find any mud tubes on the wall but rather small holes on your wooden structures with some powdering substances like sawdust, that can mean the infestation is from dry wood termites.
The dry wood termites live in wood, while the subterranean termites live in the ground and travel through mad tubes. So that is how you can tell what type of termites has invaded your library books.
What Does It Mean To Have Termite Infestation In Books?
Whenever you see termites attacking your books, you do not have to take it lightly because that can mean a lot. You may assume it’s only your books, but that can spread to other areas in the house and the library. It would help if you were serious about termite infestation. Termite infestation in your books can mean you have ongoing termite activities either in your walls underground or in your wood, and that demands serious attention to stop it before it causes further damage.
That is why it is good to get people with experience exterminating termites to intervene.
Conclusion
Termites are horrible insects; they can infest your books and the wood in your house but can easily be detected. If you want to be sure to have termites in your library or books, use the signs of termites we have discussed here as a guide. That will help you know whether you have termite infestation or not.
The moment you discover you have termites in your books, call for help. Hire a professional termite exterminator to intervene. The reason is that two different termites, the subterranean termites or the dry wood termites, can infest your library books. They can destroy all your books and extend it to all your properties if you do not eradicate them early.
For this reason, there is a need for a regular termite inspection in your house and your library to stop an early infestation.
You can read more about termite infestation here.