But new research at UC Riverside is showing that help might be on the horizon.
The two basic strategies to control termites are fumigation, which saturates the wood with toxic gas, or a localized injection of insecticide in an area where termites have been spotted.
"We have to drill the hole. Somebody has to inject the insecticide into the wood. It's very labor intensive," explained Dr. Dong Hwan Choe, an associate professor of entomology at UC Riverside. "Sometimes, it's challenging because the termites are not going to be in the area that is accessible."
But Choe might have found a way to make injections more than an educated guess.
Detailed in the Journal of Economic Entomology, UC Riverside researchers learned termites are picky when it comes to what they eat.
"The termites prefer a certain type of wood compared to the others," said Choe. "Even within that certain type of wood they prefer certain parts of that wood over the other part of the wood."
Nicholas Poulos, a PHD candidate who worked on the study, adds, "We see this as a start for developing new strategies that would greatly improve the injections."
In lab tests, scientists discovered termites are attracted to a chemical released by forest trees called pinene, and when that scent is used with an insecticide, the termites are drawn to the treated wood. That's critical because termites build extensive galleries and only use certain parts for most of their activities.
"We saw some improvements in the final mortality," said Choe. "We saw the increase of control rates, so it sped up the kill for drywood termites."
"It could eventually be almost a paradigm change, but if it was something all in one in a long-lasting, easy-to-use formula, it could be a big thing," added Poulos.
Understanding the chemical communication systems is the first step. Now, the hope is the pest control industry will pick up the research and develop better, more cost-effective strategies to protect our homes.
Choe can see several benefits to property owners.
"I see fewer injections, fewer drilled holes in the wood. It'll mean that the company can treat the house with less amount of time. The customers can expect better control with less amount of cost," he said.