Oange Oil REQUIRES getting the product into places where termites will come into direct contact with it.
In order for an Orange Oil spot treatment to work, all termite colonies in the structure must be located and every termite must come into direct contact with the Orange Oil product – a task that is virtually impossible. Unfortunately, direct contact with the pests requires drilling multiple holes into the wood, often through walls, which must be patched and sealed after the treatment.
The reliability and effectiveness of Orange Oil spot treatments varys greatly from applicator to applicator. Stewardship and certification programs are not required for Orange Oil spot treatments to ensure quality or safety like they are with Termidor local treatments and fumigation with Vikane gas fumigant. You can read more about the differences between Orange Oil and Termidor here:
Contrary to popular belief, Orange Oil’s active ingredient is not citric acid but d-limonene, a solvent closely related to turpentine. D-limonene is flammable at a flash point of 115º F. The oil’s solvent properties (it’s usually used as a grease-cutting cleaner) might also affect paint and other finishes when used in the concentrations required for termite treatment. Research also indicates that d-limonene reacts to the ozone in potentially harmful ways.
While orange oil doesn’t require moving out of the treated house or structure, some people find the intense residual smell of Oragne Oil to be very offensive for extended periods of time.
Finally, ongoing research indicates that termites survived in up to 50% of the wood treated with a 92% concentration of d-limonene, under the brand name XT-2000. That’s right, only a 50% erradication rate when the termites were subjected to direct treatment in a laboratory setting where the researchers knew exactly where the termites were! If it doesn’t work in the lab, how on earth can it work in the real world with far less ideal treatment conditions and with HIDDEN termite infestations? The simple answer is that IT CAN’T!!!
Don’t waste your hard earned dollars on a more or less useless treatment that leaves your home infested with termites even after direct treatment!