One of the most common questions our customers ask is about orange oil treatment for termites. Orange oil treatment has been heavily marketed by a few companies for about the last 10 years or so.
Some of the claims made have stretched the effectiveness of the orange oil product.
Facts about Orange Oil:
Orange oil is not a new product. Power Plant, the 1st Orange Oil product for termite control, was registered in 1997.
Any pest control company can apply orange oil. It is not a proprietary product or treatment method.
It is only used for localized spot treatments. It is not considered to be whole-house treatment and will not eradicate termites in hidden or inaccessible areas.
Kills on contact and repels termites from treated areas. This may sound like a good way to get rid of termites, but this is actually NOT the desired quality. The problem with orange oil is that while it will kill the termites it reaches, it will repel other termites colonized outside the treated area so they will avoid it and continue to thrive elsewhere.
Low residual effectiveness. Orange oil degrades by 93% in three weeks.
Low toxicity, BUT other products have even lower toxicity.
Citrus aroma. The smell lingers and can be overpowering and irritating.
Finally, Orange Oil is NOT a Green-Rated product