Can Colloidal Silver Fight Termite Infestations?
Did you know that a couple of decades ago, the federal government discovered that when ionic silver was pressure-treated into wood as a preservative, it inhibited termite damage “with 100 percent mortality of termites”?
And this isn’t an isolated discovery by any means. Below, you’ll find several studies on why and how silver could potentially be a natural way to kill termites and discourage infestations.
So does this mean colloidal silver could be used to help prevent and even fight termite infestations in and around your home? Here’s what you need to know…
Hi, Steve Barwick here, for The Silver Edge…
I receive a lot of interesting notes from readers about the many ways colloidal silver can be used around the home…but this email was truly unique. This particular woman told me that she had used her homemade colloidal silver to spray an infestation of termites under her home.
She said she sprayed the affected area several times over the course of a week, and the termites disappeared.
She said after spraying there was no sign of them at all. But she was going to continue spraying every few days for several weeks in case they’ve laid eggs.
Can Silver Actually Stop Termites?
The idea that colloidal silver could stop a termite infestation doesn’t surprise me. After all, back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s the federal government was investigating the use of silver particles as a wood preservative to help prevent termite infestation as well as mold contamination.
And guess what they found? They discovered that when ionic silver was pressure-treated into the wood as a wood preservative, it inhibited termite damage “with 100 percent mortality of termites.”
And why did the silver work so well on these insects, when it has always been thought that silver only kills single-celled organisms like germs, viruses and fungi? According to the authors of one study on this topic:
“The digestive systems of termites contain protozoa that aid in the breakdown of cellulose into more easily metabolized carbohydrates.
Because of its antimicrobial properties, silver has the potential to dispose of these organisms in the termite gut, disrupting the digestive cycle and resulting in the death of the insect.”
In other words, when the termites ate the silver-treated wood, the silver killed the bacteria that live in the termite’s gut. The termites depend upon these bacteria to process the wood they eat into life-sustaining nutrients.
For example, the microbes in a termite’s gut assist in the breakdown of cellulose – a major constituent of wood and other plant fibers – turning it into carbohydrates, and then into short-chain fatty acids which the termites thrive on.
So, if the wood is drenched in silver, and the termites eat the silver, it kills off the bacteria in their tiny gut which they depend upon for the conversion of their food to nutrition. No nutrition, they die. It’s as simple as that.
More Studies
In another study on the use of silver against termites, the authors treated various blocks of wood with five different concentrations of silver – 0.1 ppm, 1 ppm, 5 ppm, 10 ppm and 15ppm. They then placed those blocks of wood near different colonies of termites for two weeks.
The researchers then examined the treated blocks of wood and the termite colonies, finding that the 15 ppm block killed the most termites, the fastest. Indeed, it achieved a 100% kill rate in the first 9 days.
The lower concentrations also killed the termites, but it took longer, with the 0.1 ppm (one-tenth of one ppm) concentration doing the least damage to the termites.
The researchers concluded:
“Conclusively, this study showed that mycosynthesized silver nanoparticles are very effective protecting the wood from damaging not only from termite but also from wood deteriorating fungus. Further study should be undertaken to bring this approach at commercial scale.”
And in a study titled “Performance of New Silver-Based Wood Preservatives,” the authors wrote:
“Research carried out independently by US Forest Products Laboratory (Madison, WI) has established that…biocidal silver formulations repel termites. These products work in almost all naturally occurring soil pH levels and have very low leaching propensities in soil and water environments.”
In yet another study, silver nanoparticles achieved 100% mortality of termites within only three days.
Finally, according to a white paper produced by the London Bullion Market Association (which tracks the wide variety of commercial uses for silver):
“Wood preservation shows great potential use for silver biocides…. Research conducted at the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Product laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, shows that silver-embedded treatments are effective in improving the resistance of wood to termites.”
And in countries like India, silver is already being used in termite bait traps and barrier treatments like in the photo below.
These traps – which consist of a piece of silver-treated wood inside of a plastic container with holes in it for the termites to crawl through – are generally buried in shallow holes around the perimeter of a wooden home.
In India, termite “bait traps” and “barrier treatments” using silver-embedded wood are quite popular. The traps are simply buried in shallow holes around the perimeter of the wooden home. When termites enter the trap to eat the wood, the silver kills them.
When termites enter the trap to eat the wood, the silver kills them. Thus, the traps function as an effective barrier to termites trying to get to the wooden home.
In India, termite “bait traps” and “barrier treatments” using silver-embedded wood are quite popular.
The traps are simply buried in shallow holes around the perimeter of the wooden home. When termites enter the trap to eat the wood, the silver kills them.
As you can see, silver really does work against termites. And science knows it.
But while silver has been studied for several decades as a replacement for the toxic chemicals used in pressure-treating wood against termite damage, its cost – it is a precious metal, after all – has been the main factor preventing it’s more widespread use in the lumber industry, which has opted for less expensive copper chemical treatments.
But if you have a small termite outbreak in your home, perhaps you might consider spraying the affected area with colloidal silver, several times a day, for about a week, like the lady I mentioned at the beginning of this article did.
Perhaps you, too, will find that you’ve saved yourself a lot of money in termite treatments!
Have You Ever Used Colloidal Silver to Help Stop or Prevent Termite Infestations?
Please join and share your experiences in the Colloidal Silver Secrets Community on Facebook. Our community would love to hear your story!
Make Your Own High-Quality Colloidal Silver for Pennies!
Typical health food store prices for colloidal silver can range from $20 to $30 for a tiny, four-ounce bottle.
But with a brand new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge, you can make your own safe, pure, high-quality micro-particle colloidal silver for about 36 cents a quart! In other words, you can make it at actual cost, just like the big colloidal silver bottlers do.
Compared to typical health food store prices, your first two one-quart batches literally pay for the entire cost of your new generator! Do you know of any other health product that literally pays for itself the very first few times you use it? The savings are absolutely astonishing!
In fact, by making your own high-quality colloidal silver with a brand new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge, you’ll be as close to having FREE colloidal silver as you can get, and for the rest of your life!
You’ll never have to pay those exorbitant health food store prices again!
The new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator is now the world’s #1 best-selling colloidal silver generator. Here are just a few reasons why you should own one…
- It pays for itself after your very first batch or two – your total cost to make your first one-quart batch is about 36 cents, compared to the $240 you’d pay at a health food store if you bought an equivalent amount (i.e., eight of those little 4-ounce bottles they normally sell for $30 apiece)!
- Safe, simple to operate…No special skills needed…You just set the handy timer, plug it in, walk away, and three hours later you have a perfect batch of therapeutic quality micro-particle colloidal silver…every time! Here’s a short pictorial demonstrating how astonishingly easy it is to use a new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge:
- Produces uncommonly small silver micro-particles as low as .8 nm. That’s a fraction of a single nanometer. Compare that to health food store colloidal silver which can contain silver particles as large as 200 nm to 1,000 nm (or even larger), and you’ll see why micro-particle colloidal silver is the very best there is! Smaller particles mean your body can absorb and utilize up to 99% of the colloidal silver you take, compared to maybe 30% or 40% with many health food store brands!
- Runs on standard household electricity, but uses less power than a tiny Christmas tree bulb – you won’t even see a blip on your electric bill!
- Produces uniform, crystal clear batches every single time that store for months, or even years, without losing potency!
- Cannot produce silver chloride or unsafe substances – you get pure, therapeutic-quality micro-particle colloidal silver every time!
The Bottom Line…
With a high-quality Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge, you’ll never again have to pay exorbitant health food store or internet vendor prices for high-quality colloidal silver!
Indeed, your first batch or two will indeed completely pay for the entire cost of your generator, compared to health food store prices!
What’s more, you’ll be able to give colloidal silver away FREE to family members, friends and neighbors, because you’ll be making it – literally – for only a few pennies per batch!
Simply click on this link to learn more about this phenomenal new breakthrough in colloidal silver-making technology, including our current, time-limited, money-saving offers that can save you up to $100 if you act quickly and decisively!
Meanwhile, I’ll be back next week with another insightful article on colloidal silver….
Yours for the safe, sane and responsible use of colloidal silver,
Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual
Helpful Links:
FREE Colloidal Silver Safe Dosage Report
Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook
Make Your Own Colloidal Silver for Pennies
.9999 Pure Silver Wire for Making Colloidal Silver
Important Note and Disclaimer: The contents of this Ezine have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and reliability thereof. The author, Steve Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience writing professionally about natural health topics. He is not a doctor. Therefore, nothing stated in this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing reported herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author is simply reporting in journalistic fashion what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic research into colloidal silver and its usage. Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for informational purposes only and approached with caution. Readers should verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments, and opinions stated herein. All important health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional. Readers are solely responsible for their choices. The author and publisher disclaim responsibility and/or liability for any loss or hardship that may be incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in this Ezine.
Copyright 2022 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ 85380-1239 | All rights reserved.