Deemak (Termite) Home Remedy: Boric Acid, Neem and When to Call a Pro
You move a wooden almirah and a wall of dust falls out, fine as flour. That’s not dust. That’s deemak, and by the time you can see the tunnels, the colony has usually been working for months.
Before you start
- Boric acid: genuinely effective against termites when used correctly, moderately toxic, needs careful handling.
- Neem oil/leaves: mild deterrent at best, not a colony killer.
- DIY works for: small, visible, contained infestations in furniture.
- Call a professional for: wall voids, foundations, roof beams, or any spread across rooms.
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What deemak actually is, and why it’s a real Pakistani home problem
Deemak is the Urdu word for termites, and in South Asian climates, warm, humid, with plenty of wood furniture and paper stored in almirahs, they thrive. Subterranean termites build mud tubes from soil to timber; drywood termites live entirely inside furniture or door frames. Either way, by the time you notice hollow-sounding wood or papery wings shed near a window at dusk, the colony is established, not starting.
This is worth saying plainly: totka sites that promise a spray will “get rid of deemak forever” are overselling a home remedy. Termite colonies can number in the tens of thousands, with a queen buried deep in soil or a wall void you cannot reach with a spray bottle.
Boric acid: the one home remedy with real backing
Boric acid disrupts a termite’s digestive system and its exoskeleton on contact, and worker termites carry it back to the colony on their bodies, killing others they groom or feed. This “carry back” effect is why it can work beyond just the termites you see.
- Mix 30 grams of boric acid powder into 250 ml of warm water until fully dissolved, stirring for about 1 minute.
- Using gloves, brush or spray the solution directly onto visible termite trails, mud tubes and exposed wood surfaces. Avoid painted or polished furniture faces where you don’t want white residue.
- Leave it uncleaned for at least 48 hours so worker termites can pick it up and carry it into the colony.
- Reapply every 5 to 7 days for 3 weeks, checking for fresh mud tubes each time, which signal the colony is still active.
- For furniture with visible tunnels, drill small holes (about 3 mm) into the tunnels and puff boric acid powder directly in with a small bulb duster, then seal the hole with wood filler after a week.
Neem, the gentler but weaker option
Neem oil and crushed neem leaves have mild insect-deterrent properties, largely thanks to azadirachtin, a compound that disrupts insect feeding and growth. For light, early infestations or as a preventive rub on new wooden furniture (diluting 10 ml neem oil in 100 ml of any carrier oil and wiping it into raw wood joints), it has some genuine basis. It will not eliminate an established colony, though, and that needs to be said clearly rather than left vague.
Myth: kerosene or diesel poured into termite holes solves it
This is a common shortcut in rural households and it is a bad one. Kerosene and diesel are flammable, toxic to breathe in a closed room, and can damage wood finishes permanently. They kill termites they touch directly but do nothing to the colony behind the wall, and the fumes are a genuine fire and health hazard indoors. Skip it.
| Method | Works on colony? | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Boric acid | Yes, with carry-back effect | Visible trails, small furniture infestations |
| Neem oil/leaves | No | Prevention on new wood |
| Kerosene/diesel | No, and unsafe | Not recommended |
| Professional termiticide | Yes, whole-colony | Walls, foundations, spreading infestations |
Spotting an infestation before it’s obvious
Termites give off a handful of quieter signals long before a piece of furniture crumbles under weight. Discarded wings, thin and papery, collecting near a windowsill after a warm evening usually mean a swarm has just happened, which is how new colonies start elsewhere in the house. A faint, musty smell near skirting boards or a wooden almirah, distinct from ordinary dampness, is another early sign, caused by the moisture termites bring with them into their tunnels. Paint or wallpaper that looks slightly bubbled or warped in a straight line along a wall, rather than in a random damp patch, often means a colony is working directly underneath. None of these alone is proof, but two together are worth investigating with a torch and a screwdriver tap-test before assuming it’s nothing.
Seasonal timing matters as well. Termite swarms, the reproductive flights that start new colonies, tend to cluster around the first humid days after Pakistan’s winter or after monsoon rains, which is exactly when many households first notice the papery wings on a windowsill and only then realise a colony has been quietly active for a season already.
The honest DIY-versus-professional line
If the infestation is limited to one piece of furniture, a door frame, or a small wooden fitting you can inspect from all sides, boric acid treatment is reasonable to try first. If you see mud tubes climbing an outer wall, hear hollow sounds from more than one room, or find termites in roof beams, that is a structural problem, and it needs a licensed pest control company with proper termiticide barriers around the foundation. Trying to DIY a foundation-level infestation usually just delays real treatment while the damage spreads. In Pakistan, ask any exterminator for their PCO (pest control operator) registration before hiring.
Older households in Punjab and Sindh sometimes lined wooden trunk edges with ash or sprinkled turmeric powder as a termite deterrent. Ash has mild desiccant properties that can irritate a soft-bodied insect’s exoskeleton, but there’s no strong evidence either stops an established colony; treat these as low-cost extras alongside boric acid, not replacements for it.
Keep boric acid powder and solution away from children and pets; it is harmful if swallowed in quantity and can irritate skin and eyes on contact. Wear gloves when handling it, wash hands after, and never mix it with other cleaning chemicals. Do not use it near food preparation surfaces or on children’s furniture, cots or toys. If accidentally ingested, contact a doctor or poison control rather than waiting to see what happens.
Why cardboard boxes are a bigger risk than most people think
Stacks of cardboard boxes stored under beds or in a storeroom are one of the most overlooked termite invitations in a home, since cardboard is essentially processed wood pulp and cellulose, exactly what termites eat, and it sits undisturbed for months at a time in most households. Switching long-term storage to plastic bins, especially in ground-floor rooms or anywhere near soil contact, removes a food source that a wooden shelf inspection alone would miss entirely.
Try this
Tap suspect wood with the back of a spoon. A dull, hollow sound compared to solid wood nearby is often the first real sign of tunnelling, well before you see visible damage. Check window and door frames this way once a season.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best home remedy for deemak?
Boric acid is the one home remedy with real backing. Worker termites pick it up and carry it back to the colony, so it reaches beyond the ones you can see. It suits small, contained infestations in furniture, not walls or foundations.
How do I use boric acid for termites?
Dissolve about 30 g of boric acid powder in 250 ml of warm water, then brush or spray it onto termite trails, mud tubes and bare wood while wearing gloves. Leave it for at least 48 hours and reapply every 5 to 7 days for about 3 weeks, checking for fresh mud tubes each time.
Does neem oil kill termites?
Not an established colony. Neem has a mild deterrent effect and works best as prevention, rubbed diluted into the joints of new, raw wood furniture. Once termites are inside and tunnelling, it isn’t strong enough.
Is boric acid safe to use at home with children and pets?
Only with care. It’s harmful if swallowed and irritates skin and eyes, so wear gloves, wash hands afterwards and keep it well away from children, pets, food surfaces, cots and toys. If anyone swallows some, call a doctor or poison centre straight away.
When should I call a professional for termites?
Call a licensed pest control company if you see mud tubes climbing a wall, hear hollow sounds in more than one room, or find termites in roof beams or door frames across the house. That’s a structural problem needing a termiticide barrier. Ask for their PCO registration before hiring.
Does kerosene or diesel get rid of deemak?
No, and it’s dangerous. It kills only the termites it touches, leaves the colony untouched, and the fumes are toxic to breathe indoors and a real fire risk. It can ruin wood finishes too.
How can I tell if I have termites?
Look for papery wings on windowsills after a warm evening, fine powdery dust near wood, mud tubes along walls, and paint that bubbles in a straight line. Tap suspect wood with the back of a spoon: a dull, hollow sound compared with solid wood nearby is often the first sign.
Why do termites appear after rain?
Swarms, the flights that start new colonies, tend to happen on the first humid days after winter or after monsoon rain. That’s when many families first spot wings on a windowsill, often after a colony has been quietly working for months.
Can deemak spread from furniture to the walls?
It can go either way, and mud tubes climbing a wall usually mean subterranean termites coming up from the soil, not just a problem in one almirah. At that stage boric acid is only a stopgap. Get a licensed pest control inspection so the colony and foundation can be treated properly.
Does painting or varnishing furniture prevent termites?
A good sealant on new furniture closes off some entry points, but it won’t stop termites already inside the wood. Old furniture with cracks and joints still has plenty of ways in.
How do I stop termites coming back?
Swap cardboard boxes for plastic bins, especially on ground floors, since cardboard is termite food. Keep wood away from damp walls and soil, fix leaks, and do a spoon tap-test on door and window frames once a season.
See more household fixes in Desi Remedies, and if pests aren’t your only worry on that shelf, our piece on the desi first-aid shelf covers what else to keep stocked at home.