Termites in Pots (Deemak): Signs, Stands and Organic Control (Video)

Transcript

Termites in pots? The simple fix is a brick and a stand.

Termites in pots? The simple fix is a brick and a stand.

Termites in Pots

If you've ever watched a pot plant wilt despite watering and thought something hidden was eating its roots, you're not alone. In this video I’ll walk through how termites sneak in, the signs to catch them, and the one simple fix, lifting pots onto a stand, that can keep your garden thriving.

Spotting termites

Termites hide in darkness, so you’ll see thin brown mud lines climbing the pot’s side or peeking out of the drainage hole. A plant that wilts at noon and stays droopy even when the soil is moist is a red flag. Gently tug the stem; if the bark at soil level feels chewed and crumbly, you’ve got termites.

Why they target pots

Termites are after cellulose and moisture, and a pot sitting directly on garden soil gives them a soft, damp highway. Add a mulch of dry leaves and fresh cow dung, and you’ve laid out a buffet. Healthy, well-watered plants in a clean mix on a stand are far less appealing to them.

Stand-and-gap fix

The stand-and-gap fix is simple: lift every pot onto two bricks, a metal stand, or an upturned clay saucer, leaving a clear gap you can see light through. Termites have to build a visible mud tube to cross that gap, and you can knock it down with a stick before they get in.

Bricks per pot

You only need two bricks per pot to create that vital gap, and the difference is huge. Those two simple blocks keep the soil from touching the ground, forcing termites to expose themselves as they try to bridge the space. It’s a tiny investment that can save an entire garden.

Organic control steps

First, pull the plant out and shake off every infected soil, trimming any chewed roots. Toss the old mix far away or solarise it under clear plastic for a few weeks. Then scrub the pot, dry it in the sun, and repot with fresh, fully composted manure mixed with a handful of neem cake per ten litres of soil.

Cow dung warning

Fresh or half-dried cow dung, known as gobar, is a magnet for termites because it’s moist and rich in plant fibre. Once it’s fully composted, it turns dark, crumbly and loses that smell, making it far less attractive. So the rule of thumb: compost your dung for months before using it near pots, and never use raw dung as mulch.

The one fix that works

The single most effective step is to lift every pot off the ground and give it a clear, light-filled gap, think two bricks or a sturdy stand. This forces termites to expose their mud tubes, which you can spot and break before they reach the roots. Keep the soil never from the ground, and the problem usually disappears.

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Read the full guide

The full guide is on thecareonline.com. General information only, so check with your doctor for your own case.