🧵 Killing termites and similar pests with microwaves
Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 02:18:33 UTC No. 16195148
I have an idea: a device that uses microwaves to kill termites. The generated microwave radiation would be powerful enough to burn the termites inside wood of relatively short width but not too powerful to be able reach long distances.
Some issues I've thought of is that microwaves would be reflected by nails, cables or other metallic objects, but maybe the device could be designed in such a way that reflected radiation would be absorbed by some components.
Also, I guess the same device could be used to "scan" tunnels. And to kill similar pests and maybe even weeds.
Would it work? Is it a bad idea?
🗑️ Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 02:32:26 UTC No. 16195163
It doesn't matter because you wouldn't kill the queen with that. She's deep underground. The best way to kill a termite or ant colony is to get the workers to bring poison food to her or unleash hoards of nematodes to annihilate every soil dwelling insect in the area.
Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 02:33:27 UTC No. 16195164
the microwave length is too long to affect them I think, see microwaving gnats and ants
Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 02:42:52 UTC No. 16195172
>>16195163
What about a mixed strategy, poison first then radiation?
>>16195164
Isn't microwave radiation supposed to heat water molecules?
Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 02:46:15 UTC No. 16195175
>>16195172
https://youtu.be/B8nnPYBc4hc?t=58
🗑️ Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 02:52:05 UTC No. 16195180
>>16195172
>What about a mixed strategy, poison first then radiation?
Pointless. The poison will kill the queen and then the whole colony will die. Same with the nematodes, except they'll kill the whole colony at the same time.
Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 03:00:00 UTC No. 16195188
>>16195175
Oh, that's interesting.
Well, obviously this would be useless.
I guess THz waves would be needed... But those can't penetrate wood or soil that much, right?
>>16195180
Right, it's a dumb idea then. Thanks for explaining.
🗑️ Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 03:03:31 UTC No. 16195191
>>16195188
No problem. You should look up the current solutions for the problems you try to solve. You can't build a better mousetrap if you don't know what your competition is.
Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 03:04:02 UTC No. 16195192
>>16195188
THz waves are basically visible light, anon. You're literally in "fry them with a magnifying glass" territory.
Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 03:09:04 UTC No. 16195197
>>16195191
I did a while ago (my house has termites... though apparently they arent the worst kind of termites people have in other places) and the only solution I could find on google was poison, which needed to be injected in their tunnels, which isn't easy because you have to locate the tunnels in the first place.
Only recently I learned that termites are related to cockroaches, and that boric acid can kill them too...
>>16195192
Well, 10+ GHz or something then.
🗑️ Anonymous at Mon, 27 May 2024 03:19:45 UTC No. 16195202
>>16195197
You can buy nematodes and water them in to the soil around your house or you can buy termite traps. They have a cellulose bait block and they come with termite poison that termites will take back to the queen. You bury the traps and when you find termites in them you swap the cellulose with the poison and dump some of the termites out from the cellulose container to the poison container.
Anonymous at Tue, 28 May 2024 03:15:08 UTC No. 16197024
Wait.. Why were some posts ITT deleted?
Also, would a smaller wave work in this case? Like 50Ghz (= 6mm wave length) or something?
Can someone discuss genuine ideas in this board? I'm no expert but I know a little of physics, and I'd guess it could work, couldn't it?