Best Termite Treatments for Wood Furniture: Foams and Aerosols

The best termite treatment for wood furniture is Termidor Foam, a non-repellent fipronil foam you inject into the galleries of an infested piece. BioAdvanced's foam is the alternative that also lists wood-boring beetles, Spectracide Terminate Foam is the budget contact option and TERRO's aerosol treats cracks and joints. Badly infested or valuable pieces are best fumigated by a professional.

Is It Termites or Wood-Boring Beetles?

Furniture pests are often misidentified, and the treatment depends on which you have. Drywood termites live inside dry wood and push their droppings out through small holes. University of California IPM's drywood termite guide notes that their fecal pellets have six hexagonal sides, are diagnostic for drywood termites, and are pushed out through kickout holes smaller than 2 mm across.

• Drywood termites: small piles of hard, six-sided pellets like coarse sand or poppy seeds below tiny holes.
• Wood-boring beetles: round exit holes with fine, flour-like powder rather than distinct pellets.
• Subterranean termites: mud tubes and soil packed in tunnels, usually only in furniture that touches a floor or wall with termite access.

For an overview of termite products for the whole house, see our guide to the best termite treatments for the home; the termites section links our wood and flooring guides.

Treat the Furniture, Then Check the House

A termite-infested chair or dresser may be a stray import, or a sign that the house itself has drywood termites. UC IPM notes that drywood colonies are usually small, widely dispersed and take years to mature, so an infested piece can be one of several sites.

Move the piece away from other wooden furniture, check nearby baseboards, window frames and other furniture for pellets, and inspect the attic if you can do so safely. If you find pellets in several places, UC IPM describes whole-structure fumigation or heat as the treatments that reach hidden infestations, and localized treatments of the house itself as work for licensed applicators.

A simple activity check helps: clear the pellets from below a hole and look again a few days later. New pellets suggest active termites, though UC IPM cautions that vibration can also shake old pellets loose.

Furniture Treatment Options Compared

The right approach depends on the piece and how far the termites have spread. The table compares what a homeowner can do with what a professional offers.

How We Selected These Products

We compared termite products suited to injecting or spraying wood furniture, focusing on whether they list drywood termites, how they reach galleries and what buyers report. Our sources were the makers' listings, Amazon's review digests and UC IPM guidance; we did not test the products.

Foams lead the list because they expand into the galleries inside a piece, where drywood termites live. Perimeter sprays and soil products were left out, since they do not reach termites inside furniture, and so were listings without clear label details. The aerosol closes the list as a companion for joints rather than a stand-alone fix.

Termidor Foam: Best Overall for Furniture

BASF's Termidor Foam is a 20-ounce can of non-repellent foam with fipronil at 0.005%.

• The foam expands 30 to 1 into voids and galleries, per the maker.
• It lists drywood, subterranean, dampwood and arboreal termites, plus carpenter ants and wood-boring beetles such as powder post beetles.
• Because it is non-repellent, termites do not avoid treated galleries.
• Buyers report it stops termites in spot treatments, including drywood termites; state restrictions may apply.

Choose it for a solid-wood dresser, table or bed frame with active pellets. Drill small holes into the galleries near kickout holes, inject foam per the label, then fill the holes with wood filler.

OUR CHOICE

BASF Termidor Foam 20 oz

FoamFipronilNon-repellent

Best for: Drywood termites in solid-wood furniture

• ✓Lists drywood termites and powder post beetles
• ✓Expands 30:1 into galleries
• ✓Non-repellent
• −Requires small drill holes
• −State restrictions may apply

Editor's Note

It reaches the galleries where drywood termites live. Inject from hidden faces of the piece.

Check Price

Specifications (3)

Item Form

Spray

Liquid Volume

20 fluid ounces

Specification Met

EPA

BioAdvanced Termite and Carpenter Bee Killer Plus Foam: Best for Termites and Beetles

BioAdvanced's foam comes in an 18-ounce can with imidacloprid.

• The maker says it kills active termites, including those hidden in wall voids and structural spaces.
• It also lists wood-infesting beetles and carpenter bees, useful when you are not sure what is in the wood.
• The foam expands up to 30 times its volume, per the maker.
• Buyers report quick results; quality and foaming get mixed reviews, with some cans leaking foam.

Choose it when the damage could be termites or beetles. Test on a hidden spot first, since foam residue can mark some finishes, and wipe any foam that escapes onto the surface right away.

BioAdvanced Termite & Carpenter Bee Killer Plus Foam 18 oz

FoamImidacloprid

Best for: Damage that could be termites or beetles

• ✓Lists wood-infesting beetles
• ✓Expands up to 30 times, per the maker
• ✓Works quickly, per buyers
• −Some cans leak foam, per buyers
• −Test on a hidden spot first

Editor's Note

It covers both termites and beetles when you are unsure. Test it on a hidden area of the finish.

Check Price

Specifications (3)

Active Ingredients

Lmidacloprid

Item Form

Spray

Liquid Volume

18 fluid ounces

Spectracide Terminate Termite Killing Foam: Best Budget Foam

Spectracide's Terminate Foam comes in a 16-ounce can for spot treatment.

• The maker says it kills exposed subterranean, drywood and dampwood termites on contact.
• The foam expands into voids, channels in damaged wood and behind veneers.
• Buyers report it eliminated signs of infestation; quality and value opinions are mixed.

Choose it for small, localized damage in a lower-value piece. It works by contact, so it must reach the termites directly through the galleries. It is also handy for treating termites found in a picture frame, stool or wooden box where a larger can or a professional visit would be more than the job needs.

BUDGET PICK

Spectracide Terminate Termite Killing Foam 16 oz

FoamContact kill

Best for: Small damage in lower-value pieces

• ✓Lists drywood termites
• ✓Expands behind veneers and into channels
• ✓Eliminated signs, per buyers
• −Contact kill only
• −Mixed quality feedback

Editor's Note

It suits small damage in an inexpensive piece. It must reach the termites through the galleries.

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Specifications (3)

Item Form

Spray

Liquid Volume

16 fluid ounces

Unit Count

16 Ounce

TERRO Carpenter Ant and Termite Killer Aerosol: Best for Joints and Cracks

TERRO's T1901 aerosol comes in a 16-ounce can with a two-way nozzle.

• It lists termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood wasps and beetles and borers.
• The maker says it kills on contact and keeps working for up to one month, and that it is odorless and non-staining.
• The maker notes it is not recommended as sole protection and advises a professional inspection for active infestations.
• Buyers of the line find it effective, especially on carpenter ants.

Choose it for the joints, seams and holes of a piece, alongside foam in the galleries. On its own it treats the surface rather than the inside of the wood.

TERRO Carpenter Ant & Termite Killer Aerosol 16 oz

AerosolOdorless

Best for: Joints, seams and holes

• ✓Lists beetles and borers
• ✓Odorless and non-staining, per the maker
• ✓Effective on carpenter ants, per buyers
• −Little penetration into solid wood
• −Not a stand-alone termite treatment

Editor's Note

Use it on joints and holes alongside foam in the galleries.

Check Price

Specifications (3)

Item Form

Spray

Liquid Volume

16 fluid ounces

Target Species

Carpenter ants, Carpenter bees, Termites, Wood wasps, Beetles& Borers

For valuable or heavily damaged pieces, a professional is the better route.

When to Call a Professional

Antiques, upholstered pieces and furniture with termites throughout are hard to treat by injection without damage. Pest control companies can treat furniture in a fumigation chamber or with heat, which reaches every gallery without drilling, and UC IPM notes heat treatment must bring wood to at least 120°F for at least 33 minutes.

Call a professional too if you find pellets in more than one room, since that points to termites in the structure. UC IPM advises getting at least three inspection reports and checking licenses and references before choosing a company, and reading any guarantee carefully before signing.

How to Inject Foam Into Infested Furniture

1. Move the piece outdoors or to a garage: work in a ventilated space away from other furniture.
2. Map the galleries: find kickout holes and tap the wood to locate hollow-sounding sections.
3. Drill small holes: use a small bit on a hidden face, drilling into the hollow sections a few inches apart.
4. Inject the foam: insert the applicator tip and inject per the label until foam appears at nearby holes.
5. Wipe and fill: wipe excess foam, let the piece dry and fill the holes with matching wood filler.
6. Monitor: clear pellets and check for new ones over the following weeks.

Wear gloves and eye protection, and keep the piece away from children and pets until it has dried. If new pellets keep appearing after a second treatment, the piece needs professional treatment.

Common Questions About Termites in Furniture

Which One Should You Buy?

Termidor Foam is the termite treatment to buy for wood furniture. It is non-repellent, expands into the galleries where drywood termites live and lists drywood termites and powder post beetles, so it covers the pests most often found in furniture.

Choose BioAdvanced's foam if you are unsure whether you have termites or beetles, Spectracide's foam for small damage in a lower-value piece and TERRO's aerosol for joints and cracks. Send antiques and heavily infested pieces to a professional for chamber treatment.

Before you buy, look closely at the droppings below the holes, since six-sided pellets and fine powder point to different pests.