Termites
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Subterranean termites
are the most destructive insect pests of wood in the United
States. They cause more than $2 billion in damage each year,
more property damage than that caused by fire and windstorm
combined.
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Problems occur when termites
attack the wooden elements of human structures - homes,
businesses and warehouses. Their presence is not readily
noticed because they hide their activity behind wallboards,
siding or wood trim. |
Homeowners in all areas
of Texas should watch for subterranean termites
and take precautions to prevent infestations. To minimize
damage from termites, it is helpful to
know the description and infestation signs of termites.
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Termite
or Ant ? |
Each year we receive hundreds
of calls in the spring and fall from people who are concerned
they have termites swarming. In some cases
the winged culprit is a swarming ant. The differences between
a winged ant and a swarming termite are
shown below. |
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The bodies of termite
swarmers are black while ant swarmers may be brown, black
or red. Termite swarmers are typically
much smaller than ant swarmers and have a much shorter life
span out of the soil. In addition, termite swarmers have
straight antennae, no constriction at the waist and both
pairs of wings are equal in size.
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If you are still unsure
what insect you have found, give us a call or send us an
E-mail. We can set an appointment to have one of our termite
professionals help you determine if you have termites
or any other infestation. |
What
Termites Eat |
structural beams
cabinets
wood paneling
baseboards
wood flooring |
wallpaper
plastics
sheet rock
paper products |
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Swarming
Termites |
Termite
reproductives form new colonies through "swarming".
The swarming termites develop during winter
months. Usually in the spring during warm and humid weather,
worker termites will build special tubes
called "swarming castles" and prod the swarmers
out for mating.
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Swarming typically last
for around 30 minutes. Although these reproductive termites
are a nuisance, they are actually doing homeowners a favor.
In many cases, swarming termites are the
first signs that a home is infested with termites. |
Because termites
can destroy wood completely out of our sight year round,
these winged termites are an important
signal. Swarmers do not cause any damage. Their purpose
is to start new colonies. Indoor swarmers will die within
a few hours therefore we do not recommend the use of pesticides.
You should wait until they die, then you can sweep or vacuum
them up. Very seldom are indoor swarmers successful in starting
a new colony (termites must find sufficient moisture inside
the structure). |
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A Big Mistake
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Sometimes termites
swarm inside your home just briefly, die and then you do
not see them again. Some people make the mistake of thinking
the termites went away or maybe the pesticide they sprayed
where the swarmers were emerging solved the problem. Sorry
to say it is not that easy. |
Swarmers only emerge briefly
during the right environmental (temperature, light and moisture)
conditions. You may not see them again until the next year.
However, the worker termites in the colony
will still be feeding on your home if they are present like
the swarmers suggest. |
Sub-Terranean
Termite |
Subterranean termites
live in colonies in the ground, building vertical tunnels
that look like mud tubes above ground level so that they
can search for food. Because subterranean termites
will die if exposed to air for an extended period of time,
the tunnels provide protection from the open air, allowing
workers to carry food to the nest.
Subterranean termites can form tunnels
through cracks in concrete, so slab homes are not exempt
from these termites. They need to stay
in contact with the soil in order to survive, unlike drywood
termites that only need low moisture.
The size of a worker is 1/8- to 3/8-inch in length. The
soldier body is similar to that of the worker, but large,
deck head with powerful mandibles. The color of a worker
is pale, cream colored. Soldiers are light colored with
brown head. |
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Formosan
Termite |
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In addition
to huge underground colony systems - often 10 times
larger than those of other subterranean species -
Formosan termites build carton (mud)
nests within the walls and other enclosed spaces of
a structure.
Formosan termites are considered
more vigorous and aggressive than other subterranean
species. Because Formosan termite
colonies can contain several million individuals,
they can cause damage at an accelerated rate, with
a mature colony causing significant damage to a structure
in a relatively short time.
Formosans are also more difficult to control than
native species when using traditional liquid soil
treatments.
Swarmers are about 1/2-inch overall length, including
the wings and are yellowish brown.
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Place the live insects in a plastic bag or jar.