Termites can cause severe destruction in the major areas of your home. These social insects eat nonstop and are known as silent destroyers. Each year, they produce around five billion dollars’ worth of property damage.
There are about 2,000 termite species, known around the world. Some of the most common ones are damp wood, dry wood, Formosan, and subterranean. These four species have distinctive characteristics and do their types of damage, and termite control is essential.
Common along the Pacific coast, these termites favor moist, decaying wood to make their colonies. They do not usually test in the soil, preferring the decaying wood for their home.
Signs of an infestation include damage, frass, and swarmers. There won’t be any tunnels in the ground, but the wood they eat looks smooth and clean inside. They eat across the grain and will use their fecal pellets to seal the living areas from outside air.
Preventing these guys is easy. They don’t usually like to bother buildings, so you just need to make sure that water drains away from your house, and to replace any damaged or damp wood outside.
Less common, dry wood termites do much more damage. They prefer wood that is dry, meaning that they do not need moisture or soil contact. They dig tunnels, which can cause major support damage in buildings.
Store your firewood and scrap wood away from home, and seal all cracks around the outside. They can eat wallpaper, fabrics made from plants, and even plastics. Frass and swarmers can help to indicate that you have dry wood termites.
Warm climates and soil nests are these termites’ favorite things. They will take over structures from the bottom, making tubes or just digging right through. Swarmers and damage are signs of these termites.
Drain water away from your house, and replace and damaged and damp wood. Inspect the home for mud tubes, hollow sounding wood, and bubbling paints, which can all be signs of these termites.
These termites are the most common in the United States. They live in underground colonies and need to maintain contact with the soil for survival. They are also the most destructive type of termites. Foundations, support beams, insulation, and even swimming pool liners can suffer damage from them.
With up to two million members, they divide their colonies into three groups depending on the role they play. To prevent getting these termites, make sure that all water is draining away from your house, and that there is no buildup of it around your foundation. Replace any damp or damaged wood, and don’t leave wood scraps in the yard, they’ll take the opportunity to snack on them.
If you have a termite problem, Bug Guy Pest Control will be able to walk you through everything you need and attend to the infestation. You will not have to worry about any more damage, and your mind will be at ease.
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