Termites

These social creatures can create a serious problem for your home. They are constantly working together to collect food, access water, and build shelters. As the colony expands, it will produce swarmers during spring. These termites will leave the colony in hopes of building new colonies elsewhere. Termites consume cellulose to survive, and they can find this material in plants, lumber, furniture, cardboard, and elsewhere. As a result, termites are going to destroy your home to access the food they need to survive.

At some point, the termites will outgrow their current colony. When this happens, they’ll build termite mounds to support new termites. Once termites are in the mound, they can’t be seen. They’re concealed from public view. Another thing to note is that some termites will burrow inside of wood. You can also identify a termite infestation by looking for small mud tubes because they’re used to access food sources.

The most common termite species in the United States is the Subterranean termite. They are destructive enough to cause roughly $2 billion in damage to homes and other buildings in the United States each year.

Termites Have A Social Makeup

One unique thing about termites is that they have social classes. Each member of the colony fits into a specific category and it has responsibilities. More about this will be provided below.

Queen

When the colony is being founded, the Queen is one of the most important members of the colony. She helps produce more members to work and build the colony. She is also responsible for producing more soldiers to defend the colony from invaders. Queen termites can live as long as 10 years while laying as many as 30,000 eggs.

King

The king’s primary responsibility is to help the queen. He works closely with the queen termite during the colony’s early days. The king and queen continue mating for years to come to increase the size of the colony.

Worker Termites

Worker termites are white and soft-bodied. They can reach 10mm in length. Worker termites are constantly busy. They’ll spend the entire day building new tunnels, searching for food, caring for eggs, and grooming other termites.

Soldier Termites

As the name suggests, soldier termites are responsible for defending the colony and other termites. Soldiers are equipped with powerful jaws and longer heads that allow them to successfully defend the colony from predators. Although they may encounter other enemies, they primarily fight ants.

Winged Swarmers

Winged reproductive termites are female and male. They’re produced by the colony during spring. Then, they’ll leave their colony and try to build new colonies somewhere else. Swarmers are wings so they can fly away from their primary colony without any issues. A colony can house many winged swarmers. However, it’ll only have a king and a queen.

Primary Termite Species In Your Area

If you’re dealing with a termite infestation, you’ll likely experience a Subterranean termite infestation. These termites are destructive and can be found across the United States.

More About Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites are unique but they share many common traits. For instance, Subterranean termites follow the termite pattern of having classes. A Subterranean termite colony has countless termites living together. They are split into troubles such as soldiers and workers. Soldier termites and worker termites can each three-eighths of an inch. There are several differences. Soldier termites have long heads and powerful jaws they use to defend the colony from predators.

Activities

What do Subterranean termites do once they visit your property? First and foremost, they’re going to build colonies underground. They can live above ground as long as the area is moist. They’ll also build mud tubes to protect themselves when accessing food. Subterranean termites feed on cellulose and products that contain cellulose. They produce swarmer termites during spring so they can expand across your city.

Problems

Unfortunately, Subterranean termites create numerous problems for homeowners, renters, and business owners. Once they’ve invaded your property, getting rid of them is your primary concern. These termites are destructive. They’ll destroy your home in a matter of years. However, the damage they do will increase swiftly. You cannot ignore this problem because the damage will be costly. Working with a qualified pest control expert is the best way to defend your home from problems.

Flying Ants & Flying Termites

Although flying ants and flying termites look similar, they’re different in many ways. For instance, flying ants have tough wings of two different sizes. Their waist is pinches and their antennas are elbowed. As for flying termites, their wings are weak, their waist is equal size, and their antennas are straight.

Facts Regarding Termites

Below, you’ll learn unique facts about the termites in your area.

• The termites in Boston never stop eating. They will continue eating your wood 24 hours each day and seven days a week.
• A colony will stay on your property for as long as 70 years. Fix the problem or it will turn your life upside down for many years to come.
• A colony can house as many as 500,000 termites or more.
• They’re beneficial because they help dispose of deadwood in nature.
• Subterranean termites need access to water. If they don’t have water, they will die.
• The termites on your colony constantly fight ants. Ants tend to attack worker termites when they’re searching for food.
• Working with a pro ensures you can remove the termite colony.
• The world has more than 2,000 termite species. Most of them are found in tropical or subtropical areas.
• In the United States, you may encounter 40 termite species. Most can be found in the southeast.
• Subterranean termites are located across the United States, but they do not live in Alaska.
• Subterranean termites cause most of the damage in the United States.
• Although they can eat wood, they cannot eat concrete. Instead, they’ll maneuver through the concrete’s cracks without issues.
• Worker termites chew, digest, and regurgitate cellulose. They do this to feed other members of the colony.
• Queen termites have a lifespan of 20 years or longer. During her life, she’ll produce as many as a thousand eggs daily.

Termite Risks

You’re likely worried about the risks associated with termites. Although they’re going to create issues for you, they’re not dangerous. Termites do not attack humans or spread disease. The primary risk is that termites are going to destroy your home. Termites chew through the wood because it contains cellulose. They can damage a structure rapidly. Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or business owner, you have to worry about the termites destroying your property. If they are not treated, they’ll cause extensive damage.

Removing Termites From Your Property

It is pertinent to remove termites from your property as swiftly as possible. Termites can travel a great distance from their colony. As a result, you may not know where the colony is located. They’ll use underground tunnels to reach your property and consume its wood. Although these insects are fragile, they’re difficult to eliminate. They are often overpowered and killed by ants, but dealing with an infestation won’t be easy. You’ll need to destroy the entire colony and nest. Otherwise, the termites will reproduce and continue creating issues for you and your loved ones. If you need assistance, contact us. We can help deal with the issue.

Dealing With A Termite Infestation Myself

Could you possibly eliminate a termite infestation on your own? Unfortunately, the possibility is limited. We’re worried that you may expose yourself to dangerous chemicals. Alternatively, you may use multiple products that are ineffective. Doing so will cause you to waste money. It is best to hire us because we can eliminate the termite colony quickly and efficiently. By working with us, you’ll save money and maintain your peace of mind. The best way to solve the problem is to pick up the phone and contact a professional.

When Can It Begin?

We’re eager to begin helping you. Contact our office, schedule an appointment, and we’ll contact you within 48 hours.

Our Exterminators Offer Safe Solutions

Some of our competitors are only interested in making money. They’re not concerned about your health and protecting your loved ones. Our company is different. We’re going to go above and beyond to provide our clients with high-quality services. We’re confident we can fix the problem you’re facing without putting anyone at risk. Our company uses high-quality, EPA-registered products to provide satisfactory, safe results. In addition to this, we’ve trained our exterminators thoroughly to ensure that you’re going to be safe. Our treatments are safe around pets, people, and children.

Preventing Future Termite Infestations

Ultimately, you’ll want to follow the tips below to prevent termites from invading your home.

• Stop water from reaching your home’s foundation. Make sure your gutters and downspouts are working as intended.
• Deal with humid rooms as quickly as possible. Reduce humidity by properly ventilating your attic, basement, and crawlspace.
• Make sure your firewood is stored away from your home. It should be stored five inches from the ground and 20 feet away from the home.
• All mulch should be kept 15 inches from the home’s foundation. Alternatively, you can use rubber mulch.
• Check your home often for signs of termites.
• When you find termites, call us. We’re ready to help.