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Understanding Termites
You’ve likely heard something about termites and you know that they’re destructive. How much do you know about termites? Did you know that they’re social creatures that live in colonies with hundreds of thousands of other termites? They are, and they work together to search for food, build tunnels, and find water.
Termites eat anything that contains cellulose and that includes lumber, plants, cotton fibers, cardboard, furniture, and paper. When the termite colony has overgrown its nests, they’ll begin building termite mounts. When you see a termite mound around your property, you know that you have a serious problem because the colony has outgrown its colony.
Furthermore, some termites will build tunnels in wood and create nests there. If this happens, you’ll find small mud tubes around your property. Mud tubes allow termites to access wood food sources without exposing themselves to threats. The world is home to many termite species, but homeowners need to worry most about Subterranean termites.
The Subterranean termite species are responsible for the majority of damage done to American structures each year.
The Class Roles Of Termites
When looking at a termite colony, you’ll find that there are several classes and roles. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the common termite classes.
Queens
The queen termite is the primary reproductive termite in the colony. When a new termite colony is started, the queen needs to produce enough soldiers to protect the colony. In addition to soldiers, she’ll also need to produce enough workers since they’re responsible for most laborious tasks.
Queen termites work with king termites to lay eggs. A female can live for ten years or longer and she’ll lay as many as 30,000 eggs each day. Suffice to say, the colony can grow rapidly.
Kings
King termites are there to aid the queen termite. During the early days of the colony, the king and queen works together to produce enough nymphs to guarantee the colony’s survival. The king will continue working with the queen for his entire life to produce more soldiers and workers.
Workers
Although kings and queens are important, workers are likely more important. As mentioned above, the workers are responsible for the hard labor. Worker termites have to do it all. They’ll work around the clock without breaks to build tunnels, groom and feed other termites, and maintain the colony.
Workers have soft bodies so they’re vulnerable to predators. They’re light, wingless, and grow roughly 10mm. Their bodies resemble grains of rice.
Soldiers
As the name implies, soldiers defend the colony from potential invaders. Although they might battle other predators, they’ll primarily go to war with ants. They have slightly longer heads and forceful jobs that allow them to attack and kill invaders. In terms of their appearance, they’re similar to worker termites since they’re white and wingless with soft bodies.
Winged Swarmers
Finally, there are winged swarmer reproductive termites. These termites are produced in hopes of spreading the colony to new areas. Female and male swarmers will leave the colony and go elsewhere. Once they’ve found a suitable location, they’ll work together to produce offspring and build new colonies.
They have delicate wings that allow them to fly across your yard quickly. The termite colony on your property can have many winged swarmers, but it will only have one king and one queen.
Termite Species Primarily Found In Our Service Area
You’re likely wondering which termite species is most problematic for your area. Well, it should be noted that the Subterranean termite family is the most concerning. These termites are commonly found in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and across the United States.
Subterranean Termite Analysis
Subterranean termites are similar to other termites because they are grouped in different categories. A Subterranean colony will contain workers termites, soldier termites, swarmer termites, a king, and a queen. The appearance of the termite depends on its role in the termite society. For instance, worker and soldier termites are roughly three-eights of an inch in length. The difference is that Subterranean termites have longer heads and stronger jaws. Swarmer termites are slightly larger with most reaching half an inch.
What They Do
If you have a subterranean termite infestation, you’ll want to learn how they behave. Doing so can help you find out what they’ll do to your home. Well, these termites live underground in most cases. They can live above ground but they need constant access to water. They can build moist nests and tunnels above ground. Subterranean termites will build mud tubes to protect themselves while accessing nearby food sources. They eat plants, lumber, furniture, and other items that contain cellulose. Around spring, Subterranean termites leave the colony to build new colonies elsewhere in the world.
Concerns
Unfortunately, Subterranean termites will create a nightmare for homeowners and business owners. Once they’ve decided that your home is a good food source, they’re going to quickly destroy your home. They’ll use their saw-like jaws to tear off pieces of wood. The process is slow but a large colony can quickly damage a home. If left untreated, the worker termites will destroy your home.
More About Flying Ants & Flying Termites
For the average individual, flying termites and flying ants are identical. In actuality, they have several differences. First, you should look at the insect’s wings to determine what you’re dealing with. Flying termites have delicate wings of equal size, but flying termites have durable wings of different sizes. Flying ants have bodies like conventional ants since the waist is pinched. The flying termite does not have a pinched waist.
You can also determine what you’re dealing with by looking at their antennas. If they’re straight, you have a flying termite on your property and you need to contact a professional exterminator.
Interesting Things About Termites
- Termites are constantly hungry. As a result, worker termites never stop eating. They’ll continue eating and destroying your wood all day and night.
- A termite colony will not leave on its own and it can stick around for more than 50 years. When you identify a termite colony on your property, call an exterminator.
- As many as 500,000 termites can live in the same colony. Many are worker termites so they’ll destroy your home rapidly.
- Although concerning for homeowners, termites are helpful because they help dispose of deadwood.
- Most termites, including Subterranean termites, must be able to access water at all times. If they can’t get water, they will die.
- Worker termites develop mud tubes so they can reach food sources safely.
- There are 2,000 known species of termites in the world. Only 40 termite species are found in the United States and most are found in the southeast US.
- Only residents of Alaska will never have to worry about a Subterranean termite infestation.
- By working with a reliable exterminator, getting rid of an entire colony and all termites is possible.
- Subterranean termites cause most structural damage in America.
- A queen termite produces and lays thousands of eggs daily and will live more than 20 years.
- Worker termites are responsible for feeding everyone. They chew, digest, and feed cellulose to other termites in the colony.
The Immense Risks Linked To Termites
You’re likely worried that termites are going to hurt you. If they can chew through wood, they might be able to chew through the skin too. You can rest assured knowing that this won’t happen. They do not pose a risk to humans or pets. They won’t bite, and they do not transmit dangerous diseases. Your primary concern should be dealing with your home. It is one of your biggest purchases and most valuable assets, so you don’t want to let termites destroy it.
Getting Rid Of The Termites Destroying Your Home
Once you’ve discovered termites on your property, don’t wait to get rid of them. Worker termites continue eating wood 24/7 so they’re going to destroy your home rapidly. Unfortunately, eliminate an entire termite colony is not easy, but it can be done. To get rid of the termites completely, contact us and use our services. We have been dealing with termite infestations in your city for many years and we won’t stop until they’re gone. Call us and we’ll deploy our tools to get rid of them rapidly.
Can I Eradicate Termites Without Professional Help?
You may believe that you can eliminate termites on your own, but this likely isn’t possible. The problem is that termites are difficult to find and eradicate. Although you can purchase over-the-counter termite removal products, they’re dangerous. If you don’t use them correctly, you won’t kill them and you might hurt yourself. The risks are higher than you could ever imagine. We want you to work with us so you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
When Can The Termite Removal Begin?
Schedule an appointment with us today. Once you’ve called, we’ll contact you in 24 to 48 hours.
Do You Offer Safe Termite Treatments?
We do. Our company would never use dangerous chemicals in the homes of our clients. We want to make sure that you’re protected to the fullest. As a result, we’ve made it a priority to use safe EPA-registered products that are safe for humans, felines, and canines. Our exterminators have trained thoroughly to ensure they know how to use these products safely and effectively. If you have any health concerns, contact our office so we can put your mind at ease.
Making Sure You Never Deal With Termites Again
- You need to prevent water from pooling around the foundation of your home. Check your gutters and downspouts to make sure they’re working correctly.
- Take care of high humidity problems. Check for humidity issues in your basement, attic, and crawlspace. Improve the ventilation to remedy this issue.
- Firewood must be stored a decent distance away from your home and off of the ground. 20 feet away and 5 inches high should be okay.
- When using wood mulch, it should never be stored close to your home. Use rubber mulch or place the wood mulch further from your home.
- Check your home carefully to make sure you don’t have termites. Check for cracked paint and wood. Finally, check for mud tubes.
- Contact us when you suspect you have termites.
If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.