Termites

The subterranean termite is the most common and most widely distributed termite in North America. It is a problem for home owners from southern Ontario in Canada, south throughout the Eastern United States and as far west as Montana.

Termites feed on wood and serve an important function in nature by converting dead trees into organic matter. Unfortunately, termites don't know the difference between dead trees and the wood in your home.

This native American pest feeds on such cellulose materials as structural wood, wood fixtures, paper, books, and cotton. Occasionally, it will even attack the roots of shrubs and trees.

While subterranean termite colonies are not the largest termite colonies you can find, there will often be more than one of them working in a single building. Signs of termites include dirt-colored tubes built to serve as protected paths from the earth to the wood the termites are feeding on, and the translucent wings shed by the kings and queens during swarming. Swarming usually occurs in the spring, but other, smaller swarms can occur throughout the summer and fall.

Subterranean termites are ground-inhabiting, social insects that live in colonies. A colony or nest of subterranean termites may be up to 18-20 feet below the soil surface to protect it from harsh weather conditions. Termites travel through mud tubes to reach food sources above the soil surface. The mature termite colony has three castes:

1. Reproductives (king and queen)
2. Soldiers
3. Workers

The colony reaches its maximum size in approximately 4 to 5 years and may include 60,000 to 200,000 workers. New colonies are formed when winged males and females from a parent colony emerge in flight or swarm.

The winged reproductives (commonly called swarmers) are dark brown to brownish black and have two pairs of equal size wings that extend well beyond the body.

Swarms are common in spring and fall, especially after a rain. After a flight, the winged males and females return to the ground and shed their wings. The wingless males and females pair up and search for sources of wood and moisture in soil. The royal couple digs a chamber in the soil near wood, enters the chamber and seals the opening. After mating, the queen starts laying eggs. The queen may live up to 25 years and lay more than 60,000 eggs in her lifetime. The eggs are yellowish white and hatch after an incubation of 50 to 60 days.

Full-grown workers are soft-bodied, wingless, blind and creamy white. In early stages, they are fed predigested food by the king and queen. Once workers are able to digest wood, they provide food for the entire colony. The workers perform all the labor in the colony such as obtaining food, feeding other caste members and immatures, excavating wood, and constructing tunnels. Workers mature within a year and live from 3 to 5 years.

Soldiers are creamy white, soft-bodied, wingless and blind. The head of the soldier is enormously elongated, brownish, hard and equipped with two jaws. Soldiers must be fed by workers because they cannot feed themselves. They are less numerous in the colony than workers and their only function is to defend the colony against invaders. Soldiers mature within a year and live up to 5 years.

Flying ants and swarming termites are often difficult to tell apart.

Termites have relatively straight, beadlike antennae while ants have elbowed antennae. Termites have two pair of wings (front and back) that are of almost equal length. Ants also have two pair of wings but the fore wings are much larger than the hind wings. The abdomen of the termite is broadly joined to the thorax while the abdomen and thorax of the ant are joined by a narrow waist called a petiole.

Subterranean termites feed exclusively on wood and wood products containing cellulose. Termites have protozoa (microorganisms) in their intestines that provide enzymes to digest cellulose. Although termites are soft-bodied insects, their hard, saw-toothed jaws work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, a piece at a time. Termites often infest buildings and damage lumber, wood panels, flooring, sheet rock, wallpaper, plastics, paper products and fabric made of plant fibers. The most serious damage is the loss of structural strength. Other costly losses include attacks on flooring, carpeting, artwork, books, clothing, furniture and valuable papers. Subterranean termites do not attack live trees.

An average subterranean termite colony can consume 5 grams of wood per day, the equivalent of 2 1/3 linear feet of a 2'x4' pine board annually.

Wood damaged by termites always has remains of mud tubes attached to wood galleries or tunnels in an irregular pattern. The tunnels may contain broken mud particles with fecal materials. In the case of an active colony, white termites may be found in infested wood.

The presence of flying winged males, females or their shed wings inside the building indicates an infestation.

The presence of mud or shelter tubes extending from the ground to woodwork or on foundation walls also may indicate infestation. Workers travel periodically via shelter tubes to their nest to regain moisture and perform feeding duties. Each mud tube is approximately the diameter of a lead pencil.

Termite damage may be located by probing wood with a screwdriver, ice pick or knife. Start inspection in the basement and use a bright flashlight. Look for mud tubes and the activity of swarms. If necessary, get help from a professional pest control operator or advice from an experienced entomologist. A qualified professional inspector should inspect the exterior and interior surfaces of the foundation, particularly construction where wood is on or near the soil. Mud tubes are solid evidence of termite activity.

Other sites requiring inspection are:

• Wood construction in basement and crawl space (if present)
• Sills, joists, support posts, basement window frames, wood under porches
• Hollow blocks, cracks in cement or brick construction and expansion joints
• Scrap wood on ground, old tree stumps, fence posts and exterior frames of basement windows. The inspector should be able to determine if termites are active or not, how old the damage may be, and if chemical treatment is necessary.

We utilize a combination of liquid treatment directed at the source of the infestation and an effective monitoring system to protect the rest of your house against further infestation. This monitoring system consists of monitoring stations placed around your home and are checked several times per year. Annual whole house inspections can be set up to guard your home against new and/or recurring activity. Our monitoring stations are placed in the soil and are completely unobtrusive.

If you suspect a termite infestation call Eco-Safe ® at (214) 358-5201 today for a professional inspection and estimate.