Termite Data

What is a termite?

Termites are cellulose-eating creatures that eat up and destroy the wooden structures or any valuable property of humans, for example, furniture, cupboards, and drawers. These eusocial insects are grouped with ants and bees, although they reproduce and evolve on their own. They make the wooden structures, walls along wooden floors as their natural habitat. They vary in colors; most of them are yellow to a little darker brown, sized about 7 to 16 inches long with grey wings to make them look unique. Termites are a paradox; they can eat a house with delicate bodies but strong teeth that can cause unnecessary damage to the home. However, they make highly organized colonies, where they work hard to find food, feed young, and then defend themselves.

Types of Termites:

Termites have a specific way of how they work in the big colonies they make. They divide into three types of castes, i.e., workers, soldiers, and reproductives.

Workers: Both female and male workers have small size and wingless bodies.
Soldiers: The female and male soldiers have large heads with big jaws to defend their wingless bodies.
Reproductives: They have hairy wings and are also called swarmers.

The life cycle of a termite

Termites have three stages of life before they form a complete organism: egg, nymph, and adult. In the life cycle of termites, we only have one Queen and a King, while others are just sterile workers or soldiers that are not gender-specific. A male reproductive King and female reproductive Queen mate periodically for continuous reproduction of eggs. The Queen holds the most importance while reproduction of termites and laying of eggs. These eggs then hatch in about two weeks. It also varies upon the species and their habitat during reproduction. In the third stage of their life cycle, they can be differentiated into wingless workers, soldiers, and winged reproductives. They all hold different jobs; for example, workers are responsible for building the colony and feeding other termites. Soldiers are essential for their defense against the enemies, and reproductives breed to produce offspring in the colony. These castes are not allowed to change their roles throughout. This stage takes up to 4 weeks of egg development. The hatched eggs represent that all babies are identical at the time of hatch and can develop any of these types. Balance is always maintained with the number of each kind of castes to work correctly. A colony needs many years to mature and then nurture more than 10000 termites. One which stays more than four years can contain up to three lacs termites.

Species of termites:

Termites are specified into more than 2000 species that are damaging homes and wooden furniture of humans worldwide. All species are responsible for a certain amount of damage to the wooden houses and their table, along with their own set of characteristics. Among the many important species, the most common ones we are dealing with in America are Drywood, Dampwood, and Subterranean termites.

Dry wood termites

Dry wood termites survive in the wood as they need only wood to feed themselves. They enter houses near the roofline or other exposed places and make their nests in the roots of the wood. They are unable to control if they build their colonies there. Reproductives are attracted to light and usually reproduce in late summer. Drywood termites swarm on warm sunny days with high temperatures. They typically make holes in the wood and then develop tunnels to set up their homes. After settling there, they closed the open hole to get unnoticed by humans and then start reproduction. Thus, people feel their presence at a time when the damage can not be repaired.

Dampwood termites

Dampwood termites also fed on the wood but with high moisture. It is not common in the houses since the wood used in them is dry. Instead, they can be found in the backyard or front yard of the property, mainly in trees. They don’t need the roots of the trees, but the wood containing moisture is their habitat. These species are mostly found near the coastal or rainy areas where the ground contains much water. They don’t have castes, so as they hatch, they do all the tasks themselves. Dampwood termites also make sealed tunnels within the wood and then make colonies to lay eggs and reproduce.

Subterranean termites

They are the most destructive and dangerous species in America. They depend on the soil moisture and damage the foundations of the house. People can not notice them at an early stage since they are working underground, making huge colonies. These termites protect them from open-air and stay in the foundation’s cracks for a very long time, unnoticed by any enemy. Nowadays, termite control companies use monitoring devices under the ground to check the growth of this destructive pest. These termites usually fed themselves on softwood, cardboard, and newspapers, etc. They need a small hole or opening to enter the house to start damaging your property. It is highly recommended to check these types of pests carefully since they can cause extreme loss.

Drastic damage

Damage Wooden Houses: Termites have a natural habitat: anything made of wood; they make their colonies in the roots and grow unnoticed by humans. Termites are not harmful to humans and animals, but soldier termites can bite. They are harmless for humans but the most deadly pest for your home and wooden furniture. It can make your house hollow in no time.
Unexpected Payments: They can cause us to lose a significant amount of money if they get access to your property. The resource of time, money, and contingency of termite extermination warranty is a substantial burden on the homeowner.
Decreased Resale Value: It can cause you a lot of unexpected expenses and downgrade your house’s price if you plan to sell it anytime. A pest infestation is a huge concern for a potential buyer, and sellers are financially responsible for ensuring treatment warranty. It will decrease the resale value of the house.
Damage Within minutes: It is needed to check every hole or opening and seal it properly before it’s too late. Once termites get the opportunity to find a space in your house, these deadliest pests will never let you down and do the work amazingly. So prepare yourself for a shock if you are not taking it seriously. Termites can change your house from a beautiful home to a hollow space.
Health-related Issues: It can also cause a lot of allergic reactions and asthma-related issues. Many people with respiratory problems can have breathing difficulties due to the presence of these pests.
Preventive Measure: I think a termite inspection should be done quarterly in a year as a preventative measure.

Termite Control Experts

Termites can be removed and controlled through various methods, like using specific gels and pest removal sprays. Experts can identify the holes and affected places and then recommend the treatment to protect your property. Since naked eyes can not see these termites, these experts have monitoring devices that can detect the termites’ colonies and their main base. Good companies and teams can remove termites from the houses and make them as good as new.