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Got Termites?

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The Threat

In nature, termites are beneficial; they break down dead trees and other wood materials that would otherwise accumulate. Termites' recycling of wood and other plant material is crucial to the ecosystem. Problems occur when termites attack the wooden elements of human structures -- homes, businesses and warehouses. Their presence is not readily noticed because they hide their activity behind wallboards, siding or wood trim.

Our homes and businesses are usually the largest investment we make in our lifetime. Termites cost homeowners in the United States nearly three billion dollars a year in damage and repairs. Termites tunnel from their home in the soil constantly searching for food for their colony. If they come across your structure’s foundation while foraging, they will follow any crack or crevice into your home or business. They may enter through wood in direct contact with soil or by building pencil-sized mud tunnels from the ground level to where the structure’s wood frame begins. Expansion joints, utility and plumbing openings are more ways termites can invade your home.

Termites are small, typically less than one-half inch long. All they need is an opening of 1/32 of an inch to squeeze into your home.

What Common Types Are Found Along The Emerald Coast?

• subterranean termites

  

  Color: Creamy brown
  Size: 1/8 inch

  Subterranean termites are social insects that live in large colonies in the soil, hence their name "subterranean." They build distinctive "mud tubes" to gain access to food sources and to protect themselves from open air. Termite colonies are organized into castes depending on tasks -- workers, soldiers and reproductives. Subterranean termites need contact with the soil to survive and live underground. They can build tunnels through cracks in concrete.
  
  Subterranean termites are by far the most destructive species. They can collapse a building entirely, meaning possible financial ruin for a homeowner. The hard, saw-toothed jaws of termites work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, one piece at a time.

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  formosan termites

  

  Color: Yellowish brown
  Size: 1/2 inch

  Originally from China, Formosan termites are the most voracious, aggressive and devious of over 2,000 termite species known to science. They are the most aggressive subterranean termite species. Formosans are organized into huge underground colonies, and build intricate mud nests inside the walls of a structure. Because of their aggressive nature, formosan termites are difficult to control once they infest a structure. Prevention is key.

Flying Ant vs. Termite
Although most ants are recognizable, the winged forms of some species of ants and termites are easy to confuse, especially during the termite swarming season. Here are a few distinguishable characteristics:

ANT
Antennae: Bent
Waist: Thin and constricted
Wings: Fore wings larger than hind wings

TERMITE
Antennae: Straight
Waist: Broad and straight
Wings: Fore and hind wings equal in size

What Attracts Them to Your Home or Business?

interior

• Stress cracks in slab
• Plumbing leaks
• Expansion joints
• Wood components in the structure

perimeter

• Utility abd plumbing services entering through slab / foundation
• Faulty drain lines
• A/C condensation lines
• Raised planter boxes
• Wood mulch beds

exterior

• Wood piles, stumps and dead tree roots
• Wood fences
• Landscaping timbers
• Decks and steps
• Wooden sheds