Termites and Proud of It

If you are a homeowner, you know that termites can be a nightmare. They will eat through floors and beams and in no time, you may even find that structures are coming down. How do you stop them? First, lets look at their lifecycle and we might understand why they are so prolific.

You may have seen termites swarming after a storm. This is the begging of their reproductive cycle. The males and females will swarm out of their colonies and will mate in the air. After they mate, the females with the eggs in their bodies drop their wings and then go off to form colonies of their own, complete with different castes of other termites to pamper her until her eggs are hatched. She is the center of the colony all other termites will work to make sure that she successfully hatches.

The eggs hatch into pale, white larvae, and these begin to molt into adult termites. The larvae, at this early stage are already in castes with each one having a specific task in the colony. There are three castes workers, soldiers and alates whose work is reproduction.

So how do you know that you have a termite infestation?

You will see the powder that they leave behind when they eat through wood.It looks like sawdust only finer. If you see wings, particularly after wet weather, start looking for where the termites are coming from. It is unusual that they will be from far away. They leave minute holes in furniture, especially if the infestation has spread. The holes are very small and uniformly round, and if your not very observant may not notice them for a long time. If paint is inexplicably bubbling on walls, you should check to see if you have termites. Your coated wood surfaces may bubble also. Mud tunnels are usually the sign that most people will associate with an attack on their homes. They will be close to the foundation, either inside or outside the house. So how do you get rid of termites?

If the damage is not too extensive, you can try foams and powders that are sold commercially. The problem with this method is that you might never get to know the extent of the damage and it may just keep going and going. The best thing to do is call in a professional exterminator to assess the damage and kill all termites.

If you are a homeowner, you know that termites can be a nightmare. They will eat through floors and beams and in no time, you may even find that structures are coming down. How do you stop them? First, lets look at their lifecycle and we might understand why they are so prolific.The best way to get rid of termites is to get a professional pest control specialist.