The first step in fighting termite infestation is to gather termite information to help you understand what you’re dealing with. The more you know about termite behavior and the different types of termites (sometimes called white ants), the better.
Termites are social insects that live in nearly all 50 states across the country in one form or another. Some types of termites destroy homes and structures slowly, while other termites cause rapid termite damage and can destroy your home and its value in a matter of months.
Knowing crucial termite information, such as which types of termites have swarming intelligence, which ones build termite tunnels, and even having more obscure termite information, like knowing the lengths of various termite wings – can all make you better armed to fight potential or existing termite infestation.
There are five main types of termites you should familiarize yourself with, depending on your location and your climate:
Eastern Subterranean Termites:
The most common type of termite in North America, the subterranean termite, (also known as the soil-feeding termite) feeds on wood, paper, cotton, and tree and shrub roots. Subterranean termites specifically crave the cellulose part of wood. An Eastern subterranean termite colony can have anywhere from 20,000 to five million termites, with an average of 30,000 termites in a termite colony. Subterranean termite colonies can be found in several sections of a building, evidenced by mud tubes, termite tunnels, and translucent termite wings. The termite king and termite queen of the colony shed their termite wings, but the worker termites and soldier termites do not. Eastern subterranean termites have swarming intelligence, and their swarm season usually takes place in spring. Some Eastern subterranean termites can exist above ground, and their termite colonies usually live up to 30 years!
What you should know about Eastern subterranean termites as a homeowner: Eastern subterranean termites are not always visible when swarming, so they could be causing termite damage to your home 365 days a year without your knowledge.
Formosan Subterranean Termites:
The Formosan subterranean termite, which can be found in the southern part of the U.S. and Hawaii, is often called the “super termite” because of its ability to consume large amounts of wood quickly. In fact, an adult Formosan subterranean termite colony can eat as much as 13 ounces of wood per day. In the same timeframe, the Formosan subterranean termite queen usually produces 1,300 termite eggs. Usually found when swarming, Formosan subterranean termites are ruthless and can cause more damage when the swarm season is over, even attacking non wood materials like plaster, plastic, and even metal.
What you should know about Formosan subterranean termites as a homeowner: As these wood destroying insects infest a structure, they create termite structure damage by using their own feces and saliva to build hard termite nests in your walls, causing them to bulge. So bulging walls are a good indication that you may have a Formosan subterranean termite infestation in your home and you should consider having a termite inspection by a Termidor Certified exterminator.
Western Subterranean Termites:
This stealthy white ant is the most common termite in the western half of the continent. The Western subterranean termite can enter structures through cracks less than 1/16" wide in pipes, concrete and foundations, and they usually build their termite nests and lay their termite eggs in the ground, below the frost line but above rock and water tables. Specifically, subterranean termites crave the cellulose part of wood. Tell-tale signs of Western subterranean termites include termite swarming behavior and termite tunnels.
What you should know about Western subterranean termites as a homeowner: Western subterranean termites are most likely to cause termite damage in your basement or at the ground level of your home. These soil-feeding termites also prefer urban areas in warm climates.
Desert Subterranean Termites:
Commonly found in dry climates such as those in northwestern Mexico, southern California, and southern Arizona, desert subterranean termites are unique in that they have slender and straight mandibles compared to the more curved, thicker mandibles of most subterranean termites. Desert subterranean termites are the only types of termites that can forage under dry conditions. These soil-feeding termites build narrow 6-12" mud tubes that hang from ceilings, shelves, and overhangs. Specifically, subterranean termites crave the cellulose part of wood.
What you should know about desert subterranean termites as a homeowner: Both desert subterranean soldier termites and worker termites are small, so they can penetrate small cracks in your home that cannot be penetrated by other worker termites and soldier termites.
Drywood termites:
Drywood termites are so named because they actually live in dry wood. Drywood termite infestations can occur in any dry wood from pieces of furniture to picture frames to flooring. Although there are more than 400 drywood termite species in the world, there are only a few types in the U.S. – the Powderpost termites or “furniture termites” that inhabit the southeast and middle parts of the country, and the western drywood termite that can be found mostly in the southwest. The typical drywood termite colony is relatively small, and there are often multiple drywood termite colonies in the same home. Unlike soil-feeding termites, drywood termites do not need soil. Instead, drywood termites create large termite tunnels across the wood grain.
What you should know about drywood termites as a homeowner: There is a tell-tale sign of a drywood termite infestation: their distinctive fecal pellets, which are hard, elongated oval pellets with six concave sides. Drywood termites leave behind a fine powder of wood, like sawdust.
If you suspect you may have termite infestation of any one of the above types of termites, you should hire a Termidor Certified pest control professional to perform a termite inspection. If your termite inspection reveals termite infestation, the Termidor Certified exterminator will be able to take care of the termite problem quickly, so you don’t experience any extensive termite damage in your home. For more information on the various types of termites and to find a Termidor Certified exterminator in your area, click here!
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