About Termite Control Use
There are 3 main types of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Each kind of termite colony includes employees (who eat your house), soldiers (who defend other people from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that locate new areas to colonize). Although you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great to know how to identify them,'' Wilson states.
Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a red head. Swarmers have absolute, tan wings although there are colour variations. Workers are pale, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.
Dampwood termites are similar to drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and absolute wings. These employees also resemble maggots.
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Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed wood and often end up in attics, floor boards and window frames.
Dampwood termites such as decaying wood or wood that is rich with moisture. They often strike wood that is making contact with the ground and are found in areas with high rainfall or humidity.
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Drywood and dampwood termites enter your house through small cracks, often around window frames through cracks in the caulk. Make sure you check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers lose their wings and float into the timber. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.
Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. For example, when you hammer up Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind small holes and produce an open doorway for a termite colony. .
Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions like the San Francisco Bay Area, many houses have raised foundations, Wilson states. Termites build mud tubes up to the bottom floor, often along posts. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson says, mud tubes can stretch from the ground Get More Info up through thin air to connect with the base of the house. .
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So what do you do if you find a termite in your home when you see one shed wing or one termite flying by, it doesnt mean you have an infestation. But if you see a group of shed wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to get a professional inspection.
Termites are in fact easy to kill, Wilson states, but you need a termiticide to do it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not available to the public. Most home stores sell termite spray, but those are watered down to meet public safety specifications, so theyre not as effective.
In case you have an infestation that is isolated to one portion of your house, say the door trimming, you can replace the trim, Wilson sites says. But if you have a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.
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Subterranean termites have to get cut away from the home at the soil. Pacific Coast Termites makes a chemical barrier between any areas of dirt and the house, as well as around the entire house. It functions as a shield that the termites cant break through.
Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a wood treatment product like XT2000 Orange Oil, which can be injected under pressure into the wood through ink-pen-sized holes. This product saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes approximately four to six hours.
Homes which are massively infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a massive tent is put over your house, or all of the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that can kill each of the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the type of infestation.
More About Termite Control Use
Employ a good, quality coat of paint on your property, since termites wont consume through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then yank them down. The tiny holes make termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the holes year-round or fill out the holes when you remove the nails. .
Instantly resolve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide appropriate ventilation under your raised home to maintain that area dry. Subterranean termites adore wetness.