Bug Facts -
Termites
Physical
Caracteristics
 Termites eat wood and do more damage to wood
structures in the United States than fires and windstorms
combined.
The Romans referred to these
insects as "Termes" which means woodworm.
Related to cockroaches, termites
are one of our most ancient insects. Fossilized termites as
old as 55 million years have been found.
 Termites live in
colonies, are social insects and divide their work among
specialized members. They have a rigid caste system which
are the reproductive, the worker and the soldier. The
reproductive termites are winged.
Queens are believed to live up to
25 years and can lay up to 8,460 eggs a day. A queen weighs
at least 100 times as much as a worker or soldier.
Termites live in darkness, in
narrow passageways, where the temperature, the moisture and
probably the oxygen pressure to some extent are under their
control. Each colony is distinct from any other colony of
termites, and when two colonies meet the members will
slaughter each other.
Termites can be distinguished from
ants by noting that they do not have a narrowly pinched
waist as ants do.
There are three types of termites
common in North America. They are dampwoods, drywoods, and
subterranean.
Dampwood Termites
Dampwood termites are found in the
West and are most widespread on the Pacific Coast and
require damp wood to feed on.
These termites are the largest of
the three types and are usually found in logs and damp or
decaying wood.
Although swarming may occur
throughout the year, dampwood termites usually swarm from
July through October.
Drywood termites
Drywood termites live in and eat
dry wood as their name suggests. They are mainly found in
the mid regions of California. They are found in the Bay
Area.
Drywood termites are usually
detected by the piles of pellets that collect below holes in
walls and or windows. They are smaller than dampwoods and
larger than subterranean termites.
Swarming occurs in June and July in
Northern California and September through October in
Southern California.
Subterranean
Termites
Subterranean termites are the most
common termites in the Bay Area. 1 in 20 homes is infested
every year by them.
Subterranean termite colonies are
usually located in the soil from which the workers build mud
tubes to the wood in structures on which they feed. However,
on occasion an above ground colony is found.
Subterranean termites can be
identified by seeing their swarmers (winged termites), or by
seeing mud tubes attached to the wood.
Swarming occurs in June and July in
Northern California and September through October in
Southern California.
Prevention and
Control
Soil treatment with long-term
residual insecticides which provide a chemical barrier is
the most commonly used control or prevention method for
subterranean termites.
Drywood termites are usually
controlled by whole house fumigation or local treatment such
as microwave. Call us about our very affordable annual
Termite
Prevention Service Plan.
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