A Complete Guide To Protect Yourself From Termites
Termites are known as “silent destroyers” because of their ability to remain undetected for years. They love to chew through wood, flooring, and even wallpaper. Every year termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage in the United States —damage that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover.
In the warm seasons, the termite population starts searching for hospitable places, especially the building that have sustained damage from severe winter are at risk. Starting from South to North, termite explorers, also known as swarmers, will search for habitable places. If the “swarmers” have infested your place, there are great chances other termite colonies will follow them, resulting in a full-blown termite infestation.
By knowing what kind of termites are more prevalent in your area and their habits, you should see the signs of the termite at your pace or call in a pest professional to detect the warning signs to control the problem before it gets out of the hands.
Termite Identification Guide
1) Is it a termite or a flying ant?
Termites and ants are often confused because they share some common traits and look like each other. Before you are starting pest control, make sure that your home is actually infested with termites.
2) Is it Subterranean or Drywood termite?
Once you have differentiated between ants and termites, the next step is to determine what kind of termite you are dealing with. Different types of termites need a different treatment plan. There are three different kinds of termites that are most commonly known to infest the buildings in the US:
- Drywood termites
- Subterranean termites
- Formosan subterranean termites
Subterranean Termites Vs. Drywood Termites
Subterranean Termites:
- have the central portion of their nest underground
- make mud tubes to access structures
- usually have large colonies
- don’t kick out feces and debris
- typically eat along the wood’s grain
- are known to make “cartons” in wall voids and trees. A carton is a nest produced from termite feces, used to maintain optimum moisture level when the termites cannot return to their original subterranean nest.
- are found in most of the US parts
Drywood Termites:
- don’t require soil contact
- make their nest inside of the wood
- don’t make mud tubes
- fly into infest wood
- make small “kick-out” holes in wood to push feces and debris out of the nest
- leave small piles of debris outside the wood they infest
- eat across and along the wood’s grain
- are typically found in coastal regions, but they can be transported in infested wood
Identifying Different Types Of Termites
SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES
Subterranean termites belong to the family Rhinotermitidae, found in every US state except Alaska. They are creamy-white to dark brown or black and 1/8 inch. They live underground or in moist secluded areas aboveground in colonies, containing up to two million members.
Subterranean termites build “mud tubes” to access food sources and protect themselves from the open air. This termite species is considered the most destructive of all termites throughout the United States. If left unchecked, they can cause significant structural damage to a building, even causing a total collapse in extreme cases.
Behavior
The three types of subterranean termites:
- Workers
- Soldiers
- Swarmers
Each has specific jobs within the colony and is equipped with the unique tools to get the job done. The size and color depend upon the caste of the termites.
Subterranean termite doesn’t have eyes (except the swarmers), but still, they tell the difference between light and dark. Being in the light means that they are in danger of losing valuable moisture from their bodies and under predator attacks. When worker termites find themselves in the light, they return to the dark as quickly as possible.
Size
Workers and soldiers are one-eighth to three-eighths long, but the soldiers have bigger heads with strong mandibles. Supplementary and primary reproductives are about 1 inch long.
Color
Workers are cream-colored and pale. Soldiers are also light-colored, but their heads are brown. Supplementary reproductives are of opaque shade, and primary reproductives are brown or black.
FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES
Formosan termites belong to the family Coptotermes Formosanus. They are similar to subterranean termites in color but have sizes up to 1/2 an inch long. Originally from China, they can be found in Hawaii, California, and much of the southern US. Formosan termites are known as the most aggressive termites, which can eat one foot of 2X4 wood in just 25 days. They live in underground colonies consist of up to 350,000 workers, and each queen can give up to 1000 eggs. This makes Formosan termites the most aggressive type of all the termites. If left unnoticed, they can cause significant damage to not only the wooden structure in your house but also damage electric cable insulation and telephone coverages.
Behavior
With possibly more than 10 million mouths to feed in their colonies, Formosan termites are always hungry. They feed on all kinds of woods. Workers of the Formosan termite colony seek out the food, masticate and digest it and then feed the entire colony through a process called “trophallaxis.”
These termites are also blind but can differentiate between dark and wood. Being in the light means they are in danger. They make mud tubes to protect themselves from the temperature, predators and to retain their moisture.
Size
The typical Formosan alate (i.e., winged termite, or swarmer) are around one-half of an inch long.
Color
Formosan swarmers have yellowish-brown color.
DRYWOOD TERMITES
They belong to the family Kalotermitidae. Unlike subterranean and Formosan termites, Drywood termites don’t require contact with the soil and infest undecayed wood. They are 3/8 to one inch long and often establish nests in roof materials, wooden wall supports, and deadwood around the home.
If they gain inside access, they can infest wood furniture and framing. They can easily and unknowingly be transported in wood items from one location to another. Drywood termites are found in the southern states, from North Carolina through the Gulf Coast and in the coastal areas of California. They form colonies of up to 2,500 members and usually swarm on warm days after a sudden temperature rise.
Behavior
Like other species of termites, Drywood termites have a caste system.
They also eat cellulose like the rest of the species, but unlike the other species, they destroy both the soft springwood growth and the harder summerwood growth. It forms tunnels like structures in the wood they infest by eating across the grain, leading to the collapse of the trees or buildings, if left unchecked.
Size
Drywood termites have sizes depending on their caste. Soldiers have length three-eighths of an inch, and Reproductives (both male and female) are one-half of an inch long.
Color
A Drywood termite is usually pale brown, varying between dark brown and light, yellowish-tan. Alates, or winged termites, have wings that have clear or smokey grey color.
You must have known how dangerous termites can be to your property. Their colonies consist of a large number of members, making them able to destroy the place they have infested in just months. It is important to control them right after you detected them. Before eliminating them, you need to know how to and where you can find them.
How to Check Your Home for Subterranean Termites
Here is a step-by-step guide to check your home for Subterranean termites:
Inspect Your Home At Least Once A Year
Doing your own termite inspection may seem difficult but doing your home inspection for termite infestation once a year can save you from any potential damage. Here are some tips which can make your termite inspection easy and accurate.
Tools you will need
For a DIY termite inspection of your home, you will need:
- Coveralls
- Bright flashlight
- Pocket knife or flathead screwdriver
What To Look For
Termite inspection is not all easy and clean job. It is a dirty job with some digging involved. Wearing a pair of disposable coveralls and having a handy flashlight and a screwdriver or pocketknife can help you big time.
You need to look for the following things while inspecting for the termite:
Mud tubes: Subterranean termites live underground and make “mud tubes” to reach the food source above the ground. If you find any small vertical tube-like structure, it is definite that your home is infested with termites. But keep in mind that mud tubes are not the only ways for a termite to reach the food source, so if you dint find a mud tube, that doesn’t mean that your place isn’t infested with termite. Look for more signs to be 100 percent sure.
Damaged wood: woods that might look crushed, and tapping it with a screwdriver, you hear a dull thud; it is a sign that your place is infested with termites. You can further confirm it by probing the surface with a screwdriver or pocketknife to expose tunnels.
Piles of wings: before entering the next stage of development, the swarmers shed their wings. If you have termites at your place, you can easily spot the pile of wings near windows or light sources.
Where To Look
Bear in mind that termites live at or near ground level. The areas you should inspect very closely and carefully for signs of termite infestations are:
- Wooden construction material in basement and crawl spaces
- Window sills and frames, support posts, subfloors, supporting piers, joists, and wooden decks or porches.
- Places where concrete and wood are in contact, like steps, slabs, or porches
- Cracks in brick construction, expansion joints, or cement where termites might have entered
- Wood piles and debris near the foundation, including tree stumps, exterior basement
How to Check Your Home for Drywood & Formosan Termites
Drywood termites don’t touch the soil to infest furniture, homes, or other structures. Instead, they can fly inside from outside through a small hole or crevice to enter the structure.
Luckily, Drywood termite colonies usually infest only a small area at a time. If you Drywood termites early, getting rid of them is usually less costly than treating subterranean termites.
Tools you will need
You will need the same tools as you needed for the inspection of Subterranean termites i.e.
- Coveralls
- Bright flashlight
- Pocket knife or flathead screwdriver
What to look for
For a complete are accurate inspection, do through walk-through inside and outside of your house. Specific signs of a Drywood termite infestation to look for include:
Damaged wood – Check for the damaged wood that looks “crushed” at the structural joints. If you hear a dull thud on tapping with the end of a screwdriver or knife and hear that is a sign of termites.
Mud tubes: To ensure that termites have damaged wood, probe the surface with a screwdriver or pocketknife to expose possible mud tubes or tunnels.
Small “Kick Out” Holes in the Wood – Drywood termites make small holes in wood to discard their feces. These holes have the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen.
Feces Pellets – Drywood termite droppings are hard, dry, and six-sided. The color will vary from brown to tan.
Piles of Wings – before entering the next stage of development, the swarmers shed their wings. If you have termites at your place, you can easily spot the pile of wings near windows or light sources.
Where To Look
The areas you should inspect very closely and carefully for signs of Drywood & Formosan Termites infestations are:
- Window sills and frames, door frames, and wooden doors
- Wooden cabinets and wooden floors
- Wooden construction material, attics, basements, and wall voids
- Wood piles and debris near the foundation of the home, including exterior door and window frames, fence posts, and tree stumps.
You have known all about your enemy, what and where to look for them. Now is the time for action. So that you can eliminate these destructive monsters before they damage your valuable items and property.
Killing Subterranean Termites
To kill the subterranean termites, you need to follow the given tips:
Tips for control
Termites often go unnoticed for many years, so it is recommended to do a termite inspection of your house after one year. You can do the inspection yourself too or call a trained specialist if it seems like a lot of work. They will do a thorough inspection and give you the protection and the peace of mind you deserve.
Things to do for termite prevention
Do the following preventive measure to prevent termite infestation in your house.
- Move and store all firewood away from your place
- Ensure four inches of the foundation is showing and no mulch is touching the home. Siding should not extend down into the soil.
- Keep drainage systems unblocked and skunk water away from the home to prevent any mulch
- Eliminate leaks and moisture from home.
If your place is infested with termites, you need to do a two-step process to eliminate the infestation. If you want to save some money and have some spare time, you can treat the termites at your place by yourself. Firstly, you will directly treat the active infestation and then follow that up with a soil treatment or bait system to eliminate the portion of the colony that remains outside. If this seems like a lot of work to you, you can hire a reputable professional pest control company to do the treatment for you.
DIY
If you want to do the pest control treatment yourself, here are some easy steps you can follow to eliminate these little monsters out of your place.
1. Treat the Termite Nest Directly
If you have found an indoor nesting area, it will be best to treat the active infestation directly. There are many Subterranean termite control products available to treat the active infestation directly. We suggest you use a non-repellent product. The non-repellent products will allow the termites to pick up the product on their bodies and transfer it to members of the colony.
These products come in three formulations – concentrated liquids, aerosol sprays, and ready-to-use foams.
Drilling into voids or wood. You need to drill into the termite-infested places to apply termiticide. When drilling into drywall, we recommend you to drill holes about 18 inches up from the floor and in between each stud around the infested area. When drilling directly into the wood, it is suggested to drill small holes every 3-4 inches until you find an area where you don’t feel any resistance while drilling. This shows that you have found the termite gallery and apply your product here.
Apply termiticide. After drilling, apply the termiticide product of your choice directly into the drilled holes according to the instructions mentioned on the product label. The best termiticides are SC or FUSE Foam.
Be patient. You can’t expect termites to be disappeared the next day after using termiticide. A non-repellent product can take up to 90 days to eliminate the existing termites.
2. Termite Trenching
Termite trenching means treating the exterior of your home where you find the infestation. You should do termite trenching with a non-repellent concentrated termiticide such as Taurus SC.it is vital for two reasons:
- It ensures that the sub colony gathering food inside the structure eliminates when they try to enter the home.
- It stops new termites from moving into the house.
Tools you will need
- A trench shovel or pickaxe
- A big bucket
- A hand pump sprayer
If you have concrete interrupting areas, you will additionally need:
- Hammer drill
- 1/2″ x 18″ or 1/2″ x 24″ concrete drill bit
Dig a trench. Dig a 6″ wide by 6″ deep trench directly against the foundation of the exterior wall where the termites’ gallery was found by using a pickaxe or trenching shovel.
Mix termiticide solution. After digging the trench, mix the termiticide solution. For this, you will need a 5-gallon bucket, add 4 gallons with water and recommended amount of concentrated termiticide as mentioned on the product label, stir the soln with a paint stirrer to form a uniform solution.
Apply the solution to the trench. Now pour the 4 gallons of mixed solution in every 10 linear feet of trench. Make sure that you are pouring slowly for even distribution of the solution.
Be sure that you also treat the soil you are moving back into the trench. For this, fill up the hand sprayer with one gallon of the finished termiticide solution and spray the solution with it until it’s moist.
Drilling through concrete. If there is a concrete part is present in the area where the treatment s needs to be done, drill through the concrete to apply the termiticide solution to the soil. Drill holes every 12″ into the concrete along the foundation wall by using a hammer drill. Once the holes are drilled using a pin stream sprayer to force down the finished termiticide solution deep down the hole. Once the holes are filled with the solution, seal them with concrete patch filler.
Killing Drywood Termites
To kill the Drywood termites, you need to follow the given tips:
Tips for control
The common signs of the Drywood termites are seeing a swarm of reproductive termites emerging from a small hole in the wood, wood blisters, and fecal pellets of color, same as the wood the termites are eating. Here are some tips you can follow to save your home from the termite attack:
- Store the firewood or any other wood away from the foundation of your home
- Place fitted, type 20 mesh on all the opening of your home
- Seal up any unfinished wood by using paint, varnish, or sealant
Things to do for termite prevention
There are three methods for treating Drywood termite, depending upon if the infested wood is visible and if the wood is raw or has been stained, sealed, or painted. It is better you contact a pest control professional for termite infestation removal because it is pretty hard to remove the termite yourself.
If you are planning to remove it yourself, the following is a step-by-step guide to doing it.
DIY
1. Remove or Replace Infested Wood
The simplest way to get rid of termite is to replace the infested wood if it can be easily replaced.
2. Treat Unpainted or Raw Wood with Bora-Care
Bora-care is a borate-based product in a glycol base. Bora-Care penetrates up to 4 inches into the wood when applied on the wood, making it more effective than the other products. The infested termite eats the wood that has been infested with Bora-Care and dies. When plied correctly, Bora-Care also prevents the new termites from tubing and offers lifetime protection.
To use Bora-Care, you will need the following things:
- Bora-Care
- A foaming solution to foam the Bora-Care
- A 5-gallon bucket
- A paint stirrer
- A hand pump sprayer, paintbrush, paint roller, or foaming device
Prepare the wood
Keep in mind that Bora-Care can only be used on wood that is not painted, stained, or sealed. For treating a wood that has infested recently, mix 1-part Bora-Care with 1-part hot water. Make sure that you have mixed the Bora-care solution thoroughly in a big bucket; otherwise, it will clog the sprayer if not mixed properly.
If you are treating wood that hasn’t been infested, mix 1-part Bora-Care with 5-parts water
Apply Bora-Care to Wood
You can apply the Bora-Care in three ways:
- Spray the water mixture with the help of a hand sprayer
- Apply the foam into the voids using a foaming additive and device
- Paint the water mixture directly on the wood
For ideal results, it will require two coats of bora care products on the wood.
3. The Drill-and-Fill Method of Termite Treatment
If your wood is painted, you can use the drill-and-fill method for treating the Drywood termites.
For the drill-and-fill method, you will need the following tools and products:
- A foam or gel Drywood termite insecticide
- A drill
- A 1/8″ or 1/4″ drill bit
Drill the holes
Drill hole 8 to 10 inches along and into the infested wood.
Filling of holes
Fill the holes with the Drywood termiticide according to the instruction mentioned on the product’s label
Close the Holes
After filling the holes, close the holes by using the wood patch, putty, or any other appropriate material that is conveniently available.
Killing Formosan Termites
To kill the Formosan termites, you need to follow the given tips:
Tips for control
Formosan termites damage the wood at a much faster rate than the common eastern subterranean species. If you see any signs of mud tunnels or wood with a wavy or ribbed appearance, you should call a pest control professional as soon as possible.
Things to do for termite prevention
For preventing the infestation of Formosan termite in your home, you should follow the following preventive measures:
- Use wood pressure treated with preservatives as it is more resistant to termites.
- Fix the leaks, plumbing, condensation, and drainage issues at your place.
- Limit the touch of wood to the soil,
- Store firewood, lumber, and other wood debris away from the foundation of your home
The termiticides such as Hex Pro Termite Baiting System, Bora-care, and other termiticides have been proven effective in treating the Formosan termites. Termidor also does a good job, but care should be taken while handling them to avoid contaminating any water source.
All these termiticides are commonly applied in “trenches” that go around the infested areas. If there is any cement structure involved, you will need to drill in the foundation and drill the termiticide in it.
Do-It-Yourself Formosan Termite Baiting
It involves complete removal of the carton nest and then treating the soil with the Bora-Care. After that, termiticide like Optigard Flex, Termidor, or Premise 2 is applied to the whole area. If elimination of the carton nest is not possible, use Hex Pro Termite Baiting System and treat the soil.
Fumigation For Formosan Termites
It is one of the most common treatment methods against Formosan termites. Vikane is one of the most popular fumigants used by pest control companies. Fo fumigation, your soil should have been treated; otherwise, your fumigation will not keep the Termites from returning.