Every year, termites invade millions of homes, causing billions of dollars in damage. They primarily feed on wood, but will consume practically any wood product, from furniture to books, even the insulation in your walls. The startling fact is, termites do more damage to homes than fires and storms combined.
While the damage caused by subterranean termites is not as outwardly dramatic as a fire or storm, it can be significantly more disastrous from a financial standpoint. That’s because the damage often goes undetected for long periods of time. And, when it is finally discovered, the damage can be substantial yet is rarely covered by insurance. The homeowner is confronted with not one, but two devastating blows.
Although termites pose a more serious problem in the south, they are present in every state except Alaska. Just one subterranean colony can contain thousands, sometimes millions of termites. The workers forage continuously for food, carrying it back to the colony where it is shared and these ever-expanding colonies don’t stand still. Reproductive termites can be observed in early spring and summer swarming from an existing colony to establish a new one in another location.
As we build communities, we increasingly encroach on the termites’ habitat, removing their native food source and leaving them with little alternative but to search for another — our homes. Because they work silently behind the scenes, it can be years before evidence of their destruction becomes visible, long after serious damage to your home has already been done.
To enter your house, all termites need is the tiniest gap in concrete, mortar or metal to slip through. Once inside that gap, their voracious hunger for wood takes over. These cunning little engineers construct air and moisture tight shelter tubes leading from the colony in the soil to the wood in your home. Termite tubes can go up wires, along pipes, around so-called “termite shields” and even extend free of any support. Busy workers use these tubes as their “freeways,” constantly commuting between the food source (your house) and their colony in the soil.
Drywood Termites
Drywood termites are another type of termite native to this area that are just as likely to attack your home. While they are capable of causing just as much damage as their underground counterparts, drywood termites require completely different methods of control.
Drywood termites build their colonies inside the structures on which they feed. Exposure to the open air does not harm drywood termites, so they can attack from virtually anywhere. While their colonies are relatively small (3,000 insects), multiple colonies may infest the same structure.
You may see mating pairs of drywood termites called swarmers, which come out in the late spring and summer. You may also come across frass (drywood termite fecal matter), which has a gritty texture and looks somewhat like coffee grounds. Other evidence of infestation includes kick-out holes, damaged wood, swarms and swarmer wings or bodies.
Click here to find out how the Hughes STEPS® Total Protection System can help protect your family and home from subterranean and drywood termites.