We all can agree that termites are terrible insects to have as guests in the house. Termites eat up all the structural wood found in our homes. Bit by bit, until eventually our homes are quietly destroyed. That is how termites operate, silently and cruelly.
Termites have a reputation of being "silent destroyers", a reputation that is pretty much well-earned. They have caused around $1.5 Billion in structural damages in the United States annually, plus millions more in exterminating them. For this reason, residents of North Carolina only look for the best in pest control management. After all, they consider it a good investment.
What Is a Wood Destroying Insect Report
Do you know that even property sellers are fearful of termites? This is because the presence of these pests can affect the sale or non-sale of a house or a building. It can either lower the selling price, or the buyer will totally abandon the thought of buying the property and look elsewhere.
If you are the buyer, you would not want to be counting the days until your newly acquired house would be rendered useless because of the destruction the termites caused. If you are the buyer, it is your right to ask for a Wood Destroying Insect Report. This is a report performed by professional licensed termite exterminators that indicate if there are already damages made on the wood structures of a building caused by wood-destroying insects. Aside from termites, there are some other wood-boring insects out there, including carpenter ants.
If you are the seller of the house, then this report is often a requirement that you should secure. This is of course for you and the buyer’s peace of mind. Keep in mind though that this is only a report on whether the house or building is damaged, or has potential issues in the future. No treatment is necessarily made.
Make sure you get a licensed professional pest exterminator to do this. If you are in the Carolinas, call Go-Forth Home Services for a professional and detailed inspection of your house. Having been established since 1959, they have excellent experience in handling this kind of job.
Termite Description
There are around 2,000 termites species all throughout the world. Of this number, only 40 are in the United States. When you look at them individually, they do not look much. They are small insects, measuring about 4 to 15 mm in length. Their bodies consist of 3 segments namely the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax. Each segment has two legs. A termite has no narrowing at the waist, and is rectangular in shape; they have antennae attached to their heads, four wings, and are transparent, or light creamy color. Soldier termites are blind and use their antennae to do the job for them, allowing them to sense vibrations, touch, taste, and odor.
The Most Common Types of Termites Found in the United States
Of the 2,000 species of termites worldwide, there are only 40 of them in the United States. And out of this number, we can actually count four kinds of them as the most common. Here they are listed below:
Subterranean termites - This type of termites cause the most damage to our homes. They damage structures faster than any other termites, save for the Formosan termites. Subterranean termites’ nests are usually in contact with the soil. They have very sharp teeth and strong jaws. These mouthparts allow them to eat wood, books, paper, and other cellulose-based materials. They prefer to live in dark places with high humidity. Detecting them is very difficult because when they feed on the structural wood, they only eat the middle part and leave the outer casing. Once the homeowner discovers their presence, it usually becomes too late.
Formosan termites - Known to be the aggressive type, they measure about 1/2 inches in length. Their nests can contain millions of their kind. And since they multiply very quickly, they bring damage to structures faster than any other termites.
Drywood termites- Drywood termites’ colonies build colonies that are very small compared to the colonies of other termites. They have large mandibles with teeth. They have two sets of wings and are 12 mm long. They are able to get into our homes each time they spot exposed wood. Flying dry wood termites are the most visible.
Unlike all the other termites, dry wood termites nest in wood, not in soil. Their nests are located mostly above ground. They infest dry wood like lumber, utility poles, fences, decks, furniture, and dead limbs on trees. Drywood termites eat wood by cutting across its grain, so upon examination, you would see a chamber-like pattern. Some of these chambers are filled with fecal pellets. The dry wood termites then often throw away these fecal pellets outside through small openings. To us humans, this is very important since it gives away their presence under the wood’s casing.
Dampwood termites - Dampwood termites prefer to live in places with high moisture, very much the opposite of the dampwood termites. They are attracted to wood that is damaged by water. They are much larger than the subterranean termites when it comes to the size of their bodies.
Termites VS Ants
Some people are confused with these two insects. After all, they do look the same. One type of ant species can also do damage to your home: the Carpenter ants. It is best to know which one you may have at home. This way you would know the kind of treatment you will need.
Both termites and carpenter ants are capable of inflicting huge structural damage to our homes. They both burrow into the wood, have the same size, and both come out during spring to mate.
As far as body shape, ants have a narrow waist, whereas termites have rectangular bodies. Ants’ antennae are bent, while termites have straight antennae. Both have two pairs of wings; a termite’s wings have the same length, while an ant’s wings have shorter hind wings compared to the forewings. Ants are reddish-brown in color, while termites are transparent, or light to creamy in color.
How Do We Get Rid of Termites
Though the best way to get rid of termites is to call the best pest control management in North Carolina, Go-Forth Home Services, there are still some ways we can do this ourselves. If you are on a tight budget, here are a few ways to control termites:
- Clean around the house. Termites are definitely attracted to dirt. If there are leaky pipes and faucets, make sure to fix them at once. Termites are like damp places.
- Seal cracks and crevices, and repair broken seals in the foundation of the house. Use 16-grit sand. This will help block off all possible entry points for these termites.
- As much as possible, do not buy furniture made of wood so as not to add more items that would attract termites. But in case you have wooden furniture and are infested with termites, bring it out to the sun. The heat from the sun can kill termites too.
- Use a wet cardboard trap. Cardboard is made of cellulose material, plus making it damp enough would surely attract termites. Place wet cardboard in an area near the termites. Once there are plenty of them on the cardboard, you can grab the cardboard and burn it along with the termites.
- Use beneficial nematodes. These are worms that are natural predators of these termites. You can buy these at a local gardening store near you.
- Good ventilation decreases moisture, something the termites thrive on. Make sure you have good airflow in your home.
- Put sand around the foundations of your house. Termites have trouble crawling on the sand.
Doing these things would certainly help prevent termite infestation in your home. Unfortunately, once termites are already settled in our homes, there is nothing much we could do. The only way then is to call the pest experts to do the dirty work.
Go-Forth Home Services
Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned commercial service solutions provider of modern pest control services and techniques, using the latest and most advanced technology in the business, making our service to you more efficient, safer, and more convenient. We have a team of expert professionals who can provide the best pest control services to residents and business establishments all throughout North and South Carolina.
We bring in a new and fresh approach to the pest control industry, using family-friendly and pet-friendly methods of extermination that cater to your specific needs. Our expert experience in exterminating pests like cockroaches, weevils, mosquitoes, mice, flies, termites, ants, and spiders can really make you say goodbye to these pests. You may check us on Facebook or Google us to see what our satisfied customers have to say about us.
Go-Forth Home Services has earned the trust of residents and businesses in North Carolina for more than 50 years. For more information, or to set an appointment, just click here or dial (877) 274-1475. Our friendly operators are standing by.