Termite Inspection Information
Termite problems are all throughout the United States and Canada. They are relentless and destructive, to say the least. Important note, homeowners insurance almost neve covers termite infestation or any damage incurred from termites.
Termites feed on several things. They need the right conditions to become a thriving colony. They need moisture and they need food sources. Some of there food sources are things like wood, cardboard, wallboard, paper products, etc. They also can penetrate in all kinds of steel and masonry buildings, if there is any wood products used.
Biology of Subterranean termites:
What is needed to form a subterranean termite colony?
A subterranean termite colony must consist of the Queen termite, the King termite, winged reproductive termite swarmers, and termite soldiers and workers. The Queen and the King termites are something like the Kings and Queens of royalty. They occupy a cell together. The Queen can live up to 25 yrs and can lay thousands of eggs annually!
The reproductive termites can act as a replacement for the Queen if for some reason she would die. They can even produce eggs even if the Queen termite is alive and well. Reason being, to help multiple the existing colony. Please note that the winged reproductive termite are called swarmers. The best time is in the spring, to witness this remarkable reproductive process. They will swarm around the area of a well developed colony, then they will shed their wings and try and burrow into the ground with the mission of starting another new large colony.
Termite eggs are carefully watch over, by the worker termites. They watch over the eggs during the incubation period which last approx two weeks. Then they will turn into the nymph stage. The termite nymph, then can mature into a King, a Queen, a reproductive, a soldier, or a worker termite.
The soldier termites, are armed with armored heads and strong jaws. They use these weapons to protect the colony from any invaders. Their most common enemy are the ants.
Last but not least, we come to the worker termite. The worker termite is blind by nature but occupies the majority of the entire colony. They are also sterile and continually foraging to feed the colony 24 hrs a day. They are the most damaging of all the termites.
Also note, all termites are very illusive and hard to find.
Normally, the only real time that you have as a home owner to find termite infestation, is when they swarm.
Summation of Subterranean Termites:
Subterranean termites are nothing to play with. They are the #1 most destructive pest when it comes to destruction of existing structures, in the country!
Subterranean termites will build nest below the ground allowing them to be hidden from the world. The only real chance we have to find and control them, is to have regular termite inspections from an expert such as a licensed termite inspector.
They will continuously forage for wood for food like landscape timbers, rotted tree stumps, fences, decks, or any exterior wood structures that are not treated or the treated wood is old and non-effective anymore.
Subterranean termites are excellent finders of wood for food. They will build shelter tubes/mud tubes from feces, to protect them from the light and the air. They can build shelter/mud tubes anywhere, even on foundation walls.
Sometimes on a very rare occasion, I will see shelter/mud tubes start from the basement walls and go up 3 stories to the top of the roofs ridge board in the attic area. What a wake up call that is !!
Subterranean termites must continually return to the ground for moisture, in order to survive.
Also note, that there are other kinds of termites to contend with such as dry wood termites, formosan termites etc. But be of no alarm, the fact is that these kind of termites do not exist in this environment!
Treatment and Prevention:
When it comes to treatment and prevention, there are several schools of thought. There are basically only two ways to treat a property from subterranean termites.. First there is the original conventional way of treatment, and that is by creating a liquid barrier around your property. That can be done, by drilling your foundation walls etc., and then pumping chemicals into the drilled areas. Also, trenching and filling the ground with chemicals around the perimeter of the home. After the treatment is over, the customer generally signs for a 1 year renewable warranty on their property.This warranty generally covers a yearly inspection on the property and if for any reason, there is any re-infestation from termites, the property will get re-treated at no cost to the home owner.
That is the conventional way, now lets talk about the other option, and that is the baiting system. The baiting system is a new science, that has been around for the last 10 yrs or so. It’s method of treatment is to install around the entire perimeter, baiting stations. Each station, has it’s own food source. The theory behind the baiting stations is to lure the termite into the stations and feed them a chemical base product that the termite will take back and share with the other termites. This chemical is toxic to termites, and eventually is suppose to wipe out whatever colonies that are near the house.
The problem I have found with baiting stations, is the fact that you can have an active infestation eating at the structure of your house at the same time you have baiting station actively in place on the outside of your home.
Also, they are more costly in the beginning and more costly for prevention.
In the long run until science comes up with a more effective way of treating your property, the conventional way will always be the best way for treatment. This is solely my professional opinion only!!!!