Everything You Should Know About Subterranean Termites

It might be hard to believe this, but several kinds of pests can evade detection for some time. For instance, termites aren’t the most visible. Generally, you won’t spot them unless you’re looking closely at the soil or can see the inside of a wall. This is the case with most wood-wrecking insects. Evidence of termite damage doesn’t appear right away, so critter monitoring must be an ongoing process.

In America, $5 billion is used for termite treatments, deterrence, and recovery each year. Financial backing from insurance companies is nearly non-existent. If you want to keep your property from being vulnerable, you have to know the signs of termites inside your house or business. Read on to get this information and more now. Pacific Shore Pest Control can assist you. 

Identifying Subterranean Termites

In this area, subterranean termites are prevalent. Cocoons are filled with workers, soldiers, and swarmers. Workers, who attack wood the most, are 0.12 of an inch long and white or grayish-white. As you might imagine, soldiers have a protective role. Color-wise, they are yellow-brown. Among their distinguishing features are mandibles of considerable size and rectangular heads. Swarmers are black, yellow, or brown and ½ of an inch long. These very active termites fly and reproduce. Light sources, like fixtures and lamps, appeal to them. You’ll know a termite colony on your local property is around if you come across swarmers.

Signs of termites inside your house or establishment go beyond swarmer sightings. Particular signs that should alert you to their presence are:

• Discovering the shed wings of swarmers
• Finding mountains of fecal frass by the mud tubes, holes, and maze patterns of termites
• Having walls that sound hollow 
• Hearing soft noises from behind walls  
• Inflating or stripping paint 
• Limp or discolored drywall
• Floorboards giving in or tiles loosening  
• Tight doors and window frames 

Problems Subterranean Termites Cause

Infestations of active termites often begin with structural gaps. If the bugs don’t crawl through those, they’ll be in wood pieces on the ground. The outcomes are never ideal when said blocks are incorporated into the formation of a dwelling or pulled indoors. Flooring, walls, and bases may be rickety or wobbly after termites have arrived. Medically, the pests don’t bring disease, but they impact allergies.

Termites do have environmental and nutritional value, however. Their destruction of wood circulates nutrients for plants and trees into the earth. Across the world, people have them as an edible delicacy. These facts are far from balancing things out, however.

How To Prevent Subterranean Termites

A termite colony on your local property will undoubtedly be voluminous and develop swiftly. By thinking more toward prevention than extermination, you might be able to inhibit these insects from the start. Evidence of termite damage doesn’t have to occur:

• Get rid of decaying or injured wood.
• Fix leaks and moisture defects as soon as possible; address those dampening wood first. 
• Seal openings with caulking in foundations and utility lines. 
• Make sure all doors that face the outside have screens.   
• Rinse out your gutters and vents often.   
• Sit plants and wood two feet or more away from the property.
• Don’t allow free wood, like fire logs, to have contact with the soil.     
• Keep your grass and greenery trimmed. 

How To Deal With Subterranean Termites

Do-it-yourself (DIY) techniques and commercial pesticides are only mildly successful against termites. Further, these items can be costly and noxious. There are no shortcuts around professional intercessions. At Pacific Shore Pest Control, we have affordable, safe, and effective termite treatments. Our eco-friendly solutions include industrial-grade baits and fumigation. Annual policies and guarantees are available. Call or email us today for a free quote!