Subterranean termites can be a problem at any time of the year. However, with the hottest months being right around the corner, this is when these pests become even more active. If you see swarms of termites, this signals they are nearby. It is imperative to know how to identify termites and control them. Many times when a homeowner has a swarm they mistake them for other insects and find themselves questioning themselves "do I have termites or winged ants?"
You might not even realize you have a termite issue until you see swarming termites. This is why it is always recommended to have a WDO Inspection company inspect at least on an annual basis. Termites swarm when attempting to set up a new colony. Nuptial flight is another term for swarming, and it lasts roughly thirty to sixty minutes.
Termites fly towards the light, and you can often see them on windowsills. Seeing a swarm of termites close by is never good news for a homeowner or business owner.
The termite workers are the ones who inflict most of the damage. Follow these guidelines to avoid things that attract termites to your home. Termite roles includes feeding the king and queen as well as the soldier termites. Also, they look after the larvae. Termite workers do pretty much everything needed to keep the colony thriving and growing. If you suspect termites in your home, and find discarded wings or insect bodies, it is important to know what to do if you see a termite swarm.
Where are these Termites Found?
Every year more homeowners find out they have a termite infestation. Drywood and subterranean termites can be an issue in coastal towns, including Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Coast, Ponce Inlet, Flagler Beach, Daytona Beach, Oak Hill, and Ormond Beach.
You can find subterranean termites in almost every state. The southern states have a larger termite population, although you can find them in some northern regions. If you live in a region that has subterranean termites, and you own a home or business, you will want to know all about eastern subterranean termites and treatments. Knowledge is power, and having an understanding of these hidden destroyers can save you thousands of dollars, especially if you are one of the unlucky ones who receives a visit from Florida's Formosan Termites.
Termites spend their lives living inside the wood and creating galleries and tunnels. They cause widespread destruction of homes and businesses and cost millions a year to treat and fix.
A Closer Look at Drywood Termites
Homes with active Drywood termites should have a tent fumigation if the property owner is looking for a 100% effective treatment to fully eradicate these hidden destroyers. Localized areas with damage or activity may either have a termite spot treatment carried out or might have to get the affected wood taken out.
What is a Tent Fumigation?
Structures with a history of Drywood termites might need tent fumigation company. The same might apply if an inspection reveals termites that are deeply embedded in the building with several colonies.
Vikane is the name of the gas used to fumigate Drywood termites. It is nondetectable and odorless, so teargas is added to alert us to its presence. If you enter a structure that is being fumigated with Vikane, your eyes will tear up, and you would cough and choke as a precaution, so the odorless gas would not go undetected, resulting in death.
Tent Fumigation For Drywood termites is a safe Integrated Pest Management treatment when performed properly. Vikane, like Helium, is lighter than air and able to penetrate doors and walls, along with sheetrock, metal, and wooden wall studs.
The building having the tent fumigation performed is enclosed in a huge tent to prevent the gas from escaping. Big rubber tubes known as water snakes are placed on the ground sealing the tent in place. This means trees and shrubs around the house should be cut down and rocks taken out, so there is space for the rubber tubes.
It takes around three days to fumigate fully. The house has to be aired out with fans before you can go back in. Measuring devices are used to make sure no residual gas is trapped anywhere in the building.
It can cost a lot to fumigate a structure but bear in mind the cost of repairing termite damage can be a lot higher. Besides that, not dealing with a termite infestation means reproductive swarms can enter surrounding houses or businesses via open doors or windows or through attic vents.
Drywood Termite Behavior
Drywood termites don’t travel in mud tubes like subterranean termite species, but they can cause just as much damage to buildings.
Drywood termites leave piles of frass after eating wood. Frass is a mixture of feces and digested wood. These pellets are uniform in color, size, and shape.
Just like other varieties of termites, the Drywood type feeds on wood cellulose. They have special protozoa in the gut to break the cellulose down to be used for energy. The termites would be unable to obtain energy without these protozoa and would die.
This mutualism, or symbiotic relationship, means the gut microbes and termites benefit one another. This is a similar relationship to bees and flowers or sharks and pilot fish. Humans also have various bacteria within the intestinal tract, which is another example of mutualism.
How Termites Communicate with Each Other
Drywood termites and subterranean ones communicate with pheromones. This allows them to recognize termites in their colony and distinguish between those and ones from another colony.
Termites will forage to look for cellulose sources, such as an old tree stump or your house. They will then use pheromones to announce to the rest of the colony that they found a food source.
Ants find food and water using pheromones, which is why they march in line. Pheromones can suppress insect populations, so delaying the male and female mating makes it possible to reduce an insect colony’s numbers.
Termites are very successful at reproducing. A queen can lay a thousand eggs per day and will live for many years. This means she can produce millions of eggs during her lifetime.
Why Do Termites Swarm?
These pests tend to swarm twice per year when the colony has matured and become large. The actual time between a first infestation and swarming depends on various factors such as heat and humidity, the time of year, and sunlight.
When a pair of reproductive swarming termites mate, they become a new king and queen. The metamorphosis of the termite is egg and then nymph and then adult. Nymphs will also separate into castes: king, queen, soldier, or worker.
Termite soldiers defend the colony. Ants are the biggest enemy of termite colonies. If the soldiers detect a threat, the soldiers will bang their heads against the nest wall to make a vibration, warning the other termites of impending danger. The termites will try to fight the ants with their big mandibles.
Subterranean Termite Information
Subterranean termites do the most damage out of all the termite groups, including Formosan and Drywood. They cost billions every year in damage. Subterranean termite mud tubes can be as thin as a pencil or a foot or more in width. These termites are constantly scavenging for food underground, unlike the Drywood type.
When large parts of forested land are cleared for new housing developments, termites will have a rich wood source in the new homes.
Why We Use Liquid Termite treatments and Trelona Bait Stations for Termite Elimination
At Imperial Pest Prevention, we use Liquid Termite treatments as they are the most effective. In certain circumstances we will also use Trelona bait stations With annual pre-bait cartridges. You will have peace of mind knowing you have a line of defense around your house to protect it from termites.
We install Trelona bait stations around the perimeter of the building, eight to ten feet apart. The size of your homes linear footage determines how many stations are required.
The termite bait stations are installed between 12 and 18 inches from the foundation. They go 10 to 12 inches deep in the ground. We carefully check for any obstructions, such as underground irrigation water lines, before installing each bait station.
Our qualified termite technicians place bait stations wherever termites might be attracted. For example, high moisture areas around the foundation from irrigation systems, gutter downspouts, and AC units can be conducive to these pests. Any site with fallen tree limbs or branches, or woodpiles, or tree stumps can also be attractive to termites.
How Does Trelona Bait Work?
We use Trelona bait stations for the sole reason they are the most effective way of eliminating termites. Each bait station has a circular block of cellulose and noviflumuron inside, which is an insecticide. Nuviflumuron is an IGR, or insect growth regulator, which stops subterranean termites from molt and development.
This disruption leads to the decline and eventual death of the whole colony. Scientific studies show that Trelona Yearly Bait is more attractive to termites than regular wood. Also, the longer the bait is in the ground, the more appealing it becomes to them. The appeal works for up to 10 years in the soil.
BASF, an expert in subterranean termite elimination, supports the Trelona baiting system. We also use liquid treatments alongside the Trelona for optimal protection.
Liquid termiticides work quickly and can kill up to 6 feet away from the treatment area. Also, they kill by transferring the chemical from one termite to another. Using both Trelona and liquid treatments ensures the systems work in conjunction and also that you aree receiving the most thorough termite treatment possible
Contact Imperial Pest Prevention today to get a pest control estimate for your customized hybrid termite treatments to treat your home or business. How much is Pest Control in Florida? Excellent question, this can be dependent upon the severity of the pest infestation, the location of your home, the layout or construction of your home, as well as any specifics that may require special treatments. Call us and we will have a qualified office assistant guide you through the best possible solution, and quote a price over the phone if possible.