|
What to look for:
Four "castes" of a termite colony:
Worker: approximately
one-forth of an inch long, light colored, wingless;
Soldier: elongated
head with mandibles;
Supplementary Reproductives: wingless or very
short, non-functional wings; light colored;
Primary Reproductives: winged, and darker than
other members; caste most often seen by homeowners.
Habits:
Live in colonies underground, from which they
build tunnels in search of food; able to reach
food above the level of the ground by building
mud tubes; dependent on moisture for survival.
Diet:
Wood and other cellulose material.
Reproduction:
Different rates of growth from egg stage to adult
depend on individual species; one queen per colony,
which can lay tens of thousands of eggs in her
lifetime, but most eggs are laid by supplementary
reproductives in an established colony.
Other Information:
Cause more damage to homes in U.S. than storms
and fire combined; colonies can contain up to
1,000,000 members.
Termites are a constant, natural part of the
environment and could be considered to be beneficial
because they remove dead and dying plant materials
and thus speed up nutrient cycling and hold down
fire hazards. The presence of mud tubes
on trees or fences, or winged termite sin your
yard does no mean your house is in any danger,
nor do you necessarily need to treat with
additional pesticides. As only as your
termite barrier is in police, there should be
no cause for alarm.
Subterranean termites produce flat "plates"
of mud as well as tubes. Subterranean termites
keep in contact with the soil via mud tubes. Once,
inside their tunnels follow the wood grain and
are encrusted with mud as well. These are often
seen on trees or other r exposed wood. If the
mud tubes or plates are unsightly, you can wash
them off with garden hose. Termites do no
damage healthy plants. They do not harm
tress and other vegetation unless the plants are
stressed by pests, or improper care.
Cleaning up around the house may also help prevent
subterranean termites. Remove all firewood
that is in contact with the house. Remove any
wood or stones in contact with the ground that
may breach the chemical barrier at the base of
the foundation. The termites can climb over the
barrier they may be able to reach your house. Remove
wood scraps during construction, don't bury scraps
of wood in he soil . Keep wooden planters or raised
beds away from the foundation of the house. Don't
use wood chips as mulch close to the house and
avoid excess watering near the foundation. Keep
wood members in the house as dry as possible by
repairing leaks and correcting faulty drainage
where water may collect. |
