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How Termite Infestations Spread Through A Neighborhood

One of the worst aspects of a termite colony is that it will often spread to the surrounding area, infesting multiple buildings in a single neighborhood. This is true for subterranean, drywood, and dampwood termites. In this article, we will cover how termite infestations spread throughout a neighborhood.

Subterranean termites

Subterranean termites get their name from the fact that they build large underground colonies. These colonies send scouts to the surface to find wood to consume, and they require a lot of wood, especially as they get larger. This means that a single colony can infest multiple homes in a neighborhood at once.

To make matters worse, the main control option used to deal with these termites is a chemical barrier. The chemical barrier is effective at stopping infestations, but it cannot destroy the colony from which they originate. This means that the infested building is no longer accessible to the underground colony, and the termites will have to look for a new source of wood, increasing the likelihood that a building in the area will be infested.

Drywood/dampwood termites

Drywood/dampwood termites differ from subterranean termites in one key way: they do not build their colonies underground. Instead, they build their colonies directly in the wood they infest. This not only slows down the rate at which they damage a building, it also slows down the rate at which these termites spread through an area.

Drywood/dampwood termite colonies are started by swarmers, which are winged reproductive termites. These swarmers are only spawned once a colony reaches maturity, and for the most part, they fail to start new colonies. This does not mean that the risk of neighborhood spread does not exist, but it is much lower than when dealing with subterranean termites.

Preventing home damage

If one of your neighbors has a termite infestation, the best way to make sure your home is safe is to call over a pest control professional to perform an inspection. You can also ask your neighbor what type of infestation they had and how they got it under control. If your neighbor had a subterranean termite infestation and he used a chemical barrier to stop it, then your home is at higher risk of infestation for example.

For more information on how termite infestations spread, or if you suspect that you have an infestation in your home, contact us today, and we will gladly help you.

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