termite information

General Ways to Kill Termites:

1) Liquid Termite Treatment - Liquid termiticides are sprayed around your house to kill or repel any termites coming into contact with them.

2) Termite Baits - The other major way to kill termites, baits are placed around your home and gradually kill off a colony by spreading small amounts of pesticides through the workers.

3) Borate Termite Treatment - Borate treatments are applied directly to wood in your house, sort of like a coat of paint. This is best done when the house is being constructed, however.

4) Fumigation - A method that only works on a specific species, the drywood termite, that is common in the Southernmost parts of the United States.

"Swarmers" or Winged Termites

The kind of termite that people see most often is a flying termite. They look a lot like ants - you see them swarming around in a big cloud, and they will crawl towards light sources, often entering your home through windows or cracks. They are not a specific species of termite - rather, they are a class in the termite caste system called swarmers or reproductives. Their presence indicates that somewhere nearby is a colony of termites. If you see them coming out of your house and flying elsewhere, that's a bad sign - that means they are probably living in your home.

Subterranean Termite

This is the most common kind of termite. They are found throughout the continental United States, so you will have to be on guard pretty much anywhere. They're also generally the kind of termite that does the most damage to a house. There are several different species, but the common thread is that they live underground, forming a colony that connects between the dirt and the wood in your house. They get food from the wood in your house, and water from the moisture in the soil. If there's no direct connection between the two, they will often build mud-based tunnels to connect them (a sure sign of an infestation).


Property Damage From Termites

How badly can termites hurt your home? Well, throughout the United States they cause billions of dollars in destruction every year. They can destroy things ranging from wood, trees on your property, books, plants, and even parts of swimming pools. Just by existing, they can prevent you from selling your home - no one is going to want to buy without getting rid of them first and assessing the extent of the damage, and many home sale contracts are conditioned on successfully passing a termite inspection.

Protecting Your Home From Termites

If you don't already have termites, then there are a lot of things you can do to prevent an infestation in the first place. For the most part, home remedies and "natural" ways of dealing with them will ONLY prevent an infestation. If you've already got a colony in or near your home, you're going to have to have an exterminator get rid of it. You can, however, cut down on chemicals and costs by some simple termite prevention techniques. They aren't foolproof, but they will reduce the chance of another infestation.





Termites can cause significant damage to buildings if they go undetected and untreated. The following termite pictures can help you identify termites so you can deal with them.

Subterranean Termites

These are subterranean termites. Due to their nature they tend to be very hard to find. They stay underground where it is moist, since heir bodies require moisture for them to survive. The termite picture on the left shows two termite workers at the top of the picture and one soldier termite at the bottom.
Sometimes they find wood under or on the ground near them. Things like wood piles or even landscaping wood are prime targets for subterranean termites. If they can't find a wood source on the ground, they will build termite tubes up to a wood source. These tubes will run up foundations or can even be straight up off the ground. These tubes keep the termites in contact with the ground and protect them from predators as they go between their colony and their food source. The presence of these tubes running up your foundation or on walls is a sure sign of subterranean termite activity.
Termite Swarmer

Click here to watch a video of termite swarmers.
Getting Professional Termite Help
It is hard to remove termites, especially if the damage is widespread. What you need to do is seek the help of experts. Please contact us to for more information.



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Following is a list of hot topics you should know about pests:

Termite Swarmer You Tube Video

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Indentifying Termites

Facts about Roaches

Ants versus Termites

Termite Pictures

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