Subterranean Termites

The Western Subterranean Termite and the Dampwood Termite are the two main species found in our area. Termites can be found in many different areas of your home with the most likely area being the crawlspace or the garage. Dampwood termites don’t require any treatment because they need a high moisture content caused by a leak in the wood to survive. If you fix the leak and repair the wood you will eliminate Dampwood Termites. The Subterranean Termites are another story because they will do major damage and can go undetected for a very long time. They get their moisture from the ground which is where they nest while foraging up to feed on your home. To get from the ground, they will need wood to ground contact or they can build mud tubes to get from the ground into the structure.

Subterranean Termite workers are small, about a ¼ inch in size and a creamy white in color. The swarmers are black in color and have wings that are double the length of the body. The soldier termites are about ⅜ inch in size and have a reddish brown head and cream colored body. You will not see the subterranean termites out in the open except for the swarmers when they fly in the fall as we get changes in the humidity. The workers will forage for food, repair the mud tubes and can help care for the young. The soldiers are the protectors of the colony guarding the accesses into the elaborate tunnel systems that make up the nest by plugging mud tubes or by attacking the intruder using their large mandibles. Reproductive termites come in primary and secondary. The primary reproductive are the king and queen that started the nest and the secondary are mature termites that have been designated to reproduce.

Dampwood termites are about ½ inch to 1” in size and also have swarmers that are reddish brown in color. During the fall many people see the larger Dampwood swarmers and are concerned they may have a termite problem, but it is unlikely the Dampwood termites are in your home and more likely they are in a stump around your property.

Before any treatment is done, a full pest inspection needs to be performed to determine where the termites are getting in and to determine if there are any hidden areas termites may be gaining access to the structure. Termites can get through a crack about the width of a credit card so it’s imperative to check the whole home and decide what’s going to be the best treatment for each individual home. If termites are discovered in the crawlspace we recommend a treatment of all the wood in the crawlspace with Boracare, a penetrating borate that will protect the wood. Boracare is a long lasting product that will protect for 10 plus years. We will also do a spot treatment with a termiticide where any live termites are found in the crawlspace. If termites are found coming up through the concrete in the garage using mud tubes, it would be necessary to do a sub slab injection with the termiticide Termidor along the wall where the activity is, in addition to the crawlspace treatment. There will be some instances that we use a baiting program if that is the best course of action. Termite services are one of the most comprehensive services that we provide and involves treating the whole home to protect the structure against reinfestation.

Termite services come with a one to ten year guarantee dependent on the type of products used and where applied.