There's nothing quite annoying like having these tiny, wood-eating monsters destroy your furniture or wooden structures from the inside, leaving you with nothing but deadwood.
Termite infestation can be a big problem for homeowners, especially in places like Delray Beach, where the sand and environment are conducive for their breeding.
If termites aren't controlled or eradicated, they can cause costly damage, and depending on the species, the damage may be more or less severe. Normal pest control products may not treat all termites, so specific termite management measures by homeowners living in termite-infested areas become a necessity.
One thing that makes it very difficult to control termites or eradicate them completely, is that they always attack in colonies. We'll cover the structure of a colony, different kinds of termites, and why professional pest control services are best for eliminating termites.
What Are The Various Types Of Termites In A Colony?
In every colony, you're sure to find different types of termites there. They all work together to achieve their common goal - feed and reproduce.
Here are the different kinds you'll find in a colony:
Worker Termites
These are the real destroyers and are responsible for finding food for the entire colony. They are also responsible for building termite structures such as molds, mud tubes, and nests.
Termite workers can be identified by their small, white bodies. They are the largest in number in any termite colony. These workers are the ones that really annoy homeowners, and call for termite control.
Soldier Termites
These guys are the protectors of the colony: They also double as the Queen's bodyguards. Soldier termites are the only termites that can bite humans who come in direct contact with them.
Termite Soldiers can be easily identified by their large reddish or brown heads, and large mandibles. Most soldier termites just like the workers are completely blind, save for a few species. Other pests, like the ants, are the main adversaries of soldier termites.
Termite Queens and Kings
Termite Queen
The termite Queen is the boss lady of the colony: she does nothing else, but eat and lay eggs. The workers have to supply the termite Queen with all the food and comfort she needs, and the duty of the soldiers to protect her with their lives.
Queens of termite colonies are rarely seen since they are heavily protected by the colony. They are larger than other termites, with an abnormally large abdomen.
Termite King
The termite King is the one who fertilizes the queen. They are usually slightly larger than the workers.
Winged Termites
These are the ones that swarm out at the onset of the rainy season. They are usually called termite swarmers: This is because they always swarm around a light source whenever they come out.
Termite swarmers so are also known as alates, and are the reproductive members of a termite colony. Unlike workers or soldiers, they have two pairs of large, pale wings.
The life cycle of a termite begins when the swarmers shed their wings and mate to form new colonies.
Different Types Of Termites You Can Find In A Termite Infestation
When it comes to termites, pest control can be a little tricky. Before carrying out pest control you need to know what types of termite are responsible for your crisis. As horrible as the idea of termite infestation can be, these pests actually are of different types.
The type of termite responsible for an infestation will determine the rate/amount of termite damage, as well as the termite control methods you should use.
Generally, there are 3 types of termites you can find anywhere, including Delray Beach.
3 Types of Termites
Drywood Termites
These termites are very common. They nest in wood, require little or no soil contact, and do not make any mud tunnels. Drywood termites are known to live deep inside dry wood, and feed on it; A good example of such wood is your furniture at home, doors, or any other exposed wood these pests can lay their mandibles on.
Drywood termites usually have small colonies (less than 1000), and they usually swarm during summer and fall. Homeowners can tell these pests are around whenever they swarm, or when their fecal pellets are discovered around the home.
A dry wood termite will always leave tiny fecal pellets wherever it feeds. One thing about them though, is that it's difficult to tell how far the infestation has gone into the wood. Most times, homeowners may need to replace the entire furniture.
Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termites are soil termites. They need soil moisture to survive, and so they normally access wood in man-made structures via mud tubes. These types of termites are the most destructive, as they feed on anything containing cellulose (books, wood, cartoon, etc.).
Subterranean termites are larger than their dry wood counterparts. If adequate termite prevention isn't done, these pests can critically damage a building structure, and even cause collapse. These termites are fond of breaking out in multiple locations during an infestation.
Dampwood Termites
These pests get their name from the damp, decaying structures they like to nest in and feed on. They are known to feed on dead plants, rotten or dead wood. And even so, they only infest structures that have high moisture content.
Dampwood termites are the largest of all termite types, and a soldier termite can be up to 20mm in size. They have no worker caste: Rather the nymph termite does the duties a worker termite would do in a colony.
Best Termite Control For All Types Of Termites
It's no small feat to control termites, as termites find virtually all their food sources in our homes (furniture, building structures, and all), and they have terrible feeding habits.
The first step to take is to find out the exact location where these termites live in your home before you go ahead to predict the extent of termite damage. For subterranean termites, you can use the mud tubes to trace where the termite colony is accessing your home from, underground.
Once this is done, the next thing is to unleash a weapon guaranteed to eradicate these pests. One such weapon, that has been proven extensively to be the best in termite control, is the Sentricom System.
What Is The Sentricon System and Why Is It So Good?
The Sentricon System involves using bait stations to lure termites to ingest poisonous cellulose. Since termites love cellulose, they can't resist sharing it with their colony members. In less than 90 days, the Sentricon System will wipe out the entire termite infestation.
Need Termite Control? Contact Southeast Florida Pest Control
The technicians at Southeast Florida Pest Control are trained to use the Sentricon System to help prevent your termite problems from even happening.
If you want to prevent termites, or if they happen to find their way onto your property, please do not hesitate to contact us at 561-488-1104 or request a free quote.