Termites

Termite Season
Termite season occurs when swarming begins in late February through May. To a limited extent, termites regulate temperature conditions to suit themselves. Therefore, some burrows will be situated above ground and some situated below the ground. Typically the winged reproductives (queens) may wait three months or more for the correct atmospheric conditions. When the humidity and temperature are adequate, the reproductives emerge from the tunnels that the workers and nymphs have built.

What is a Termite?
A termite is an insect with six legs and a three segmented body, consisting of a head, thorax, and abdomen. If you were to break open a piece of infested wood, you would see what appears to be maggots with legs. Termites are sensitive to touch, taste, odor, and pressure.

Termite Nesting
Termites can be categorized into two groups by their nesting sites. The earth-dwelling termites that make tunnels in the ground or build tubes above the earth are called subterranean termites. The second group, the wood-dwelling termites that have no contact with the earth, are called drywood termites.

Termites are so destructive because they are long lived, their colonies are self-repeating, and they have a constant supply of food. Termites are social insects and by creating tubes deep into the earth they protect themselves from extreme environmental conditions.

How Termites Infest Structures
Since termites try to avoid light and open air spaces, they keep themselves out of sight so you may seldom actually see a termite in your home. The tunnels give them the ability to go virtually undetected while reaching their food source, wood. Therefore, destruction can be "undetected" as well. Termites destroy over $750,000,000 in property annually. Nationally, that equates to over 2 million homes being damaged by termites. The following are a few ways that termites infest buildings:

• Wood to ground contact
• Foundation cracks
• Debris beneath the house
• Uneven drainage
• Joints between porches and foundations
• Pipes and the insulation around them

How to Identify a Termite
Termites exist primarily in three forms: winged reproductives, soldiers, and workers.

Termite Queen (reproductive)

Termite Soldier

Termite Worker

Identifying Termites Vs. Ants The differences between termites and ants can be observed visually. While similar at a glance, subterranean termite swarmers (left) differ from ant swarmers (right) in that they are ½ inch long, have thick waists and are yellowish-brown in color

Mud Tubes Being sensitive to temperature and light, termites like to insulate themselves from their surroundings by building mud tubes to travel from ground to wood.