Termites, actually called white ants, are a type of social insect that eats primarily dead wood and other dead plant material. About ten percent of the several thousand different specifies of termites are considered pests that can cause a lot of problems in buildings, forests, and crops. However, not all termites are pests. Some are an important part of the cycle of decomposing plant matter, and are vital to the ecology of subtropical and tropical areas.
The colonies termites live in range from several thousand to sometimes nearing tens of millions. Workers, soldiers, kings, queens and nymphs all live inside the average colony. Kings and queens are the reproductive termites and even though they are called by such royal names they are not necessarily the leaders of the colony. There might be multiple couples per colony. In the same way as ants the queens have very large abdomen and can have more then two thousand eggs a day. This abdomen hampers her mobility so she has worker termites always helping her.
We group types of termites according to what they eat and there are several different kinds of termite groups. These are subterranean termites, drywood termites, dampwood termites, grass eating termites and soil-feeding termites. he common house pest termites are drywood and subterranean termites and encompass all the types of termites. These we call the home wreckers and are most likely to cause damage to houses. All termites eat dead plant matter but some do not eat any kind the humans care about so really are harmless.
Since termites do their work hidden it is hard to tell when they are doing their damage until it is to late. Even crazier is the termites don’t stop at wood. Since they eat all cellulose they will eat your books and papers, carpets, fabrics and more. That’s right even our favorite pair of boxers. They also like to use soft comfortable things in their nests so watch out for your soft plastics and rubber.
Termites try to avoid environmental conditions that aren’t favorable to them, staying underground or in tunnels in wood when possible. If they have to cross a substrate they don’t like, they’ll build tubes or tunnels over it to travel in. Sometimes these tubes can be a number of yards long, extending up the outside of trees and structures. This is why termite barrier systems are able to keep them out of homes. This method of discouraging these pests keeps termites from having a concealed access to their favorite places, making them create tubes out in the open. Once you see these tubes, you can destroy them.
To avoid getting termites in your home, you should make sure that there are no timbers contacting the ground. Use a termite resistant foundation with barriers, but be aware that termites may bridge these. Inspect them regularly for shelter tubes. While poisoned soil barriers are available, they have undesirable side effects and should only be used if a physical method isn’t available. You can also treat susceptible timbers and use termite resistant woods. Paying close attention to the state of your home is the best way to avoid an infestation.
With some prevent defence you can make sure your house is safe from all types of termites. Good Luck
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