Despite the fact that termites can’t be seen, over two million homes in the Unites States need to have termite pest control each year. It often takes a trained termite inspector to verify that your home has termites, and getting rid of them yourself is almost impossible. Admittedly, termites have their place – they contribute to the natural decay cycle of leaves, plants and fallen trees and feed on the chemical cellulose, although you don’t want them in your home.
Katy Resident Asks How Do Termites Live
- A termite colony can contain between 60,000 and 1.5 million of the little pests.
- They get most of their moisture from the soil and often build their colony in poles, trees or the soil.
- Termites are workers, soldiers, queens, kings or winged swarmers and their colony is divided into several different castles or hierarchies.
Signs of Termites
Signs of infestation. Distorted or thin areas of paint on a wooden surface. These bubbles of paint are typically cool when touched.
- Your floor, counter tops or window sills may be covered with hundreds of similar sized very thin wings, measuring up to half an inch in length.
- Tubes of mud, about the same diameter as a pencil, connecting wooden areas to the soil, and stretching across areas of concrete.
It is often easy to mistake termites in Katy residences. They are mistaken as flying ants during the fall and spring, as swarms of termites can take to the skies, especially after heavy rain. This swarm of termites often leaves the colony at dawn or dusk, typically during the spring months. However, homeowners usually never see the soldier or worker termites at work.
As the numbers of termites in a colony grow, they look for wood to feast on farther away from their colony. Foraging termites like to link their newly discovered food supply to their colony by making long narrow tunnels, often from debris, mud and feces. These tunnels can be above the ground or below, making them obviously harder to spot. These tubes allow termites to go into a building to feed, without the building’s wooden areas being in contact with the soil. The spaces around plumbing fixtures are common methods of entry for termites, as are cracks and fissures in concrete blocks, hollow bricks or foam insulation, and an opening of just 1/32nd of an inch is sufficient for a termite to enter.
Preventative Termite Pest Control
Termite pest control should include the following preventative measures:
- Lumber, firewood and other items should be stored at least several feet from a building.
- Maintain a gap of at least one foot between the foundation of your home and the wooden supports of a deck, patio or other separate wooden structure.
- Any wooden construction in contact with the ground should use only pressure treated wood.
- Make sure you have a space of at least a foot between your home’s foundation and wood chips or wood mulch.
- Leaking fixtures or water lines that come into contact with your home should be repaired or replaced.
- Any fixtures causing your house to get wet should be repaired, including shingles, gables, eaves or downspouts.
- Make sure the moisture level in your crawlspace isn’t too high and monitor it regularly.
- During the spring, you can help to repel swarms of termites here in Katy. Use pale amber or yellow outdoor lights instead of white lights.
Proper termite pest control starts with a regular termite inspection, and if you have termites Hartz Pest Control will dispatch an exterminator trained in termite inspection and treatment. We we will eliminate your problem with a baiting system or a chemical barrier.