Termites

There are three main types of termites that can cause problems for homeowners in Central Texas- native subterranean termites, formosan subterranean termites and drywood termites.  To identify termites you will need to obtain soldiers (ones with a hard head with large mandibles) or reproductives with wings.

Native subterranean termie soldier.

Native subterranean termites have nests in the soil and must maintain contact with soil or an above-ground moisture source to survive.  If native subterranean termites move to areas above ground they make shelter (mud) tubes of fecal material, saliva and soil to protect themselves.

Formosan subterranean termite soldiers.

Formosan termites are a more voracious type of subterranean termite.  These termites have been spread throughout Texas through transport of infested material or soil.  Formosan termites build carton nests that allow them to survive above ground without contact with the soil.  Nests are often located in hollow spaces, such as wall voids.

Formosan termites feed on a wider variety of cellulose than other subterranean termites, including live plants, consuming both spring and summer growth wood whereas native subterranean termites feed only on spring growth.    Formosan termites have also been known to chew through non-cellulose materials such as soft metals, plaster or plastic.

Drywood termite pellets (fecal material).

Drywood termites do not need contact with soil and reside in sound, dry wood.  These termites obtain moisture from the wood they digest. Drywood termites create a dry fecal pellet that can be used as an identifying characteristic.  They have smaller colonies- around 1,000 termites- than subterranean termites; they also do not build shelter tubes.

If you are concerned that you may have termites, call a pest management professional to inspect your home for termites.

March 7, 2014 Webinar: Staright Talk About Termites

I know, I know...it's not Friday when I usually post, but I wanted to give you the heads up before tomorrow.  The next webinar in the All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series is TOMORROW, March 7th!  The webinar will begin at 2 PM Eastern (1 PM Central).

The Seminar is titled "Straight Talk About Termites" and will be about 45 minutes long.  It is presented by Dr. XingPing Hu and moderated by Mallory Kelley. You will learn how termites live and what you need to know to prevent them from recycling your things.

For more information on the seminar click here (this will take you to a page with the link to click to login to the webinar).

For information on the entire All bugs good and bad webinar series for 2014, click here.

I hope that you can join us for the webinar.  Remember, the webinars are FREE and will be recorded, so if you happen to have a scheduling conflict, you can watch it later.

Termites are swarming!

I was wondering when it would happen....we got the rain last week and it's been warming up this week....

The termites are here! The termites are here!

I was on my way back from lunch pondering what I should blog about today and I looked down and saw a termite swarmer crawling on my hand. How's that for a serendipitous moment? It was a subterranean swarmer...cute little bugger. I, of course, let it go to fly away where the winds will lead.

So what does all for this mean for you, my readers? Well, if you're a pest management professional, prepare for the phones to ring non-stop and lots of termite inspections. If you're a homeowner, I would use it as a gentle reminder to inspect your home for termites or a have professional do it for you. How, do you wonder, do you inspect your home for termites? Well, let me tell you.....

Outside:

• Examine around the foundation of your home for shelter/ mud tubes. If found, tubes can be broken open to see if there are termites inside.
• Watch for areas where the foundation is completely covered with soil. You may want to consider reducing the soil level so that the foundation can be viewed.
  
• Inspect areas of moisture build up. This could be near the foundation if the soil doesn't slope away from it and sprinkles water flower beds or by AC units.
• Check areas near swimming pools that are splashed with water.
• Look at gutters and eaves for areas that might leak or cause water damage.
  
• Inspect any areas with wood to soil contact (fences, trellises, etc.).

Inside:

• Inspect wood areas- hardwood floors, door and window facings, baseboards, etc. Check for any weakened areas in the wood.
• Inspect walls and ceilings for moisture damaged areas. Discoloration or staining can often be a sign of water leaks.
  
• Examine any cracks in the slab or expansion joints for termite entry.
• Look for blistering of paint on walls.
• Inspect areas where pipes/ plumbing penetrate the slab (i.e. bath traps). If there is no accessible area to the bath trap, install a hatch or vent so inspection can be performed regularly.
  
• Examine attic area for mud/ shelter tubes, wood rot or damaged wood.
• If the house is pier and beam construction, inspect the crawl space (area between the house & the ground). Look around the piers for mud/shelter tubes.

These inspection tips are for subterranean termites (including formosans), but not drywood termites. Drywood termites do not need contact with soil like subterranean termites.

On a side note, Mike Merchant has a post on some new information on Colony Collapse Disorder. You can check out his blog Insects in the City.