Termites: How to Protect Your Home

By Jenni Boucher

There’s an old saying when it comes to termites in Florida: “There are only two types of homes in Florida – those that have termites and those that will have termites.” Termites are found in almost every state, Mexico and Canada, but Florida’s warm, humid climate provides a perfect breeding ground. The coastal and southern areas of the state have the highest occurrences of termite infestations.

What can you do to protect your home? The first thing you need to do is arm yourself with information about the different types of termites and how to spot an infestation. If you show signs of an infestation, then you should have a wood-destroying organism (WDO) inspection performed by a licensed pest control company to identify the type of termites present and recommend treatment. Many companies offer free WDO inspections for real estate transactions.

There are many different species of termites, however the most common termites in Florida are Subterranean Termites and Drywood Termites.

Subterranean Termites: This species builds very large colonies (up to 2 million insects) underground in moist soil. They build distinctive tunnels called mud tubes to gain access to food and water sources, including into your home through cracks in the concrete. They can vary between 1/8” and 1” in length, depending on the role (worker, soldier, breeder) of the termite, and are usually a creamy brown color. These termites swarm in the spring and are the most destructive species of termite because they can literally cause the entire structure to collapse. Many states in the southeastern U.S. have passed laws to limit the amount of cellulose-containing building materials (wood, drywall, etc.) in an effort to decrease damage caused by this species.

Subterranean Termite Nest

Drywood Termites: Unlike the subterranean termites, this species does not require contact with soil to survive. These termites infest dry wood and can often go undetected until they have caused significant structural damage. These termites occur in small colonies that develop slowly and several different colonies can infest a structure at the same time. They are ½” to 1” long and are either a creamy or reddish brown color. These termites are often confused with similar-looking flying ants. Some of the indicators that you have found a drywood termite and not a flying ant:

• ·        the termite will have a long, squared-off body with no visibly defined waist while the ant has a very defined waist and large abdomen
• ·        the four wings of the termite will be equal length to the body while the ant has two sets of wings of different sizes
• ·        the termite will have straight antennae while the ant has bent, also known as “elbowed” antennae

Comparison of Drywood Termites Vs. Flying Ants

There are several signs that either of these insects may be infesting your home. They include:

• ·        Winged insects emerging at night that are attracted to light. Flying ants will also be attracted, use the indicators listed above to determine which insect you are seeing.
• ·        Discarded wings accumulating around doors, window sills and in spider webs
• ·        Surface blisters on the wall. These blisters have a rustling paper-type sound when touched, indicating a tunnel just underneath. Areas that are infested will have a hollow sound compared to other areas when tapped with a screwdriver handle.
• ·        Wooden pellets accumulate that are six-sided and usually 1-2mm long where termites have pushed them out of the infested wood. These will be found on the floor and under furniture, another favorite food source.
• ·        The evenings of late spring and summer months are the peak times for termite swarms (mating flights).

If you suspect that you have a termite infestation, call a licensed pest control company immediately. Termite damage can be significant and occur over a very short period of time, and the only way to prevent an infestation is with an on-going termite protection program.

Damage caused by termites