Like many different pests, termites found in the United States can be one of several different species. Unlike other types of pests, the three species of termite which commonly cause problems in the country have to be dealt with in different ways in order to affect a long term solution to the problem. In this article, we will take a look at the three different termite species, how to identify which species is causing you a problem in your house, and in one case we will discuss treatment options.

Subterranean Termites

* Geography: Subterranean termites are the most commonly found termite pest in the United States. They are concentrated along the Gulf and in the South.

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If you have every seen a termite, you might wonder what all the fuss is about when it comes to termite damage. They don’t look all that tough; much less so than other common pests such as cockroaches and ants. They are white a squishy, pretty much defenseless. Still, these little insects can cause quite a bit of damage to your home, and it’s important that you have a good understanding of how termite damage works in order to create an effective solution with your pest control specialist; it will save you time and money if you already have a good understanding of what you are looking at. Let’s take a look at some facts about termite damage.

* Termites work slowly. A big misconception about termites is that they are like ants both in appearances and in habits. Watching a colony of ants in action over a bug or other source of food will understandably cause dread in a person who has their habits confused with termites; after all, at that speed, termites could make off with a house in a matter of weeks! The good news is that the work ethic of these creatures is not at all the same. Even for specialized creatures such as termites wood can be hard to bite off and harder to digest, so it takes quite a while for them to do really significant damage. If you catch the problem, you have a good amount of time to weigh your treatment options.

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Termite problems are one of the most anxiety causing pest issues for any home owner. Although these little insects won’t cause you any harm, they may do some serious damage to the investments that you call your home.

There are three different types of termite, and in this article we will be talking about some of the least toxic options in dealing with the dry wood species. They can be identified as such by their appearance as well as their droppings, which we discuss in another article.

Dry wood termites can be found in any type of wood, whether wet or dry. They are much more divers in their habitat preferences than damp wood termites, though less aggressive than subterranean. As a result of their flexibility, they can be very hard to treat. Traditionally a house where dry wood termites have been found is subjected to tent fumigation; the house is closed to the family and poison applied in great quantities until all the termites are dead.

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Termites are one of the most dreaded of all household insect pests, because by their very nature they are guaranteed to cause real damage to your home. Other wood eating insect pests such as carpenter ants only bore into wood as part of an effort at home making, and therefore won’t destroy it totally, but given time voracious termites can do an incredible amount of structural damage.

The natural reaction of the home owner when his or her investment is threatened is to annihilate the problem, but years of combat against termites and other insect household pests has shown that we do more damage to ourselves with toxic approaches than we do to the pests. Integrated pest management means using a working knowledge of the pests in question not only to eliminate problems but to prevent future infestations from occurring. Let’s take a look at some ways to protect your home from termites.

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Most of the time, we tend not to think about problems or potential problems until they are right in our face; many people just don’t think in the long term. One day, though, you might go out to check your garden and realize that all your hard work has been ruined in one night by a group of rabbits or a herd of deer. Or, you might one day see dozens of winged insects in your house, and after killing a few and going to the Internet you realize to your horror that they are termites (this is the most common way in which people realize they have a termite infestation!).

Pest control is one area where long term planning and commitment come in very handy. Long term planning will mean that you never encounter a serious pest problem, because you always ensure that you are taking the proper steps to discourage pests from using your home or yard as a place to obtain food or shelter.

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When you think of a termite, you probably picture something very similar to an ant in your head. The actual appearance of a termite is quite different from that of the ant; in fact it can be hard to believe that these soft looking creatures could cause so much damage to a home.It’s important to understand the appearance and biology of termites in order to create an effective pest control program. In the past, effective programs were measured by the amounts of chemicals used and the disappearance(from sight) of the targeted species. This method proved both ineffective and dangerous, and pest control companies and individuals are finding that an integrated pest control program can have much better results without the inherent dangers of spraying. Let’s take a look at termite biology to give us a background of why certain treatments are the most effective. (more…)

Termite infestations are the subject of a lot of hype and some fallacies, largely due to the home renovation craze that you see on television. Often you’ll see some burly real estate type in Florida discovering termite damage and carrying on as if it were the end of the world, without really giving any reasons why.Let’s clear that up right away. Termites eat fairly slowly, and the house is not about to come crashing down even with an infestation; long before it did, the signs would be obvious (namely, every spring thousands and thousands of winged termites would appear out of the walls). That said, it really IS a problem for the real estate investor (both the Italian guy on the television and a home owner) because although the structural damage might not be too bad, the aesthetic appeal is certainly downgraded. In real estate, looks are everything, so it’s important to deal with termites as soon as possible to prevent a decline in your investment. (more…)