Termites
The Subterranean Termite will have colonies in the ground, building vertical tunnels that look like mud tubes above ground level so that they can search for
food.Subterranean termites can form tunnels through cracks in concrete, so slab homes are not exempt from these
termites. Subterranean termites will die if exposed to air for an extended period of time; tunnels are used for transporting the food to the nest and protecting
themselves.They need to stay in contact with the soil in order to survive as opposed to the Drywood termite that only needs low
moisture. Drywood termites are more prevalent in the coastal regions.They may be carried in furniture from one region to
another. Drywood termites are found many times in the attic wood structure.
Refer to our section on ants to determine the major difference between ant appearance and termite
appearance.
Signs of infestation may include:
_ Mud like tunnels, usually vertical, among the foundation of the interior or exterior
walls.
_ Termite wings.
_ "Swarmers" or flying termites appearing in the house,particulary near light
sources.
Subterranean Termite appearance:
_ Worker: wingless,light colored,1/8 inch long;
_ Soldier: the head is elongated with mandibles;
_ Supplementary Reproductives: light colored with no wings or very short;
_ Primary Reproductives: most often seen, winged, and darker than the other three castes.
These are also called "swarmers".
Drywood Termite appearance:
These termites are larger (up to 1/2 inch long) than the Subterranean termite.
Diet:
Their diet is wood and other cellulose material, such as paper, cardboard, etc.
Recommanded products and treatment:
_ The presence of termites in your home or under your home is a serious problem and should be treated by a
professional pest control operator. Due to the many different factors involved we feel a professional would serve your needs better in many cases than doing it
yourself.
_ Termites have been around for well over 250 million years. They are social insects and live in
colonies, which are usually located in the ground or in wood. Most termites feed on cellulose from wood and wood by-products such as paper. Some tropical species feed on fungi and
carrion. Termites are distributed worldwide with about 2500 known and described species with about 50 species being found in the United
States.
_ Termites are divided into 3 groups based on the primary location of their
colony: the subterranean, the drywood, and the dampwood termites. The biology and habits of each group are different, so an effective and detailed knowledge of each species is necessary for effective
control.
The most common or economically significant members of these 3 groups can be outlined as
follows.
_ The most common of the subterranean termites are the eastern and western subterranean and the Formosan subterranean
termites;
_ For the drywood termites, the western and southeastern drywood and the
powderpost/furniture termites are the most important groups;
_ and of the dampwood termites, there are three families. The Pacific Coast and the Florida dampwood termites cause the most
problems.
Recognition:
_ The three body regions (head, thorax, and abdomen) are broadly joined with no constrictions such as those found in
ants. The antennas are moniliform, (composed of a series of beadlike
segments). The tarsi are 4-segmented. Cerci are present in all forms.
_ Workers are creamy white with the head being slightly darker. Compound eyes or ocelli
(simple eyes) are present in all forms. The workers have no wings present.
_ Soldiers are also creamy white, except for a dark and much-enlarged
head. A large pair of mandibles is present, except for nasutiform soldiers, which lack mandibles and have head lengthened into a distinct
snout. Compound eyes are absent, but some have pigmented areas. Soldiers sometimes have a fontanelle
(pore like opening to the frontal gland) on trop of the head. Soldiers have no
wings.
_ Swarmers (alates or sometimes called winged/primary reproductives) are pale yellowish to a reddish brown to black. This is dependent on the species. They have compound
eyes, and a pair of ocelli (except for Zootermopsis spp.). Some are equipped with a fontanelle
(porelike opening to the frontal gland) on top of the head. They have two pairs of wings of nearly equal length and
width. These lie flat over its abdomen when not in use. The wings are almost clear to a smoky black in
color. Wing veins are usually darker with their number and position used to identify different
groups. Termite wing veins vary from species to species and are used to identify
each. The wing base have a fracture line where the wings were broken off after
swarming, leaving attached a small basal portion called the wing scale.
Identification:
It is extremely necessary to know which termite group is causing the problem because each group is quite different biologically and therefore requires different control
methods. That is, one must know if the termites are drywood, dampwood, or subterranean
termites. In addition, for subterraneans one must be able to distinguish the Formosan subterranean termites from the other subterranean termites because additional control measures are often required for this species.
Biology:
_ Termites have simple metamorphosis: egg, nymph (immature), and
adult. Termite specialists separate the immature stages into larvae (young
instar, workers with no wing pads), and nymphs (with wing pads). I will be using the term nymph for all immature termite instars in order to remain consistent with the PCO industry jargon. Subterranean termites have three form
castes: worker, soldier and reproductive. Drywood and dampwood termites lack a true worker
caste, and their functions are performed by pre-adults, which ultimately develop into soldiers or
reproductives.
_ Workers can be separated into two basic groups: true workers who are
sterile, and functional workers who are either male or female. Functional workers have the ability to molt into
soldiers, swarmers, or secondary reproductives, depending on the colony’s
needs. This is a tremendous termite advantage when considering situations, which can confront PCO professionals when applying control measures in the field. Workers maintain the
colony, construct and repair the nest, and forage and feed the colony. Later instar nymphs also forage and help care for the
young.
_ Soldiers are sterile and have one function They protect the
colony. The enlargement of the head and mandibles is so great that they must be fed by
workers. Soldiers are present within the colony in far fewer numbers than
workers. Protection is often rendered by plugging a small hole in the tube or carton with its
head, or if the opening is larger, by cocking its head with the mandibles open wide and waiting for or fending off
invaders. It is known that nasutiform soldiers squirt a sticky, irritating liquid for
defense.
_ Reproductives include both primary reproductives and secondary
reproductives. The primary reproductives are the king and queen, which were the swarmers that started the
colony. The king and queen mate periodically, and the queen may live up to 30
years. It is thought that a longer lifespan is possible.
_ Secondary reproductives are produced in more mature colonies. They do
not, nor have they ever had wings (but may have wing buds if developed from
nymph). Their body may be either lightly or darkly pigmented. Their egg production capability makes possible the most rapid increase in size in older
colonies. If something happens to the primary reproductives they can serve as replacements and continue
egg-laying.
_ New colonies can be started either by a founding pair of swarmers or by isolation of a portion of a large
colony. In the Pharaoh ant species this is called budding. Termite pair formation by swarmers occurs after the swarming flight on or in the
ground. Mated queens lay a few eggs the first year (sometimes as few as 20 or possibly more if 1 or 2 additional egg batches are
laid. At the end of the first year, a subterranean termite colony may number up to 75 individuals
whereas, drywoods may contain only up to a dozen.
_ New colonies can also be started by isolation or division. This will happen when a new food source is located and a sub-colony is formed to fully exploit this
source. If the continual exchange of individuals with the main colony is cut
off, this sub-colony can then produce the needed reproductives from either functional workers or
nymphs. Remember that they can become whatever the colony needs for survival. This is probably the primary method of new colony formation in northern areas where winters are usually too severe for continuation of colonies started by
swarmers.
_ One of the most common question made is: how many years are required before a brand
new, or newly-constructed building will begin showing signs of a termite
infestation. If a termite colony is started by a pair of subterranean termite swarmers at the time of
construction, at least 3 or 4 years are required before even a few swarmers will be
produced. Colonies are typically at least two years of age before any swarmers are thrown
off. Evidence of any damage may take longer. However, if the structure is built over or close to a strong existing colony of subterranean
termites, hundreds of swarmers may appear within a year. Also, in this latter
situation, a tremendous or substantial amount of damage might be noticed within a
year.
Basic control:
_ Termite control begins with a thorough inspection of the structure and the preparation of a “to scale” graph of the structure’s foundation
and/or any floors, which show either termite activity or damage whether it is active or inactive
(old). The graph should include, if applicable, the following in addition to any treating specifications or
instructions:
01) dimensions of the structure
02) type of foundation wall(s)
03) depth from soil grade to footer
04) location of plumbing lines and/or penetration for slabs
05) type of heating system (for slab)
06) location of cracks and/or expansion joints in the foundation or slab
07) types of floor covering on concrete slabs which require drilling (carpet,
wood, linoleum, or tile)
08) type of porches present (slab/dirt-filled)location of any well or cistern if present
whether or not adequate ventilation is present (for crawl
spaces)
location of excessive moisture
09) location of wood-to-ground contact
10) location of active termite infestations
11) location of old termite activity
12) location of termite damage
13) location of any possible hidden termite damage.
The gathering of this information will provide the you or the termite inspector the proper tools he will need to determine the most effective treatment necessary to combat the termites at your home.
