Bugs-No-More / Termites

DRYWOOD TERMITES                              SUBTERIANIAN TERMITES

FOOD

CELLULOSE (derived from wood and wood based products.)

CELLULOSE (derived from wood and wood based products.)

MOISTURE

No outside moisture needed. Can survive on a small amount of moisture within wood.

Require an outside moisture source. This may be from the soil, leaky plumbing, roof tops, etc...

ENVIRONMENT

Colonies live within the wood and do not require contact with the soil.

Normally live and forage in the soil. Can establish a nest above the soil if an acceptable moisture source is found. Build protective mud tubes that lead from the soil to the home. Can move colony within soil when environmental conditions require.

COLONY SIZE

SMALL (few hundred to a thousand termite members.)

LARGE (A well established colony may contain over 7 million termites. Some species have numerous smaller colonies of several thousand termite members.)

EVIDENCE OF
ACTIVITY

"Sand-Like" pellets or "droppings". Kick-out holes on the walls, ceilings or wood. Infestation may take two years before evidence of droppings is present.

1) Mud Tubes ascending from the ground to the structure or protruding from walls and/or trim.
2) Heavy termite swarming within the structure
3) Slits in the wood (flight slits)
4) Uncharacteristic waviness in the wood.

PREVENTIVE
MEASURES

1) Use treated lumber during construction.
2) Coat any untreated wood or exposed wood end cuts with an appropriate termiticide.
3) Seal all cracks and crevices with caulking.

1) Install a termite monitoring or detection system at the home or structure.
2) Perform treatment to the soil before construction with an appropriate termiticide.
3) Eliminate conditions conducive to infestation.

CONTROL
MEASURES

Light Activity:
1) locate kick-out holes
2) lightly puncture kick-out hole
3) inject appropriate insecticide in kick-out hole.
4) Seal kick-out hole with caulk.

Heavy Activity:
Tent fumigation

**Prevention through education, detection and elimination of conducive conditions are the most effective and cost efficient control measures. When activity is already present, treat the structure with a liquid termiticide.

DAMAGE LEVEL

Minimal*
* When compared to subterranean (ground) termites. Takes up to two years for evidence of activity to be present.

Some species of subterranean termites can consume 15 pounds of wood per week.