Termites Eating you out of House and Home!

Termites feed on wood and they serve an important purpose in the environment as they convert dead trees into organic matter. In the forest, this is beneficial as dead branches from trees are recycled to enrich the soil. But termites are not fussy; they will be just as happy eating the wood in your home.

A wet crawl space is the perfect breeding ground for termites; they love the humid wet space that causes floor joists to soften making it easier for them to eat! Termites can cause serious damage to your home as they eat away at the wood.

Termites do not live alone; they infest your home in colonies similar to bee hives or ant nests. Like bees and ants termites are classified by caste.

Queens: Termites often have more than one queen. The colony starts with a single primary queen; several other secondary queens also lay eggs and take over if the primary queen dies.

King: There is only one king; he mates with the primary queen to help found the colony. His role is to help raise the young as the queen lays eggs. When he dies another reproductive will grow into a replacement king.

Soldiers: The soldiers defend the nest from intruders, usually other insects.

Workers: The workers build the nest, gather food and tend to the eggs and larva.

Reproductives: These termites fly around and start new nests. If necessary they can become queens or a replacement king. They fly for a short period and then shed their wings when they find a new home.

There are different types of termites; many live on wood. These are the ones that are the biggest threat to homeowners. They can build mounds in the ground, like ants or live in trees or even fence posts. Subterranean termites build their nest near your home and use it as a food source as they tunnel their way in.

Termites begin to form their colony after a mating flight made by the reproductives. The king and queen are the founder of the nest; they dig a small space where the queen lays eggs while the king helps care for the young. As workers are added the colony grows from a few hundred to a few million termites!

If you have termites in your home, the good news is that it takes quite a while for them to cause any real damage. It might take as long as five years for the damage to become noticeable but a healthy colony can consume an entire foot of a two-by-four in just a few months. Of course termites don’t eat the entire board; they tunnel around in it, so there’s no telling the extent of the damage without a professional inspection.

When termites eat away at load bearing walls they cause serious structural damage to your home. Sometimes you can get away with just reinforcing the damaged wood if the colony hasn’t been in your home too long.

Annual termite inspections are recommended for all homeowners. If you have had a recent infestation you should have your property inspected every 3-4 months for a while. Unless you have professional treatment termites often re-infest homes.