Termites are insects belonging to the Isoptera order that feed on cellulose material. In the absence of houses, termites will feed on dead wood in forests. Since many of our residential homes are constructed of conventional lumber, they can become primary feeding sources for termites. Termites are very secretive and persistent on how they attack cellulose.
Termite infestations in homes will often go undetected by homeowners for years as it is difficult to distinguish evidence of activity. Termites will hide in walls or in crawl spaces or in other inaccessible areas within a home. They are sneaky. They don’t want to be found or be out in the sunlight.
A secretive and persistent force of nature, termites are the source of stress and worry for many homeowners throughout the United States. Commonly referred to as “the silent destroyers,” termites will stealthily feed on the wood within homes 24 hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.
If left untreated, termites are capable of causing costly damage to the structural wood of your most valuable possession – your home. The Indian Pest Control Association estimates that termites are responsible for $45 million in property damage every year in India
It’s easy for customers dealing with termite-issues to become overwhelmed. We at SSG Pest Control regularly receive calls from panicked customers worried their homes are being taken over by termites. To help educate the public about these wood-destroying pests, we’ve created “The Essential Guide To Termites” to answer the most commonly asked termite-related questions. Find the information you’re looking for by clicking on any of the questions below.
7 signs you may have termites
Here are 7 signs of termites that you might have these unwanted guests living in your home:
1. Head banging: One sign of termites is quiet clicking sounds coming from the walls. Soldier termites bang their heads against the wood or shake their bodies when the colony is disturbed to signal danger to the other termites.
2. Flying termites: Usually the first sign of a termite infestation is the presence of flying termites — called swarmers or alates. The flying termites are the males and females that have left the nest to find a mate and then establish a new colony which could be near or in your home. Another common sign of termites is the discarded wings. Flying termites lose their wings shortly after finding a mate. Male and female drywood termites pair up then crawl to a suitable nesting site where they seal themselves in to mate and start the new colony. The king and queen start off by caring for their young until there are enough workers to take over. The king continues to tend for the queen and the pair can live together in the growing colony for over ten years.
3. White ants
A common mistake people make is confusing termites with white ants. This misconception is an easy one to make as ants and termites are very similar in both shape, size and in some cases behavior.
So what are the differences between ants and termites?
Termites are light in color. They are usually a white/creamy color and can sometimes look quite translucent. Compared to ants termites antennae are completely straight rather than bent.
The waist section of a termite is a lot thicker than that of an ants. The section where the thorax meets the abdomen is very narrow on an ant, whereas on a termite this section is quite large.
Both flying ants and termites have two sets of wings. However a termite’s are both the same size compared to an ant who have one set larger than the other.
The important thing to note is that there is no such thing as a white ant. If you think you have spotted an insect which looks like a white ant in and around your house then you might have a termite problem on your hands.
4. Papery or hollow sounding timber: termites usually consume wood from the inside out, leaving a thin veneer of timber or just the paint. When you knock or tap on an area that has termite damage, it will sound hollow or papery. This is because part or all of the timber inside has been eaten away and is another one of the signs of termites.
5. Tight fitting doors and hard-to-open windows: Often related to signs of damp and hot weather, stiff windows and warped doors can also mean termites! The moisture they produce when eating and tunneling through door and window frames causes the wood to warp, making it tough to open doors and windows.
6. Tunnels in wood: The tunnels, also known as ‘galleries’, are obviously difficult to see from the outside, but if you see them in a piece of broken timber near or in your house it is a sure sign that termites have set up camp in your home.
7. Frass – termite droppings: small black marks and a dark powdery substance around the area of infestation.
Why should you hire a professional for termite control services?
With termite control, it is always best practice to contact a professional pest control company. Your home is likely your most valuable investment and most expensive possession. Termites, if left untreated or treated improperly, can threaten the structural stability of your home and result in extensive repair costs. It’s best to hire an experienced professional who 100% can confirm your home is infested with termites and then recommend the best treatment options.
What are the treatment options for termites?
SSG will recommend different types of termite control solutions depending on the species of termite infesting your home. For subterranean termites, SSG offers a conventional service (controlling termites with liquid termiticide) and a baiting service.
Is fumigation a termite treatment option?
Fumigation is an effective treatment option for drywood termites. However, fumigation is not effective if your home is infested by subterranean termites because a fumigation service will not penetrate the soil and reach the underground subterranean termite nest.
How long does termite treatment last?
A liquid treatment typically lasts 10 years. A baiting and monitoring service will typically last 7-8 years if the system is maintained regularly. Baiting programs are only successful as long as they are maintained in the ground. Liquid materials, however will remain effective for the full time period regardless because they can’t be removed after application.
When 8-10 years have passed since your home’s initial termite treatment, you should strongly consider additional treatments. We encourage our customers to keep their termite warranty to protect them from future infestations. Ultimately, it’s best to keep termite service active on your property at all times. An average repair bill for termite damage is $3,000 and above. By keeping a regular termite service, you can avoid those huge costs and inconvenience of repairing the damage.
What attracts termites?
Termites like all insects need certain things to survive – a food source and moisture. Termites will forage until they find a space that has the essential they need to survive. While there’s likely little you can do to change the material structure of your residence, you can affect your home’s moisture levels. The less excess moisture in your home, the less susceptible to termite problems the structure will be.
How do you prevent termites?
Without treatment, there’s no way to prevent termites from infesting your home. SSG can provide your home with a “pre-active” precautionary treatment of liquid termiticides or baiting stations to stop problems with termites before they start. For new structures, a pre-treatment can be applied to the soil during the construction process to protect the building from the threat of termites.
There are some tactics you can employ to make your home less conducive to a termite infestation. Use the tips below to reduce the attractiveness of your home to termites:
- Make sure there is proper drainage around your home and downspouts are connected and functioning properly so rainwater is being pushed away from your house
- Install vapor barriers and dehumidifiers in basements and crawlspaces to decrease moisture levels
- Make sure there is no wood-to-soil contact in your basement
- Clean up scattered wood debris in home and not stack firewood directly on the ground next to your home
- Fix leaky faucets both on the interior and exterior
- Make sure there is no standing water around your home
German Drip Method-Anti termite treatment:
ANTI TERMITE TREATMENT THROUGH PIPING METHOD
Termite Treatment through piping method/Termite tubing system also known as Pipe Reticulation system is a revolutionary system designed to effectively treat the area under concrete slabs or before flooring is done. It is system which is replenishable unlike older termite treatment methods. The reticulation system is a network of underground specially designed pipes (rubberised membrane) to induce anti-termite chemical uniformly throughout your Building’s foundations. Regulating the chemical flow, this system helps to protect against invasion by termites in future which would otherwise enter from the outside of your home or from under the floor. We recommend Termite reticulation system for Anti termite treatment because it is extremely durable and gives a very robust protection to a new building and works as a highly effective termite shield for years together. Our Anti termite Reticulation system is being widely used in Indian construction industry including new homes, offices and other commercial buildings.
How it works?
It involves lying of special flexible, continuously perforated 16 mm dia pipe along the internal periphery of the building and center of the flooring using grid design (every 5 feet). This placement of perforated pipes (made of rubberised membrane) is done along the flooring just before laying of the sand bed/sub grade or before fixing the floor marble/tiles. This perforated pipe has emitters fabricated in them which allow uniform distribution of termiticide under the entire flooring. These emitters distribute chemical at a pre calculated rate, and reduces the risk of any area being untreated. Use of continuously perforated porous pipe ensures no debris, clay or concrete will block the pipe and make it ineffective. The pipe structure pushes the substrate aside and prevents clogging.
The open ends of this network of pipes are joined at several Junction Boxes (Refilling points) for
Termite Reticulation Box
Periodical recharging of termite chemical. Generally these junction boxes are installed on the outer walls in a concealed manner or match the aesthetics of the building exteriors. Refilling points are installed along the external wall so that the termiticide could be applied from outside the building without causing any disturbance to the occupants.
Termite control chemical emulsions are induced at low pressure through these junction points (refilling points). Low pressure ensures even distribution of termiticide emulsion at all delivery points and finally to entire network of porous pipe. Tests have been conducted on our system and it has been proved that over a 30 metre distance there is complete and uniform distribution of termiticide along the entire length of a single line system. No other Anti termite treatment method can match these results.This creates a continuous chemical barrier under the floor and impede termites invasion through soil and deny access to the structure of the building. Balancing of network of reticulate piping system is an important component of any termite Pipe reticulation treatment method.
Reticulation networking at plinth beam level
Recharging of Porous Piping System
The system must be recharged @ 2.25 lit. per sq. mtr. of the Horizontal surface area. This must be repeated every 3-4 years to give ongoing protection against termite entry to your home. However regular termite inspections are recommended as an integral part of a Termite Management System.
Anti-termite Piping Recharge
This system has been designed robustly to achieve a minimum Service Life of over 35 years. What more, this entire job of floor networking, installation and testing is done by our trained and experienced team of technicians who have specially been trained for this job and have years of hands on experience in construction industry and are well experienced with various aspects of construction stages
- The advantages of termite reticulation treatment are as under:
- No excavation or drilling the holes in floor to inject termite chemical is required.
- Tedious work of removing the furniture in the area is not required.
- No pungent smell of the termite chemical is released in the premise.
- No exposure of insecticides to occupants of the building.
- Installation of piping system is warranted for 20 years with refilling every Third year.
- Unlike conventional termite injection method there is even distribution of the chemical under the floor.
- No Stains discoloring or marks on the costly floors.
- The cost benefit ratio when compared with traditional methods of termite treatment, over longer periods is considerable as recharge costs are significantly lower than a drill and fill method.
Construction contractors and builders are not required to make special provisions for the Anti termite Pipe reticulation system during preparation for construction and no construction activity is held up.