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There are three main types of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Each type of termite colony includes employees (who eat your house), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that find new areas to colonize). Though you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great to know how to identify them, Wilson states.
Drywood termites commonly possess a brown body with a reddish head. Swarmers have sheer, tan wings although there are color variations. Workers are pale, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.
Dampwood termites are similar to drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and sheer wings. These workers also resemble maggots.
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Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed timber and often end up in attics, flooring boards and window frames.
Dampwood termites such as decaying wood or timber that's loaded with moisture. They often strike wood that's making contact with the ground and are found in areas with high rainfall or humidity.
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Drywood and dampwood termites enter your house through small cracks, often around window frames through cracks in the caulk. Make sure you check around windows frequently and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers lose their wings and float into the timber. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.
Be mindful of maintaining your exterior paint. For example, when you hammer up Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind little holes and create an open door for a termite colony. .
Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions like the San Francisco Bay Area, many homes have raised foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes have a peek at these guys around the bottom floor, often along posts. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson states sand tubes can stretch from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the home. .
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So what can you do if you find a termite in your home If you see one drop wing or one termite flying by, it doesnt mean you have an infestation. But if you find a group of shed wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to get a professional inspection.
Termites are in fact easy to kill,'' Wilson states, but you need a termiticide to perform it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not available to the general public. Most home stores promote termite spray, but these are watered down to meet public safety specifications, so theyre not as successful.
If you've got an infestation that's isolated to one part of your house, say the door trimming, you can replace the trimming, Wilson says. But if you've got a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.
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Subterranean termites must be cut away from the house at the ground. Pacific Coast Termites makes a chemical barrier between any regions of dirt and the house, in addition to around the entire house. It functions as a shield that the termites cant break through.
Drywood and dampwood termites can be murdered with a wood treatment product such as XT2000 Orange Oil, which can be injected under pressure into the wood through ink-pen-sized holes. This item saturates the timber and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes approximately four to six hours.
Homes which are massively infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a huge tent is placed over your home, or all of the doors and windows are sealed, and the residence is gassed with pesticide that will kill each of the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the kind of infestation.
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Employ an excellent, quality coat of exterior paint on your property, since termites wont consume through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont staple or nail up Christmas lights then pull them down. Even the tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the holes year-round or fill the holes when you remove the nails. .
Quickly solve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other difficulties involving decaying wood. Provide proper ventilation under your raised home to keep that area dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.