With the destruction they cause, termites are notorious across the country. Costing billions of dollars in the damage they do a year for businesses and homes, having termites are problematic. The integrity of the wood is weakened with hollowed galleries, or tunnels, they correct as they chew through and consume the wood throughout your home. There are different types of termites, but in Greater Pittsburgh, PA, subterranean termites are dominant and we at Stewart Termite & Pest Control would like to share some basic information regarding subterranean termites.
Where Do Termites Live in Your House?
These termites will often leave the hard wood in lieu of the softer wood but they do have a weakness for softer areas in the wood they infest. However, you should know that either type of wood is susceptible. The infested timber that is left behind is but a thin shell with honeycomb like layers of hollow section in addition to the subterranean termites compacting the hollows of the infested timber with damp soil. Subterranean termites live in dark, damp soil as they require moist environments. More often than not, subterranean termites infest your home as they engage your home from the infested soil next to the foundation.
Social Life of Termites
As social insects living in a colony, subterranean termites have three castes which are subject to a queen. The king and queen mates to daily produce the 2,000 fertile eggs she will lay in a day. Nymphs are born from the eggs and once they evolve into adults, they either belong to the workers, soldiers, or swarmers; which are future kings and queens of new colonies. These termites are the only ones with wings, but once they start their new colony, they will shed the wings. Typically, the swarmers are the most actively searching for their new nesting grounds in the spring and early summer. As creamy translucent colored termites, the soft-bodied worker termites keep the colony functioning. Workers will excavate and repair tunnels, feed the king and queen along with the soldiers, care for the young, and forage for food. The defenders of the colony are soldier termites, which are a part of a 250-million-year-old feuds with ants. The heads are armed with mandible pincers they use in combat and the orange colored soldiers have developed a hard-shell helmet around their heads. Before using their pincers to crush them the soldiers will first secrete a sticky latex resin to ensnare their victims. In rare instances when a breech was made and they we will stay on guard while the workers make the repairs, people may catch a glimpse of the soldier termites.
Termite Inspections & Treatment
Subterranean termites build mud tubes to reach higher levels where they closely connect to nearby damaged wood; which is a sign they are in your Greater Pittsburgh home. You will want to rectify a termite infestation as quickly as possible. The longer they stay, the more damage will be done. Call Stewart Termite & Pest Control today for your termite services.