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There are 3 main forms of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Every type of termite colony includes employees (who consume your home ), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers who locate new areas to colonize). Although you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its good to know how to identify them, Wilson says.
Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a reddish head. Swarmers have sheer, tan wings but there are colour variations. Employees are pale, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.
Dampwood termites are much like drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and sheer wings. These employees also resemble maggots.
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Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed timber and often end up in attics, floor boards and window frames.
Dampwood termites like decaying wood or wood that's rich with moisture. They often attack wood that is 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 throughout cracks in the caulk. Be sure to check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers shed their wings and burrow into the wood. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.
Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. As an instance, 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, a lot houses have raised foundations, Wilson states. Termites build mud tubes 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 do you do if you find a termite in your home If you see one shed wing or one termite flying , it doesnt mean you have an infestation. But if you see a group of shed wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.
Termites are in fact simple to kill,'' Wilson states, but you need a termiticide to do it. Unfortunately, superior pesticides are not available to the public. Most home shops promote termite spray, but these are watered down to meet public security specifications, so theyre not as effective.
In case you have an infestation that's isolated to one part of your house, say the door trimming, you can replace the trim, Wilson says. But if you've got a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.
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Subterranean termites have to get cut off from the home at the ground. Pacific Coast Termites makes a chemical barrier between any regions of dirt and the home, as well as around the entire home. It acts as a shield the termites cant break through.
Drywood and dampwood termites can be murdered with a timber treatment product such as XT2000 Orange Oil, which can be injected under pressure into the timber through ink-pen-sized holes. This product saturates the timber and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this manner takes about four to six hours.
Homes which are exceptionally infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a massive tent is placed over your house, or all the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that can 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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Apply a good, quality coat of 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. .
Instantly resolve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide appropriate ventilation under your raised home to keep click to read more that region dry. Subterranean termites adore wetness.