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There are 3 main types of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Each type of termite colony includes workers (who eat your house), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers who find new areas to colonize). Though you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great 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 color variations. Employees are light, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.
Dampwood termites are much like drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and absolute wings. These employees 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 like decaying wood or timber that is 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 home through small cracks, often around window frames through cracks in the caulk. Make sure you check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers lose 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 small holes and produce an open door for a termite colony. .
Subterranean termites often seep into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area, a lot homes have raised foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes around the floor, often along posts. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson sayssand tubes can stretch from the ground up through thin atmosphere to connect with the bottom of the house. .
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So what do you do if you find a termite in your house If you see one drop wing or one termite flying , it doesnt mean you have an infestation. But if you see a group of wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.
Termites are in fact easy to kill,'' Wilson says, but you need a termiticide to perform it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not readily available to the public. Most home stores sell 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 portion of your house, say the door trimming, you can replace the trimming, Wilson says. But in case you have a full-on termite infestation, you need a bigger scale treatment.
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Subterranean termites have to get cut away from the house at the soil. Pacific Coast Termites makes a chemical barrier between any regions of grime and the home, in addition to around the entire home. It acts as a shield the termites cant break through.
Drywood and description 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 wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes about four to six hours.
Homes that are massively infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a massive tent is put over your home, or all the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that will kill all the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the kind of infestation.
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Employ a good, quality coating of paint on your house, since termites wont eat through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation openings are caulked and sealed. Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then pull them down. The tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the pockets year-round or fill the holes when you eliminate the nails. .
Instantly resolve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide proper ventilation under your elevated home to maintain that area dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.