Do you ever get the feeling that there are too many types of pests to even wrap your head around? Sometimes, the world of pest and termite control seems overwhelming to our clients, and that overwhelm can make you feel paralyzed. You don’t know what to do so you don’t do anything at all. Well, we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to know everything, that’s what we are here for.
One of the pests our clients encounter is the termite. It’s not scary because it bites or has poison or poses a direct threat to the lives of your family members, it’s scary because it poses a threat to your home and sense of safety.
There are dozens of termite species that fall into three main termite categories. Drywood, Dampwood, and Subterranean termites share in common their diet of the cellulose found in wood but have different preferences in how they like to eat wood cellulose, and how they gain access to it. Today we’re going to break down one of these categories and talk about Subterranean termites. We hope that after you finish reading this article you feel empowered enough to make the right decision for your family regarding your own termite control.
What Are Subterranean Termites?
Subterranean termites are bad news and are known to cause extensive damage to structures, in some cases more than any of the other termite categories. While they look and act like other types of termites, they display one characteristic that is unlike any other. Subterranean termites build mud tubes up the side of your foundation so that they can gain access to your home without exposure to the elements.
As their name suggests, subterranean termites live underground, requiring different methods of termite control to eradicate them. Like a lot of pests, these termites prefer, a dark, damp environment, so it’s common to find them in areas of your property where water collects and the ground stays damp most of the time. Their colonies range greatly in size from 60,000 to nearly 2 million members and they eat 24/7 making them very productive and very dangerous for your home.
What Can You Do To Avoid Them?
We are often asked by our termite control clients what they did to contribute to their subterranean termite problem and the answer is nothing. Nature is powerful and uncontrollable and sometimes termites show up when you least expect them. However, you can be aware of the factors that may attract termites and make your home and property less susceptible to them. For example, since we know that subterranean termites love areas of dark, moist ground you can put on your termite control hat and consider the ways you are encouraging that type of environment around your home.
It’s difficult to avoid rain in the state of Florida, but we can often control where it goes after it runs off the roof. Prevention is the first step in termite control, so take a look around your property and see what you can do to prevent rainwater from pooling around your foundation. Here are some of our recommendations. If you don’t already have a gutter system, now is a great time to invest in one. This is an easy termite control method and can help alleviate other issues around your home. A great thing about the summer in Florida is that the heavy rains are generally followed up with bright, hot sunshine that dries out the ground relatively quickly.
However, heavily wooded properties that have a lot of trees or brush may create too much shade making it difficult for the ground to sufficiently dry out. Cutting back the trees around your home is another easy, multipurpose termite control method. And while you’re at it, go ahead and remove that old, dead tree. It too is creating a safe haven for unwanted termites.
What Can You Do To Treat Them?
There are different approaches to subterranean termite control, and all involve the use of strong termiticides. While some of these termite control treatments are available at your local hardware store, we always recommend clients leave the use of these products to the termite control professionals.
There are a few different ways a termite control company would treat your property for subterranean termites. The first step, as we mentioned above, is to eliminate the factors that may be attracting the termites, to begin with. Once you’ve eliminated these issues, a termite control professional may treat your soil, your foundation, or both. Soil treatments are used to create a continuous barrier around your home, killing any termites that come into contact with it. Foundational treatments create a barrier by filling the tiny cracks in your foundation. Both are powerful and effective forms of termite control.
Subterranean termites have gotten a reputation for being destructive because they do significant damage to homes all around the country every year. You don’t have to live in fear of termites, our termite control team is here to help you protect your home from these destructive little pests. For more information about our termite control services, contact us today.
