Termite Identification

If you think that your house has termites, it would definitely help to have termite pictures for termite identification.  Here are some interesting termite pictures:

Photo by Ganeshbrhills

Photo by Panamapictures

Photo by Rictor Norton & David Allen

Termite identification becomes easier once you have a picture. You can start looking for burrow holes in damp or moist woods that can hold possible termite tunnels.

There are several kinds of termites which you can identify with. There are those that are white in color. These are the worker termites and since these are the foragers, they are the most damaging kind of all termites. Once you see one, its necessary to eradicate them as quickly as possible before they can do any more damage to your structure.

Another type of termite is the swarmer. Swarmer termites are winged and swarm during certain times of the year. These termites are reproductives and are responsible for laying eggs that will carry the colony into the future. Getting rid of these winged reproductives means getting of termites in the future.

The queen termite is also important as she is responsible for producing hundreds of eggs each year. The queen has a lighter-colored body compared to the king’s.

A better way to identify termites is to get different termite pictures.

If you own a property or structure, it would be impossible for you not to ask the question, “What does a termite look like?” Naturally, this is because as an owner, you only want to prevent your property from being damaged by termites.

What does a termite look like? The question can only be answered by taking a good look at the different kinds of termite in the colony.

White and Small

The worker termites are small, white, and closely resemble white ants. In the termite hierarchy, it is the worker termite that foragers for food for the entire colony. Eradicating the foragers means eradicating the colony’s food supplier. What better way to get rid of the entire colony than to start with the worker termites?

Winged Swarmers

The reproductives have wings and are known to swarm during certain times of the year. One of the best tell tale signs of termite colonies is the swarmer. As soon as these are observed around your house, it is time to check for termite mounds where possible colonies have thrived.

The Royalty

The king and queen termite usually confine themselves in the termite mound. Queen termites are long, large, have large, elongated bodies that are light in color. The king termite may be smaller than the queen but his body is darker in color.

Photo by Sheilaellen

In arid and tropical savannas, termite colonies construct large and elaborate mounds.  Usually, these mounds have very distinctive forms with tall wedge-shapes.  It is usually shaped for a reason: thermoregulation.

Hot air usually rises in these termite mounds above ground.  This helps drive circulation currents inside the network or chambers inside the mounds, keeping it cool enough for the termites to thrive in.

In some cases, termite mounds can reach as high as six feet.  However, most termite colonies build their mounds somewhere around two feet.

How does it work?  Termite mounds are able to regulate temperature because of the ducts and holes within their structure.  It may be difficult for millions of inhabitants in a single mound, located in single nest burind a meter beneath the ground but termites were able to address the problem of ventilation with these termite mounds.

It may sound preposterous or even disgusting to some but there have been poems written about termites! Since everyone knows that poetry can be about anything, some writers figured they may as well write about something that has been plaguing homes the world over.

Humor

Termite poems are characteristically humorous, though. No matter how great a poet, one can hardly be inspired to write a poem on friendship or love story between humans and termites! One poet, Ogden Nash is known for his witty poems including one short one on termites.

The Termite by Ogden Nash:

Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.

In one stanza or in 4 short lines, Mr. Nash basically summed up in this termite poem what these little insects can do. While it may sound hilarious in a poem, we can hardly say the same in reality. Termites can not only eat up a home literally, their damage may also prove to be dangerous for the people living in it.

Termite poems does more than entertain readers. If we look deeper and closer into the wit and warning embedded in termite poems, we may find out that termites are enemies that are not to be taken lightly.

The best thing to handle termites is to go for termite control. However, the question remains: how do you know when to do termite control?

Termites usually reproduce or lay eggs during spring. The worker termites work on eating up wood while waiting for the eggs to hatch. This provides ready nourishment to the babies that are about to join the colony. If you want to perform termite control effectively, do it right before spring.

Theoretically, that is the best answer. However, the question of when to do termite control should be considered throughout the year to prevent pesky insect from getting into the moist soil beneath the house. This will prevent termite from inhabiting your house in the first place.

As soon as the weather warms and the rain begins, you should even be doubly careful about possible swarming of termites. This is the best time to know whether you need to do a termite control.

Check for leaks around the house. Where water can leak out of the house, termites can also get in the same leak holes. The next step is to assess the situation and find out if your termite control measures will involve chemicals or not. Chemicals can get rid of the termites effectively. Most chemicals used for termite control these days are already safe to use and won’t cause any dangerous or adverse effects to humans.

A termite inspector does more than inspect your home for termites and other home-wrecking pests.  Like any other job, termite inspection requires a certain amount of training, too  Furthermore, termite inspectors have to be certified with the American Association of Pest Control Services.

Here are some of the duties and responsibilities of a termite inspector:

1.  Every home being sold by a realtor must undergo termite inspection.  If you’re planning to buy a new home, inquire from your real estate agent if the home you are about to buy has been inspected by a professional termite inspector.

2.  Termite inspector and termite inspection companies should provide their clients with price quotes so the clients can have the option of going for your services or looking for cheaper options.

3. A termite inspector should provide the homeowner or the client with a complete assessment of the problem areas and he or she must be able to walk the client through his or her report in case the client needs to clarify something.