Termite Identification

Every termite colony cannot exist without a termite queen. Often mistaken as a white ant, the queen termite is white in color, and has a long elongated body that produces as much as thousands of eggs everyday.

The termite queen can be impregnated by different male termite. Even so, every colony will have only one specific male reproductive, the termite king.

Queen termites can grow as long as almost ten times her regular size when pregnant. This makes it harder for pregnant queen termites to get around in her colony, forage for food and feed herself. Fortunately, the termite queen has thousands of constituents – worker termites – who does the foraging of wood and who feed the termite queen. And when the queen termites need to move, she employs the help of hundreds or thousands of worker termites. Interestingly, the workers are rewarded with juice that the termite queen secretes from her posterior end. This way, all the worker termites can replenish their energy after having exhausted it on moving the queen for a few inches.

A mulsh is often used by people to landscape their homes. These landscape mulshes often provide various benefits including water and soil conservation, weed control, soil temperature buffering and soil organic matter improvement. With all these benefits, people then ask: is there a termite resistant mulsh?

Mulsh is primarily made of wood and other compost items. As such, it isn’t unlikely for termites to get attracted to it as another possible source of food.

Anti-Termite Mulsh

In 1999, there was a study conducted to determine which termite breeds are attracted to mulsh. One major findings of this study showed that the termites tended to avoid cypress and redwood mulshes.

Based on the study, there are two other woods that proved to be termite resistant mulsh. The first one is the Melaleuca Wood mulsh. The second is the Cypress Heartwood. These two wood remaine termite-free.

If you’re planning to use mulsh on your landscape, select the mulsh which is made of cypress and redwood and melaleuca.

One of the treatment methods for termite infestation in your home is a termite tenting preparation. Termite tenting is generally used when most of the interior structure of the house is affected by termites. In a termite tenting treatment, the pest control company sets up a large tent around the entire structure of your house and then release a termite-killing gas inside the tent.

Like any treatment that uses chemical pesticides, termite tenting preparation is also considered as hazardous, unnecessary, and overly expensive. However, if your home has a bad case of termite infestation, a termite tenting treatment may be the best option you have. Fumigation using termite killing gas kills all the worker termites. Since it is the worker termites that provide the colony with food, getting rid of the workers is already half the job done.

How It Is Done

The first step involved in termite tenting preparation is to cover the whole structure with tarp. Then all openings are sealed and secured. Homeowners usually stay out of the house for at least two to three days. Of course, it is a given that all food containers and food storages in the house are sealed to avoid the fumes contaminating the food. In most cases, pest control companies provide you with the necessary air-tight bag to keep your food in.

Once everything is in place and every opening sealed, the pest control company then releases the gas inside the structure and place fans inside to keep the gas circulating. Warning signs will be posted around your property to keep anyone away from the structure while fumigating.

One the second day, the tarp is removed and the house aired out. On the third day, depending on the severity of the termite condition, the pest control company can advise the homeowners about moving back into the house or waiting for another day until the home is cleared of gas.

This often leaves the question hanging: is termite tenting harmful to humans, then? While these chemicals are aimed at eliminating termites, its manufacturers have also taken into consideration the possibility of humans inhaling the gas. They have therefore designed the chemicals to be specifically potent enough to kill termites, but not humans. Since one can never be too sure when it comes to health, though, it is still advisable to follow the necessary procedure such as sealing food containers and temporarily staying out of the house while termite tenting preparation is on going.

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.

Owning a home requires constant vigilance against termites. If your home is infested with termites, it is important for you to realize that the sooner it is treated, the better.

Termites feed on wood – the wooden beams that hold up the roof, support the walls and ceiling. Weakened wood is therefore dangerous to the whole structure and to the family. The most common termite home treatment starts with having your home assessed for termites by a licensed pest control company regularly. Usually, these companies apply termite prevention treatments. However, once termites are detected, the pest control company can recommend a suitable solution based on the extent of damage done by the termites.

As a homeowner, you have several options when it comes to termite home treatment program. You can choose between chemical and non-chemical treatments. Homeowners who are careful about maintaining the environment may opt for non-chemical treatments. This treatment usually involves using natural components to prevent termites from infesting wood sources.

In extreme cases though, chemical treatment may be necessary. Today, chemicals for termite treatments have undergone research, study and modification in such a way that these chemicals are strong enough to get rid of the termites but safe enough for the human inhabitants.

For DIY termite home treatment, click here to check out Termite Identification, Treatment and Control.