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There are three main types of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Each type of termite colony includes workers (who eat your house), soldiers (who defend other people from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that locate new areas to colonize). Though 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 red head. Swarmers have sheer, tan wings but there are color 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 such as decaying wood or wood that is rich with moisture. They often strike wood that's making contact with the ground and are found in regions 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 home. Make sure you check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers shed their wings and float into the wood. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.
Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. As an example, when you hammer up Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind small holes and produce an open doorway for a termite colony. .
Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area, many houses have increased foundations, Wilson states. Termites build mud tubes up to the floor, often along posts. But even in the absence of articles, Wilson sayssand tubes can stretch from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the home. .
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So what can you do if you find a termite in your house If you see one shed wing or one termite flying , it doesnt mean you have an infestation. But if you find 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, good pesticides are not readily available to the general public. Most home shops promote termite spray, but those click resources are watered down to meet public security specifications, so theyre not as successful.
In case you've got an infestation that is isolated to one portion of your home, state the door trim, you can replace the trim, Wilson states. 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 soil. Pacific Coast Termites creates a chemical barrier between any areas of grime and the home, as well as around the entire home. It functions as a shield that 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 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 which are exceptionally infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a huge tent is placed over your house, 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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Apply an excellent, quality coating of exterior paint on your house, since termites wont eat through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation openings are caulked and sealed. Dont staple or nail up Christmas lights then pull them down. The tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either leave the nails in the holes year-round or fill the holes when you remove the nails. .
Quickly resolve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide proper ventilation under your raised home to maintain that area dry. Subterranean termites adore wetness.