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There are 3 main types of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Each kind of termite colony includes employees (who eat your house), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that find new places 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 colour variations. Employees are light, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.
Dampwood termites are similar to 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 wood and often end up in attics, flooring boards and window frames.
Dampwood termites like decaying wood or timber that is rich 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 house through small cracks, often around window frames throughout 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 timber. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.
Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. As an example, when you hammer 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 like the San Francisco Bay Area, many houses have raised foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes up to the floor, often along posts. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson states , mud tubes Get More Info can stretch from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the house. .
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So what can you do if you find a termite in your home If you see one shed wing or one termite flying by, 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 get a professional inspection.
Termites are actually simple to kill,'' Wilson says, however you need a termiticide to do it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not available to the public. Most home shops 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 states. go to these guys But if you've got a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.
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Subterranean termites have to be cut off from the home at the ground. Pacific Coast Termites makes a chemical barrier between any areas of dirt and the home, in addition to around the entire house. 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 is injected under pressure into the timber through ink-pen-sized holes. This item saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes approximately four to six hours.
Homes which 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 residence is gassed with pesticide that can kill all the termites. This procedure 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 paint on your house, since termites wont eat through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then pull them down. Even the tiny holes make termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the holes year-round or fill the holes when you eliminate the nails. .
Instantly resolve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other difficulties involving decaying wood. Provide appropriate ventilation under your elevated home to keep that region dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.