What kind of house guest causes emotional stress, severe property damage, and financial loss? No, it’s not your in-laws. One word: Termites.
If you think you might have termites, the first step is to immediately call for an inspection. Call Now: (321) 499-9114 or fill out our contact form.
The Smallest Pests Can Mean Big Cost
The smallest creatures tend to have the biggest bite and cost. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. homeowners spent an average $2 Billion a year treating termites. According to the National Pest Association, termites caused more than $5 billion in property damage in the United States annually. What’s worse is that most homeowners’ insurance policies don’t cover termite damage because it’s a preventable problem. If a termite infestation is not caught in time, it can be devastating.
Teamwork Makes the Termites Dream Work
Termites are as small as ants, but when they work together, they can cause major damage. When I say they work together, I mean it. Each termite has a job, a specific task, and a rank in their caste system. They even have royalty. “All hail the Termite king and queen!”. The three jobs include The Worker, the Soldier, and the Reproducers.
According to TermiteWeb.com, here’s a breakdown of each termite and its roles:
The Workers: Worker termites perform all the important tasks of gathering food, circulating and maintaining the colony’s pheromones and food, tending to the eggs and nymphs, taking care of the queen and king, and constructing or repairing the nest, tunnels, galleries, feeding tunnels, and in certain species, fungi gardens.
The Soldiers: The soldiers’ sole purpose is to fight and protect the colony from enemies (mainly ants) because the worker termites do not fight. Whenever there is a breach in the walls or tunnels of the termite's nest or feeding sites, soldier termites will head to the breach once they detect a change in the temperature and proceed to block the gap. In many species, they will also rattle their heads against the ground to alert the other termites of the danger.
The Reproducers: Otherwise known as “the termite alates” are the ones finding new nests. They go out of the colony between the months of April and May, flying some meters, and then alighting. They lose their wings and pair up with the opposite sex to start a new colony. Once they pair up, they look for a place where they can hide and begin the process of mating and egg-laying.
Termites colonize, reproduce, continue to grow, and do it all over again for days, months, years, and even decades. For better or worse, termites are ingenious creatures. For detailed FAQs about Termites, check out Termiteweb.com.
Termites Love the Sunshine State
In Florida, we are lucky that temperatures are warmer year-round, but not unfortunately that means termites can breed and infest homes earlier in the year. The warm, humid climate associated with our State makes it the perfect home for many different species of termites. Lucky us!
What Types of Termites are in Florida?
The three principal types of termites in Florida are subterranean, which nest in the soil; damp wood, which infests damp wood; and dry wood termites, which infests dry wood. Subterranean termites are the most destructive of the three species and infest wood from underground. These termites have become a burden to homeowners today because it is not until there is a severe infestation that these hidden creatures are seen. Source: UF/IFAS Extension.
What Attracts Termites to My Property?
Anything that comes into contact with the soil is a potential entry point for termites – including fences, cracks, plumbing/roofing leaks, spouts, gutters, vents, insulation, wooden steps, decks, and landscaping timbers; all of these encourage termite colonization. Termites build highways of mud which they use to travel between the ground and your home or business.
What Are Some Ways to Prevent Termites?
According to the EPA, here are some ways to prevent termites:
- After the construction of a home or business, keep the soil around the foundation dry through proper grading and drainage (including maintenance of gutters and downspouts).
- Reduce openings that offer termites access to the structure (filling cracks in cement foundations as well as around where utilities pass through the wall with cement, grout, or caulk).
- Fix leaks immediately.
- Keep vents free from blockage, including plants.
- Ensure that trees and shrubs are not planted too close to the structure and do not allow them to grow against exposed wood surfaces.
- Do not pile or store firewood or wood debris next to the house.
- Inspect periodically to help ensure that termite colonies do not become established.
How Will Green Wing Treat My Termite Problem?
Our certified operators conduct a thorough inspection of your property. After we inspect, we will recommend a treatment plan specific to your situation, your structure’s construction, and the degree of infestation. At Green Wing, our experts are trained in the latest treatment techniques and use up-to-date equipment and environmentally-responsible materials to solve your problem.
The Green Wing termite treatment uses the “Transfer Effect.” Once termites come into contact with the treatment, the termites will transfer it to other termites within their colony. Because this treatment is engineered to be slow-acting, termites have ample time to spread it throughout their entire termite population. This treatment eliminates the colony in 3 months or less – twice as fast as the best bait systems.
Don’t Wait to Treat or Prevent Termites
A termite infestation is a problem that will always get worse, never better. Learn about our process and contact us today to take the measures needed to prevent termites from infesting your home or if you think you might have termites.
Your bug guy,
Jeff Daniels