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Photo courtesy of National Pest Management Association/Tom Myer

Photo courtesy of National Pest Management Association/Tom Myer

sub-termite-workers-soldiers

Termite Pest Control

Subterranean termites are small, creamy white to dark brown insects about an1/8 inch long. They do billions of dollars of damage to homes and commercial property in the USA every year! Subterranean termites live in underground colonies with as many as two million members. Their lifestyle is much like that of an ant except, they do it all underneath the soil’s surface. Termites tunnel along randomly looking for wood to consume. Your concrete foundation is nothing more than a rock and the wood frame of your home is a fallen log in the forest. Hence, the best way to discourage termites from “picnicking” in your home is to keep the wood as far away as possible from the soil they travel in.

Got an urgent pest problem? Email Sheena.

Once they hit a rock, i.e. your foundation, they build distinctive tunnels, often referred to as “mud tubes,” to reach food sources and protect themselves from open air. They use their scissor-like jaws to eat wood 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Like other termite species, subterranean termites also feed on products containing cellulose like paper and cardboard. Mature colonies of subterranean termites swarm in the spring and these darker colored winged reproductive termites fly off to start new colonies.

Treatment and Customer Preparation

Graduate offers both Liquid Termiticide Treatment and the Trelona Termite Baiting System.

We will recommend traditional liquid treatments to our customers when their property and homes construction warrants it. Currently, Trelona termite baiting systems represent the majority of the termite services we perform.  With this newer chemistry that is specific to insects and specifically termites in the case of the Trelona, the product is very effective, affordable and environmentally friendly. Call Graduate to inspect your home and determine which service is best for you and your home.

Prevention

There are a number of ways to help prevent termites from invading your home or building:

  • Remove wood debris from crawl spaces and from under porches and decks.
  • Avoid water accumulation near your home or building’s foundation. Divert water away with properly functioning downspouts, gutters, and splash blocks.
  • Reduce humidity in crawl spaces with proper ventilation.
  • Never bury wood scraps or waste lumber in the yard.
  • Correct any wood-to-soil contact. The closer the wood is to the soil (6 inches or less), the more likely the termites will wander into it. The most vulnerable areas for attack are:
    • the garage door frame base
    • hatchway door frame base
    • wooden basement window frames
    • cellar stairs at their base, and entryways with steps that come up over the sill plate of your home