If you own domestic or commercial property in a warm to hot country, them I am sure that you have heard of the prospect of termite damage. However, do you know which signs of termite damage to look out for? Do you know how quickly you can go from not having a problem to having a large infestation? And do you know how long it will take a major infestation of some termites, notably the Formosan termites, to render your building dangerous?
If you are not aware of the answer to these questions, then you have two options, either to learn quickly or hire in an expert. In regions of termite activity, it is suggested that every property is inspected at least once a year. There are about fifty species of termites in the USA, so it is not an easy task to identify which species you have.
Having said that, subterranean termites are the worst and the Formosan subterranean termites are the most awful of that bad bunch. They can live in colonies of between several hundred and several million and if a million Formosans decide to dine on your house, then you will have to respond very rapidly indeed.
Of course, you do not want to lose your own house to a termite infestation, but neither do your neighbours, so you have a moral obligation to destroy any termite colonies on your premises. So, why should you think that you have a termite issue?
As termites eat wood, amongst other things, the best thing to do is look for timber damage around your house. The basement is a good spot to start. Do not be concerned about what kind of timber, inspect it all, since there are termites that like dry wood, termites that like damp wood and termites that will consume anything.
If you suspect that a length of timber has or is being eaten, use a screwdriver gently to try to break it open. if you see white insects that look like ants, you have termites. Sometimes, flying termites swarm too., but so do ants.
Termites are white because they rarely see the sun, they do not like light, so they construct so-called galleries to walk through. These galleries can be through a length of timber or they might use chewed wood to make galleries leading to where they want to go. For, instance pencil-like galleries may hang off the underside of your floorboards to the ground or be attached to brick walls.
These tube-like galleries can be abandoned or active. Snap a few and see. If they are brittle they have been abandoned, but that does not mean that the termites have departed.
Sometimes, the tubes are made of soil and this is a very bad sign, because it means you have subterranean termites, most likely under your house. If you knock these galleries off the walls, they will leave marks called etchings, which will be a sign of termite activity until the house is knocked down, for anyone who recognizes them.
If you are not aware of the answer to these questions, then you have two options, either to learn quickly or hire in an expert. In regions of termite activity, it is suggested that every property is inspected at least once a year. There are about fifty species of termites in the USA, so it is not an easy task to identify which species you have.
Having said that, subterranean termites are the worst and the Formosan subterranean termites are the most awful of that bad bunch. They can live in colonies of between several hundred and several million and if a million Formosans decide to dine on your house, then you will have to respond very rapidly indeed.
Of course, you do not want to lose your own house to a termite infestation, but neither do your neighbours, so you have a moral obligation to destroy any termite colonies on your premises. So, why should you think that you have a termite issue?
As termites eat wood, amongst other things, the best thing to do is look for timber damage around your house. The basement is a good spot to start. Do not be concerned about what kind of timber, inspect it all, since there are termites that like dry wood, termites that like damp wood and termites that will consume anything.
If you suspect that a length of timber has or is being eaten, use a screwdriver gently to try to break it open. if you see white insects that look like ants, you have termites. Sometimes, flying termites swarm too., but so do ants.
Termites are white because they rarely see the sun, they do not like light, so they construct so-called galleries to walk through. These galleries can be through a length of timber or they might use chewed wood to make galleries leading to where they want to go. For, instance pencil-like galleries may hang off the underside of your floorboards to the ground or be attached to brick walls.
These tube-like galleries can be abandoned or active. Snap a few and see. If they are brittle they have been abandoned, but that does not mean that the termites have departed.
Sometimes, the tubes are made of soil and this is a very bad sign, because it means you have subterranean termites, most likely under your house. If you knock these galleries off the walls, they will leave marks called etchings, which will be a sign of termite activity until the house is knocked down, for anyone who recognizes them.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with Termidor termite treatment - a termite killer. If you are interested in this or if you are wondering: What Does A Termite Look Like?. Please go to our web site now for further details.
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