5 Types of Termites That Can Infest Your Home
We’ve all heard the horror stories of termites taking over someone’s home. Termite infestations can be expensive, time-consuming, and inconvenient. Most exterminators will require you to tent your home to get rid of termites.
Knowing which termites can infest your home can help you prevent infestations. Each termite species has its own quirks and ticks. This will ensure you spot the signs of a termite infestation before the problem becomes extensive!
Subterranean Termites
These termites can be found everywhere in American except for Alaska. These guys have very large colonies that can contain up to 2 million termites. Their colonies are normally underground or in moist areas above ground. They use “mud tubes” that are constructed from mud, feces, and saliva. They use these tubes to travel above ground places with easy access to food. The tubes will have a brown, dry, and cylindrical appearance. Look for these tubes near the found of your home, or in cracks throughout your home.
Drywood Termites
These termites can be found in the South. These pests love to make burrows and consume wooden structures. They make tunnels and chambers within the walls and furniture of your home. If you live in the South and have lots of wooden structures in your home, look out for:
- Sagging floors, walls, and ceilings
- Areas that look like they have water damage
- Small piles of fece that look like pellets
- Wings with “fish-like” scales
Dampwood Termites
Dampwood termites love wood with lots of moisture. This is why you’ll find them in Pacific coastal regions and other areas closely adjacent. These pests are a little bit bigger than most termites, but don’t normally attack a home’s structure since they need damper wood. You should still avoid these pests from being anywhere around your home. Be sure to always check wooden structures in your home for water damage, or rotting wood, and check wood that can get potentially damp such as firewood for signs of termites.
Formosan Termites
These pests are known for being incredibly aggressive and hard to control. You can find these termites in:
- California
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Virgina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Alabama
- Louisiana
- Florida
- Hawaii
They form in large underground colonies that build nests inside walls of structures and homes. They are often confused with flying ants. If you think you spot one, inspect it to see if it has a rounded head, pale yellowish-brown body with translucent wings, and black or brown “teeth.”
If you think you spot one, call an exterminator immediately as they are very aggressive and move quickly.
Conehead Termites
These are an invasive species of termites from the Caribbean. They were originally called “tree termites” when they were discovered in Florida almost 20 years ago. Although they were believed to be eradicated in 2003, there have been reports of recent activity in Florida. They will commonly infest trees, shrubs, and roots along with wooden structures in and outside your home.
Now that you know what kind of termites can infest your home, it’s time to call one of our qualified partners with Pest Brigade to see what else they recommend for keeping termites at bay, or ask us more questions in the comments below!
