How Termite Control Using Neem Tree can Save You Time, Stress, and Money.

There are three main forms of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Each kind of termite colony includes employees (who consume your house), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that find new areas to colonize). Although you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great to know how to identify them, Wilson says.

Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a reddish head. Swarmers have sheer, tan wings but there are color 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 sheer wings. These workers also resemble maggots.

Subterranean termites are somewhat smaller than their above-ground brethren with black bodies and utter wings to the flyers. The workers are smaller, white and maggot-like.

Indicators on Termite Control Using Borax You Need To

Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed wood and often end up in attics, floor boards and window frames.

Dampwood termites such as decaying wood or wood that's loaded with moisture. They often strike wood that is making contact with the ground and are found in areas with high rainfall or humidity.

Subterranean termites will consume soft (moisture-rich) wood and drywood, however they initially make contact with your home through the ground.

The Definitive Guide to Termite Control Using Neem Tree

Drywood and dampwood termites enter your home through small cracks, often around window frames through cracks in the home. Be sure to check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers shed their wings and burrow into the wood. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.

Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. As an example, when you hammer up Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind little holes and create an open doorway for a termite colony. .

Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area, a lot homes have raised foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes around the floor, often along articles. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson states , mud tubes can extend from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the house. .

Getting My Termite Control Use To Work

So what can you do if you find a termite in your home when you see one shed wing or one termite flying , it doesnt mean you've got an infestation. But if you find a group of shed wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.

Termites are actually easy to kill, Wilson states, but you need a termiticide to perform it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not readily available to the general public. Most home shops sell termite spray, but those are watered down to meet public safety specifications, so theyre not as effective.

In case you've got an infestation that's isolated to one part of your house, say the door trimming, you can replace the trimming, Wilson states. But in case you have a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.

Termite Control Use Can Be Fun For Everyone

Subterranean termites have to get cut off from the home at the soil. Pacific Coast Termites creates a chemical barrier between any areas of dirt and the home, as well as around the entire home. It acts as a shield that the termites cant break through.

Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a wood treatment product like XT2000 Orange Oil, which is injected under pressure Check Out Your URL 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 that are exceptionally infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a huge tent is placed over your house, or all of the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that can kill each of the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the type of infestation.

Termite Control Using Borax Things To Know Before You Get This

Apply a good, quality coat of paint on your property, since termites wont consume through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont staple or nail up Christmas lights then pull them down. Even the tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the holes year-round or fill the holes when you remove the nails. .

Instantly solve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other difficulties involving decaying wood. Provide proper ventilation under your raised home to maintain that region dry. Subterranean termites adore wetness.