ITS COMING!
TERMITE SWARMER SEASON

Termites have been around for over 250 million years.  They are social insects and live in colonies which are usually located in the ground or in wood.  Most termites feed on cellulose from wood and wood by-products such as paper. 

Termites are usually divided into 3 groups based on the location of their colony: the eastern subterranean is most common in this area.  There are 3 classes of subterranean termites; workers, soldiers and swarmers.  Workers can be separated into two groups: true workers who are sterile, and functional workers who are either male or female.  Functional workers have the ability to molt into soldiers or swarmers, depending on the colony's needs.  Workers maintain the colony, construct and repair the nest, and forage and feed the colony.  Soldiers are sterile and have only one function, to protect the colony.  Reproductives include the primary reproductives and secondary reproductives.  The primary reproductives are the king and queen which were the swarmers that started the colony.  The king and queen mate periodically, and the queen may live up to 30 years, perhaps longer.  Pair formation by swarmers occurs after the swarming flight. It is during this flight that the wings typically fall off. 

The question is often asked as to how many years are required before a newly constructed building will show signs of termite infestation.  If a colony is started by a pair of subterranean termite swarmers at the time of construction, at least 3 or 4 years are required before even a few swarmers will be produced.  Evidence of damage may take longer.  However, if the structure is built over or close to a strong existing colony of subterranean termites, hundreds of swarmers may appear within a year.  Also, in this latter situation, substantial damage might be noticed within a year.

Termite control begins with a thorough inspection of the structure and the preperation of a graph of the structure's foundation and or any floors which show either termite activity or damage, wheter it is active or inactive (old).  Subterranean termite control involves placing a termiticide barrier and/or an in-ground perimeter monitoring system between the termite colony and the wood of the structure, the elimination of above ground moisture sources which can support secondary colonies, the elimination of wood to ground contact, reduction of crawl space humidity via vents and/or polyethylene soil cover, and the possible injection of infested wood to rapidly kill the above ground termites.

Let us protect your home from the devasting damage termites can cause.