TERMITES
A Colony Directed Toward One Common Cause
– Survival
Admittedly, many people have never seen a termite.
That’s because they stay well hidden. Termites
thrive in dark, moist conditions, preferably in
soil.
On average, they leave their protective environment
about once a year – a reproductive process
known as “swarming.” After successfully
mating, they search for a new location to nest and
feed.
Similar to ants, termites live in large interdependent
colonies. These colonies operate much like a factory,
numbering anywhere from 250,000 to, in some cases,
over one million termites. Worker, soldier and reproductive
termites have specific tasks to keep the whole system
running. At the center of the colony is the queen
and king whose joint purpose is reproduction. The
worker termites’ role is crucial: collect
enough food to feed the entire colony, including
the thousands of new larvae that are hatched each
season. Termites feed on cellulose materials and
are especially attracted to one particular source:
wood. But how do they find it?
An Underground System of Mass Transit
Termites probe though the soil until they come
in contact with a food source, a process known as
“random foraging.” From their colonies,
these foragers can travel as far as 500 feet. Once
a food source is located, they build a path to start
their system of transporting the food back to the
colony. In most cases, termites never expose themselves
to light or open air, making their detection during
feeding nearly impossible. Even in crossing over
non-soil matter such as concrete, they’ll
build tubes composed of soil particles to keep themselves
protected.
Everything is then in place for a system of mass
food transportation. Thousands of termites will
travel back and forth from the food source to the
nest, carrying with them the sustenance the colony
needs to survive.
Signs of Infestation
In addition to swarms, there are several other
signs homeowners can watch for to determine if they
have a termite problem. Mud tubes extending up from
the foundation indicate a colony below has found
a food source. Other entry points for termites that
are not readily visible are expansion joints in
slab construction, other cracks within the foundation
and foundation walls, and crawl spaces.
The Homeowner’s Role: Prevention
Although ridding a house of termites requires a
conventional chemical treatment or the use of baits,
there are steps a homeowner should take to make
a house less ideal for termite invasions.
As mentioned above, termites require moisture in
order to survive. Wood that is at least 30 percent
water saturated provides enough moisture. Additionally,
termites will find free-standing water such as condensation,
rain or plumbing leaks and use this moisture as
their main source for survival. Correcting moisture
problems in conjunction with treatment is necessary
for successful control.
If standing water is not available, termites will
bring wet mud into a structure to create appropriate
moisture conditions. To prevent this from happening,
homeowners need to keep the following in mind:
- Landscaping should be kept a few feet from
the foundation of the home.
- Crawl spaces should be kept clear of debris
and water.
- Basements should not have any standing water
or leaking pipes.
- Humidity levels need to be kept to a minimum
to keep wood moisture low.
<<
Back to the main list |
