When spring is on the way, termites are coming, too! As one of the most destructive pests that Suffolk County & Nassau County homeowners have to deal with, termites can cause major damage to your wallet as well as your home. Termites are wood-destroying organisms that invade millions of homes every year in the United States, costing homeowners over $5 billion in repairs and treatments.
Not only is termite damage costly, but most insurance policies don’t cover it. That’s why homeowners like you need expert information on termite behavior and how to protect your home.
What Do Termites Look Like?
The most prominent type of termite in Suffolk County & Nassau County is the Eastern subterranean termite. Within this species, there are several termite castes that look different from each other. These castes are the workers, soldiers, reproductives, and queen.
Workers are pale in color throughout their bodies, while soldiers have larger, rectangular yellow-brown heads and large mandibles. Termite reproductives, also called alates or swarmers, are dark in color, range from about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in size, and have two equal-sized sets of wings, as well as broad waists and straight antennae.
What Are Termite Swarmers?
Termite swarmers are the winged reproductive termites within a colony. They’re the type of termite you’re most likely to see! When Suffolk County & Nassau County temperatures warm up in the spring, mature reproducers will use the weather as their cue to leave their nest to carry out their job to form new colonies. Once they meet up with a fellow swarmer from a different colony, the two will settle down – becoming the king and queen of their new colony.
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Termite or Flying Ant?
Swarmer termites are frequently confused for flying ants. Both bugs serve the same purpose in their respective species – flying off to start their own colonies and reproduce – but unlike termites, flying ants aren’t always an immediate threat to buildings. They can’t even eat on their own; they rely on their colonies to feed them through a process called trophallaxis.
The only type of ant that poses a danger to wooden structures is the carpenter ant. Even so, if you see a flying ant or a termite swarmer on your property, it’s time for an inspection – just in case.
What Are the Signs of a Termite Infestation?
Termites are notorious for their ability to do a lot of damage without being noticed. That’s because they usually move directly from their underground nests into a structure. However, there are a few things you can look out for:
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- Live termites. Perhaps the most obvious sign of a termite infestation—you see termites! If you see winged termites out and about this spring, it’s quite possible you already have a mature termite colony near or inside your home. Only a small percentage of a termite colony will turn into swarmers, so there are thousands more where they came from.
- Discarded wings. After mating, termite swarmers will shed their wings, which you may notice around your home’s windows, porches, and doors.
- Mud tubes. Subterranean termites build mud tubes to travel to and from their colonies and food sources. If you see mud tunnels in the ground or inside wood on your property, that’s a sign you have termites.
- Termite droppings. These are called frass and resemble wood particles or sawdust.
- Damaged paint. Damage to the underlying wood can cause paint to bubble, crack, or peel.
- Sticking doors and windows. If your doors or windows are sticking when they didn’t before, termite damage could be the reason. Their tunnels can cause wood to buckle, making your doors and windows harder to close.
How to Prevent a Termite Infestation
The best way to prevent a termite infestation in your home is to have ongoing termite control from a trusted Suffolk County & Nassau County exterminator like Suburban Exterminating. At Suburban Exterminating, we offer two options to protect your home from termites:
Sentricon Termite System
As authorized operators of the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System, we offer this product to Suffolk County & Nassau County residents. Sentricon is a highly effective and eco-friendly ongoing solution to termite infestations. This system involves installing a protective ring of Sentricon stations around different locations of your home, filled with bait termites will feed on, ultimately eliminating the colony…including the queen!
DIY Termite Control
Termites are extremely destructive and hard to get rid of. For that reason, DIY termite control is not advised. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to protect your home, though. Here are a few more ways you can minimize the risk of termites in your home:
- Reduce moisture levels.
- Repair leaking pipes or fixtures.
- Store wood at least 20 feet away from your home in a dry spot at least 5 inches above the ground.
- Limit soil-to-wood contact for all structures on your property.
- Replace water-damaged wood.
- Clear your gutters and make sure they’re functioning properly.
- Regularly trim tree limbs away from your home.
Suburban Exterminating’s Expert Pest Control
Our Suburban Exterminating technicians create a barrier of liquid termite treatment called termiticide around your home to keep termites away. The liquid barrier is typically applied in a 4” wide by 6” deep trench around your home’s foundation. Concrete areas including sidewalks, porches, and basements will require small holes to be drilled and the termiticide injected into the space. Once the barrier is established, termites will not be able to pass through and enter (or damage!) your home.
Protect Your Suffolk County & Nassau County Home with Termite Control from Suburban Exterminating
Termite removal should be handled by professionals with the proper knowledge and tools who can identify and solve your termite problem with minimal risk of further damaging your home. Suburban Exterminating is a leading Suffolk County & Nassau County termite exterminator specializing in termite control and prevention. Contact us today!
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