Termites cause billions of dollars in damage each year in the U.S. They primarily feed on wood, but also damage paper, books, insulation, and even swimming pool liners and filtration systems. Termites can injure living trees and shrubs, but more often are a secondary invader of woody plants already in decline. While termites may infest buildings at any time, they are particularly relevant when buying or selling a home since a termite inspection/infestation report is normally a condition of sale. Besides the monetary impact, thousands of winged termites emerging inside one’s home are an emotionally trying experience — not to mention the thought of termites silently feasting on one’s largest investment.
Spring typically is when large numbers of winged termites, known as “swarmers,” emerge inside homes. In nature, termites swarm to disperse and start new colonies. Triggered by warmer temperatures and rainfall, the winged termites emerge from the colony and fly into the air. The swarmers then drop to the ground, shed their wings, pair off with a mate, and attempt to begin new colonies in the soil. Termite swarmers emerging inside a home are incapable of damaging wood and only live for about a day. Removal can be accomplished with a broom or vacuum.
If you find winged termites in your home it means your home needs termite treatment.Since the swarmers are attracted to light, they often are seen around windows and doors. People often confuse winged termites with ants, which tend to swarm at the same time of year. Termites have straight antennae, a uniformly thickened waist, and wings of equal size. Conversely, ants have elbowed antennae, constricted waists, and forewings that are longer than the hind wings.
Swarms of termites emerging from tree stumps, woodpiles, etc. out in the yard are not necessarily cause for concern, and do not automatically mean the house is infested. On the other hand, if swarmers are emerging next to the foundation or from abutting porches or patios, there’s a good chance the home is infested as well.
Other signs of infestation are earthen “mud” tubes extending over foundation walls, support piers, sill plates, floor joists, etc.The mud tubes are typically about the diameter of a pencil, but sometimes can be thicker. Termites construct the tubes for shelter as they travel between their underground colonies and the structure. To help determine if an infestation is active, the tubes may be broken open and checked for the presence of small, creamy-white worker termites. If a tube happens to be vacant, it does not necessarily mean that the infestation is inactive; termites often abandon sections of tube while foraging elsewhere in the structure.
Termite-damaged wood is hollowed out along the grain, with bits of dried mud or soil lining the feeding galleries. Wood damaged by moisture or other types of insects (e.g., carpenter ants) will not have this appearance. Occasionally termites also bore tiny holes through drywall or plaster, accompanied by bits of soil around the margin. Rippled or sunken traces behind wall coverings can also be indicative of termites tunneling underneath.
Termites are cryptic creatures and infestations can go undetected for years, hidden behind walls, floor coverings, insulation, and other obstructions. Termite feeding and damage can even progress undetected in exposed wood because the outer surface usually remains intact. Confirmation of termites often requires the keen eye of a professional — however, even the most experienced inspector can overlook signs that are hidden.
There are two general categories of termite treatment — liquids and baits. Liquid termiticides have been around for many decades. Their purpose is to provide a long-lasting “barrier” in the soil that prevents termites from entering and infesting buildings. In most cases, termites already within the building die off as well, since they cannot return to the soil for supplemental moisture. Most former liquid termiticides were repellent rather than lethal to termites foraging in the soil.
The other treatment category is baiting. Termite baits consist of cellulose-based food combined with a slow-acting substance lethal to termites. The baits are installed below ground out in the yard in cylindrical plastic stations. Other types of bait stations are sometimes additionally installed indoors over active mud tubes. Foraging termites eat the bait and share it with their nest mates, resulting in a gradual decline in termite numbers. On some properties, baits may constitute the only form of treatment; on others, they may be supplemented with liquid applications to areas where termites are observed.
Pestman Termite Bait Station consists of a bait station, a lid, bait blocks and bait. We fix the bait blocks, which termites like to eat and which are highly attractive to them, in the bait station and install the bait station in a building, tree or dam. When the termites arrive at the soil near the bait station, they quickly make their way to the bait station due to the strong attraction of the bait material released in the soil by the wood blocks of the bait station and then enter the bait station to feed. The bait stations contain toxic baits containing flubenuron, an insect growth regulator that prevents termites from growing new skin after moulting and makes the surface thin and brittle, killing the termites by inhibiting their growth without them being able to detect it. The termite colony relies heavily on worker ants to find and carry their food. Flubenuron bait is based on cellulose, which is the favourite food of termites, as a supplement, so termites can easily feed on it. Once the workers have found the bait, they will carry the ‘food’ back to the nest for their companions to eat. All the termites in the nest will feed on the bait and the eggs laid by the breeding ants will not be able to be hatched, thus killing the whole nest.
Alternatively, the wood blocks in the bait station can be used to spray a special termite poisoning powder on the termites feeding on the wood blocks. Upon return to the nest, the powder is spread to other termites, eventually leading to the poisoning and death of the whole nest.
As the baited wood blocks are processed from wood that termites prefer to eat and are targeted at different species of termites, e.g. termites, reticulated termites, toothed termites, greater termites, etc., all baited wood is treated with special attractants and feed stimulants that are extremely attractive to termites. When the bait station is placed in the soil, the lure molecules in the bait evaporate into the surrounding soil air and spread around the bait station through the soil voids. When found by termites out in search of food, they are quickly lured into the bait station to feed. And the bait blocks are so palatable that we have filled the bait station with 8 bait blocks which can feed thousands of termites at the same time, greatly reducing the time required to eliminate the entire nest.
The design takes into account the behaviour and habits of different termites and the bait blocks are placed very close to the plastic shell of the bait station. Once the lured termites are close to the bait station, they can feed quickly, thus increasing the effectiveness of the bait.
All the bait wood in the bait station is specially treated against mould so that the blocks are resistant to mould and have a long life span. The housing of the bait station is made of ABS material, antioxidants and UV resistant compounds for high strength and ageing resistance and durability for a long life.
Termite prevention and control are complex subjects. For more information, you can visit our website or contact us. We’ll give you the best possible protection.
