Termite Identification
A Few Tips On Termite Identification
Termite identification is extremely import to the home owner who wants rid of all pests great and small. There are a few species of termites common to the North American continent, though the most destructive one is not native to this continent at all. He appeared in the Unites States somewhere around the 1950’s, theoretically from Hawaii. His origin is thought to be Chinese, as he was carried to Japan from there during the early 1600’s. He ravages, he devours, he stalks and creeps and is capable of multiplying his own colony’s numbers to over four million in as little as five years. He is the Formosa termite, and he is bad, bad, bad news. Just ask the Florida residents who lost their condominium complex to his greed and insistence. That area has still not seen the end of this mega-colony, and it has been over twenty years since they made themselves known.
As far as termite identification goes, those afore mentioned insects can be found no further north than Tennessee, and basically crowd the humid southern states and Mexico. That said, the next step in termite identification will come in phases. First, we must address the common misidentification of these insects. “White ants” or “molting albino cockroaches” are common terminology for those who don’t realize what they are looking at when they see a swarm or gathering of termites. These winged termites are bound for either death or colonization within three hours of leaving their perspective colonies. Only the strongest males and females will endure the clumsy, exhausting flight experience, the mating cycle, the immediately thereafter burrowing cycle, and wind up as king and queen of their own colonies. Termite identification is important, however, during these times, as those successful pairs may choose your rose garden and the crack in your foundation next to it for their cozy little deconstruction habitat.
Termite identification, then, must first be explained as the difference between it and the common carpenter ant, to whom he bares no relation but with whom he shares certain similarities. The ant has bent antennae, whereas the termites antennae are always straight. Also, the winged termite while at rest looks like long skinny wings with a head, and little more. The ant has three distinct body parts, while the termite has only two.
Termite identification is most important when you are trying to decide which type you are dealing with, as the two most common pests require different ways of management. The wood boring, or dry wood, termites are most likely to reside within your walls, which means that the king, queen, and selected mating pairs are hard at work reproducing in your home, where you can’t get to them. The subterranean termite, such as the Formosa which we’ve mentioned already, colonizes deep underground, sometimes up to 300 feet, and builds mud tunnels for ease and privacy of travel from its food source, the cellulose in your wood framework, back to the nest.