Drywood termite damage is often an unexpected expense for homeowners. Due to their size and nesting habits, it can be difficult to identify a drywood termite infestation until it’s too late. Did you know termites cost homeowners in the US billions of dollars in property damage each year? That’s why it’s important to be educated about pest control and the damage termites are capable of causing.
If you’re not familiar with drywood termites, we’ve provided an outline of what they are and how you can prevent them.
What are drywood termites?
Drywood termites are a species of termites commonly found in the southern and western United States. They are called drywood termites because they don’t require soil contact or aboveground moisture sources to survive. Drywood termites live within the sources they feed on, including dead trees, furniture, wooden floors and beams.
They produce smaller colonies than other termite species. A drywood termite species can contain roughly 5,000 termites.
Subterranean Termites vs. Drywood Termites
Another species of termites homeowners often worry about are the subterranean termites. These termites live underground, require moisture for survival and are more aggressive than drywood termites. Subterranean termites build nests underground and connect it to food sources, similar to those drywood termites feed on.
A tell-tale sign of subterranean termites are mud tubes near the base of housing structures, which provide pathways for termite swarms.
Signs of Termite Damage
Signs of termite infestations are pretty much the same throughout all species of termites. Common signs are:
- Buckling wood
- Shelter tubes
- Swollen floors or ceilings
- Mazes within walls and furniture
- Small piles of feces near wooden structures
- Hollow sound when tapping wood structures, like walls
If you have seen these signs of damage in your home, we recommend you call a professional pest control service to prevent any further damage.
How to get rid of drywood termites?
There are a variety of DIY termite treatments that can be found online.
When it comes to DIY treatments however, the margin of error can be high. When you hire a professional pest control service, you don’t have to worry whether or not your DIY treatment will work. DIY termite treatments may save you money, but depending on the severity of the infestation, you could end up doing more harm than good.
Professional Termite Control
When you hire a professional pest control company, you remove the stress, worry and wonder of whether the DIY termite exterminating method will actually work. Western Exterminator trains their pest control specialists with the most up-to-date, effective termite control methods to protect one of your most important investments, your home.
For more information on Western’s US termite control program in California, Arizona, or Nevada, contact us online or call 888-674-0921.
About Western Exterminator:
Western Exterminator has provided residential and commercial pest control services to California, Nevada, and Arizona since 1921. The company is a proud member of the Rentokil family and strives to provide the same excellence, training and customer service to its customers. Western Exterminator specializes in termite control, bed bug treatment, rodent control and more. For more information on Western Exterminator, visit www.westernexterminator.com.
These termites are very dangerous they will eat away all the wood. It is also difficult to identify these termites. So inorder to get rid of these termites we need to use professional termites control services.
It’s a nice post, It is good to know the effective pest control technique before using this in home. It is also best for home and us and effective for insects.
This is good information about termites. My wife and I have been concerned we might have termites in our home. We have seen some of the signs that you mentioned, like swollen floors and buckling wood. We will have to call somebody to come and take a look as soon as possible.
I like that you point out that one of the benefits of hiring a professional termite service is that you don’t have to worry about whether or not the treatment will work. I imagine that it would be frustrating to try something yourself and then not have it work. Fortunately, I have never had termites in my house. But, if I do, I will remember that it is best to have professionals take care of it for me.