LENTREK TC

Listing ID #4312152

Subterranean termites, the most common kind, live in soil. There are distinct castes within each colony – the largest group being the workers..

Blind and wingless, the workers bore galleries in wood, forage for food and care for other members of the colony. It is the workers, along with newly-hatched nymphs that do the damage to the structure.

Soldier termites protect the colony from attack by invaders such as ants, in its final growth stage; the soldier termite acquires a long armoured head and large strong jows.

Each colony has one queen, or more, whose mission is to lay eggs. These develop into new colony members. There is only one primary queen, when she dies, secondary queen are often produced.

Once a year, new members of the winged reproductive caste develop. A single colony may produce several hundreds of these.

When environment conditions are ideal, these new reproductive’s leave the colony in a swarm to seek mates and start new colonies. After flying a short distance the swarmers fall to the ground, break off their wings, locate mates and then seek a small space beneath a rock or wood in direct contact with the soil to begin a new colony.

EVIDENCE OF TERMITE INFESTATION

SWARMS that occur within a building are positive evidence that the structure is infested. Swarmers are attracted to light and are often seen in large numbers around windows.

GALLERIES IN WOOD. Wood damaged by termites has galleries that tend to run with the grain, although some will cross the grain, these galleries can be distinguished from similar damage caused by other wood-infesting insects because they usually contain soil particles instead of sawdust.

MUD TUBES are also evidence of an infection. When termites cross concrete and similar materials to reach wood, they construct these tubes as a shelter. The tubes are made of soil particles cemented together with saliva and excreted fluid waste.

SOIL PASSAGES. Termites feed on wood and cellulose materials, but they also need constant moisture to survive. Colonies usually nest in the soil which provides that moisture.

MOIST WOOD and wood which is direct contact with the soil such as under a dirt filled porch, provide ideal condition for termites.