How To Identify Termites For Enhanced Treatment And Prevention

By Author: Americana Termite Company Professional Professional
Total Articles: 12
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Termites live in big groups and work together in a highly organized system to locate sources of food. They are usually white in color, however some are so transparent that one can see food within their gut. To get rid of termites, it is better to have a basic knowledge of them for effective treatment and prevention.

With the right skills and training, termites can be found even in the hardest places. They can hollow out large trees, construct enormous nests and eat away at the structure of your home. Most termite species have both worker and soldier castes. Soldier termites have strong jaws and long heads. They defend the colony from intruders. If you can locate some soldier termites, it becomes easier to determine whether termites have invaded your home. The majority of termites are workers. Worker termites are approximately 2/5 inch in length and can be recognized by their light-colored, soft bodies. Reproductive termites are the same but with wings.

Termites are not good fliers and will not attempt to fly except when the air is not moving and humidity is high without the possibility of rainfall. The queen ...
... is the biggest member of the termite colony. The queen can be as long as four inches and lays as many as four eggs per minute. When the queen dies, she is quickly replaced with another reproductive termite. Identifying termites is somewhat difficult unless a reproductive swarm is there. However swarming termites do look like swarming ants. Some individuals refer to termites as "white ants" however this is an erroneous term.

Mature termites with wings are black. Termites have six, short legs. As for ants, the back pair of wings are not as long as the front pair and they are not easily broken. Termites possess 4 equal wings (two times longer than the length of the body) and are not easily broken. Termites possess thick undefined waists while ants have defined and narrow waists. Termites have straight antennae which look like small strings of pearls, while ants have elbowed ones. Termites have no eyes except the winged reproductive termites. Actually, termites are more similar to cockroaches rather than ants.

You should also know that practically all types of termites live in dark places, except the winged reproductive ones when they are flying or all other termites when they are building something. What this means is that you normally see them only when something is broken or open. When termites are in the open, they try to find their way home by following their scent trails. If they are not able to find their way home, the termites squeeze themselves into small crevices or stray around until they come across another termite.

The facts presented above should make it easier for you to identify termites. If you see signs of termite infestation in or around your house, you should get in touch with one of the reputable termite company in Los Angeles to take care of the problem accordingly. If you fail to take action quickly, termites are capable of destroying parts of your home within a very brief period of time. So call a professional termite specialist if you even suspect the presence of termites and they can perform an inspection.

The author of this article is associated with Americana Termite Company, a reputed Los Angeles pest control company.