Termites
Overview
Termites are social insects that cause a great deal of damage to wooden structures because they rely on wood as their primary food source. Termite-damaged wood has no sawdust associated with it, so if you are seeing piles of sawdust, chances are the problem is related to Carpenter Ants. Because of the potential damage and the complex techniques used to treat for termites, control is best left in the hands of a professional pest control operator.
Within a termite colony there are different castes and each termite has a different role to perform. Within this colony, all termites are interdependent upon each other for survival. Termite infestations are most common between the months of February and May.
Biology
There are two different types of termites within a colony; Swarmers and Workers. Termite Swarmers are the winged-reproductive form and range from dark brown to black in color and are appoximetely ¼” inch in length. The wings are all equal in length and are opaque like wax paper. Swarmers are commonly seen from February through May and are the termites which are capable of reproduction. When indoors, Swarmers typically fly towards windows and other light sources.
Worker termites, on the other hand, are a creamy white color and are rarely seen due to their sensitivity to light and air flow. The worker termites are the ones that are in the soil or inside the wood and doing the actual damage. Their purpose is to provide a protected pathway that shields them from light, air flow and allows them to maintain a high humidity environment.
