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The following
article was prepared for the LESCONEWS by the BASF Corporation.
The role
of pest management in the health of homes and families across the country
has grown in recent years, and the public is more concerned than ever
about the need to protect itself from the damage and disease pests can
cause. In the United States, no pest causes more annual damage to homes
than the termite.
Termites
have been found across 70 percent of the world and have survived environmental
changes for more than 250 million years, adjusting to most any climate.
In the U.S., termites are found in ever state except Alaska. In fact,
they invade the homes of more than 1.5 million Americans every year.
Americans
spend more than $2.5 billion yearly dealing with termites and repairing
the damage they cause – more than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and
fires combined. But unlike these natural disasters, termites will destroy
a home silently – their presence often goes undetected until after
the damage is done. What’s worse, termite damage is not even covered
by most homeowner insurance policies.
The warning
signs
According
to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), the following signs
may indicate a home is infested with termites:
• Swarms
of flying termites (called “swarmers” or “alates”)
can occur both inside and outside of the house, usually in the spring.
Often the first sign of a termite infestation is the sudden appearance
of these swarmers, ushering in the beginning of termite “swarming”
season. Swarming termites usually shed their wings after swarming, leaving
behind small, papery piles on windowsills, countertops or floors. During
swarming season, termite colonies send off large numbers of these winged
reproductive termites.
A swarm is
recognizable by the sudden appearance of hundreds to thousands of swarmers
within a home or building. The swarm often lasts just a few minutes, as
swarmers fly a short distance, then fall to the ground and lose their
wings. Soon afterwards, females will emit a pheromone to attract male
termites for mating. After pairing, the termites search for a location
to begin a new colony.
Termite swarming
is triggered by a combination of several successive days of above average
temperatures, followed by a light rain. Swarm activity varies geographically,
but occurs most often in the spring (March-May) and during the daytime.
A single colony may swarm more than once a year, but ensuing swarms are
often not as large as the original spring swarm. It is also common for
termite colonies in the same area to swarm on the same day.
• Small
piles of wood residue or shavings often indicate termite activity. Tiny
holes in wood, crumbling drywall and sagging doors are other symptoms
of wood damage. Termites are attracted to the cellulose and high moisture
in wood; some termite species need only a space 1/64 of an inch wide –
the thickness of a piece of paper – to enter a home.
There are
five major types of nuisance termites throughout the United States –
Eastern Subterranean termites, Western Subterranean termites, Desert Subterranean
termites, Formosan Subterranean termites (the “Super Termite”
invading homes throughout the South and Hawaii) and Drywood termites.
Eastern Subterranean and Formosan termites are by far the most destructive.
Combined, they account for more than 80% of the economic loss in North
America every year.
An average
Eastern Subterranean termite colony can consume five grams of wood per
day, the equivalent of 2 1/3 linear feet of a 2-foot by 4-foot pine board
annually. Formosan termite colonies can average millions of workers, all
of them foraging for food. A mature colony of Formosans can consume as
much as 13 ounces of wood per day. As a result, Formosans can severely
damage a structure in as little as three months.
• Beware
of bubbled paint or visible, pencil-sized mud tubes running across concrete
or connecting soil to wood. Termites often make underground tunnels or
above-ground “shelter tubes” of mud, feces or debris while searching
for new food sources and connecting their underground nests to the food.
These mud tubes are the tunnels that termites use to gain access into
your home.
Although
Eastern Subterranean Termite colonies are largely located in the ground
below the frost line, secondary colonies can exist above ground, and examples
of true above- ground colonies existing without any ground contact have
been seen. However, such above ground colonies have access to moisture
and often the source is a roof or plumbing leak. In all, subterranean
termites can average 13 to 14 colonies per acre, with as many as one million
termites per colony.
What
can be done?
Due to the damage potential posed by termites, homeowners are becoming
more educated than ever about the products used on their homes to control
these voracious pests. There are four important questions every pest management
professional should be prepared to answer from a customer about termite
control:
1. “What
type of professional termite control do you recommend?”
2. “How long will it take for this treatment to start working?”
3. “Will this treatment control all of my termites?”
4. “How long will this treatment take to completely get rid of my
termite problem?”
The answer
If customers aren’t satisfied with your answers to the above questions,
perhaps you should look into termite control using Termidor® termiticide,
from BASF Professional Pest Control and available from LESCO. It is one
of many termite control products currently available through your local
LESCO Service Center.
Only Termidor-certified professionals are authorized to purchase and use
Termidor. For more information and certification training, go to www.PestControlFacts.com
or talk with your LESCO sales representative.
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