Identify Pest: Termite Infestation and Termite Problems

Termites are one of the most expensive pest problems in our area. Termites are responsible for more damage to wooden structures in the US than all of the hurricanes, tornadoes and house fires put together. Knockout Pest Control gets more termite infestation service calls than for any other pest.

Termite Infestation Damage

Termites are wood destroying insects that nest underground and seek sources of wood for food. If that wood is an old dead tree, it isn’t a problem. When it is the structural framework of a home or building, you have an expensive—even dangerous—termite infestation problem. Once termites make their way into a structure they chew their way through wood, creating pencil sized tunnels that destroy the structural integrity of foundation beams, sills, floor joists, weight bearing walls and eventually all the wood in a building if the termite infestation is left unchecked. A mature termite colony can contain more than 2 million individuals. As colonies grow they can split up into secondary colonies with new Queens. These new colonies can then feed and grow and all of a sudden you have more than one colony potentially attacking your location.

Identifying Termites

Termites are social insects that live in hierarchical colonies led by a king and queen and populated by castes of soldier termites, worker termites and immature termites in various stages of development. Members of each caste look different and play specific roles in a termite infestation site.

Workers make up the majority of the colony population. They care for eggs and feed and tend to the other caste members. They are the smallest members of the colony, are rarely seen, and soft white, almost translucent bodies. Workers do the construction of the colony, leading to the destruction of homes and buildings. Soldiers defend the colony. They are white like workers but have a large, hard head with two large mandibles they wield as weapons against intruders. Winged reproducers help spread the population of termites and establish new termite infestation sites. They will swarm in large numbers and assist the king and queen in egg laying, colony growth and in establishing new colonies.

The king termite mates with the queen to increase the size of the termite infestation. Each termite colony typically has one king termite. The queen termite is responsible for the colony growth. She is responsible for laying thousands of eggs over a lifespan that can reach ten years. Colonies that top several million termites may have secondary queens who also produce eggs.

Of termites found in the U.S., the subterranean species is the most prevalent termite infestation and is the most damaging in Long Island and New York. Dampwood termites live in heavily forested areas, primarily in the south and pacific coast, and are  termites in the United States are dampwood, drywood and subterranean. Dampwood termites commonly live in heavily forested areas of the country as they prefer wet wood; while, drywood termites, much more rare in the United States, prefer extremely dry wood. Subterranean termites require moist environments, live mainly in the soil and are the most destructive species.

Inspections for Termites

All homes in our area should undergo a thorough home inspection by a licensed termite inspector. Many people only find out they have a termite infestation problem when they are ready to sell—and that is when it is most costly. This could potentially prevent the sale of your home. It makes better sense to stay vigilant about the presence of termites. Get your home inspected regularly and invest in the modest cost of ongoing termite control.

Integrated Approach to Termite Control

The key things to look for in getting rid of termites and preventing a termite infestationsare:

• Local knowledge and expertise in detecting the presence of local species.
• Use of proven, cutting edge baiting systems, (Knockout was the first company in our region authorized to use Sentricon® and is the most experienced in its use. Independent research at 30 universities and more than 15 years of real-world success make Sentricon unique among commercial treatment options.)
• We eliminate all the termites including the Queen
• Exercise of utmost care in use of all methods to protect your family or staff, pets and the environment.

Knockout Pest Control Can Knock Out Your Termite Infestation Fast

Knockout Pest Control is your local expert at knocking out termite infestations and inspecting structures for termite problems (we kill carpenter ants, too)–and we keep them down for the count. Every member of our team receives over 100 hours of classroom instruction and in-the-field training so you are guaranteed a knockout punch to your pest problem every time.. We serve all of Long Island, New York City, and Westchester and Rockland Counties. Call 1-800-244-PEST or 1-800-244-7378 We respond like every pest problem is an emergency with fast, 24 hour service seven days a week. We don’t have the big red boxing glove in our logo for nothing!