When we think about pest control needs we may find our minds wandering to ants, bees, cockroaches and beetles. Do we think about termites too? Many homeowners do not think about the possibility of termites infesting their home unless they have had a personal encounter with them. If you are one of the unfortunate people who have had to deal with termites you know what damage they are capable of. Knowing more about termites, where they come from, and how to prevent them can help your home or business from having an encounter with these annoying pests. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control spotlights termites below.

Termites are Common in San Antonio, Texas

Here in the Greater San Antonio, Texas area the subterranean termite is one of the types of termite that we need to be educated about. The scientific name for the subterranean termite is reticulitermes flavipes. They are the most common termite found here in North America. Termites feed on cellulose material such as the structural wood in buildings, wooden fixtures, paper, books, and cotton.

How Do You Identify a Subterranean Termite?

In order to spot termites, you need to know what they look like. The subterranean termites range in size from ¼ inch to ¾ of an inch in length. They differ in color by caste. Termites are broken into different castes. Worker termites are cream-colored and pale. Worker termites are sterile. Since they can’t reproduce they fill their time foraging for food and water, constructing and repairing shelter tubes, feeding and helping groom other termites, caring for the eggs and the young termites, and participating in colony defense. Worker termites are wingless and do not have eyes. Soldier termites are also cream-colored and pale but their heads are brown. The primary function of the soldier termites is to defend the colony. They make up only 2% of the population. The last caste in the termite colony is the reproductive caste. Primary reproductive termites are brown or black. The queen of the colony can lay 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per day. Due to their ability to reproduce so rapidly, a mature colony can range from 20,000 workers to 5 million workers.

Why Do Termites Suddenly Appear?

So how do these colonies of termites infest your home or business? The worker termites are responsible for finding a good home for their colony. From February to April termites are in the process of forming new colonies. Termites will set up their colonies wherever there is food, moisture, and a temperature suitable for their bodies. Termites love to feed on damp wood. They will build mud tubes several feet under the ground. They travel through the tubes to their food source. They will eat the wood inside your home or office from the inside out. Rotting wood or wood that sounds hollow when tapped are both signs of termites.

Termite Pest Inspections, Exclusion, Control, Removal, Management & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas

Acting quickly if you see signs of termites is important. The longer the termites have to eat through the wood in your home or office building, the more structural damage that they can do. Termites are the cause of billions of dollars of structural damage each year. Professional help is recommended to help get rid of the termites in your home or business. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control a call today so that we can come out and customize a plan for your home or business.