Termites

More About Termites

Termites living in social communities and work together to ensure the survival of the colony. Whether they’re searching for food or water, they’re working as a team. Once the colony has been well-established, termite swarmers will leave the colony in hopes of finding locations for new colonies.
A termite’s sole food source is cellulose and it is found in plants. However, they have a variety of options at their disposal since cellulose is found in cotton fibers, cardboard, furniture, lumber, and paper. As a result, they can destroy a structure quickly.
When you’re dealing with a termite infestation, you may find termite mounds are your home. Termite mounds confirm that the colony has overgrown and the termites are spreading elsewhere. Some termites will burrow in wood. Be sure to look for mud tubes that are used to access the termite’s food sources.
Although there are other species, Subterranean termites are the most destructive. They’re responsible for causing 95% of the damage done to American homes each year.

Termite Classes & Responsibilities

Queens

Remember that there are several termite classes and their responsibilities vary. The Queen is the largest and likely the most important member of the colony. She can reach 4 inches in length and is responsible for reproducing offspring. Without a queen, the termite colony would not expand or survive.
The queen works with the king to produce enough workers to ensure that the colony is properly cared for.
Queen termites have long lives with some surviving more than ten years. During a queen’s life, she will lay 30,000 eggs each day.

King

The king termite plays the vital role of helping the queen reproduce. Together, they produce enough workers to ensure that the colony can thrive.
The king will continue working with the queen for the rest of his life.

Workers

Worker termites have soft bodies and they’re light. They’re small with few reaching more than 10mm.
As the name implies, the worker termite is the backbone of the colony because it does more than the others. It helps care for eggs, feed other members of the colony, and maintain the colony’s tunnels.

Soldiers

Soldiers are soft, white, and without wings.
Their long heads and strong jaws allow them to defend the colony from invaders. Although they might combat other insects, they primarily worry about ants.

Swarmers

There are swarmer termites of both genders. These termites are responsible for producing offspring and building new colonies.
Since they develop wings, they can leave the colony and build a colony elsewhere.
Each termite colony will contain a king and queen. However, it can also have hundreds of swarmers.

Which Termites Are In Michigan?

Although Michigan might be home to other termites, the biggest concern for Livonia residents should be Subterranean termites. They’re commonly found in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and elsewhere.

What Are Subterranean Termites?

Subterranean termites are a specific species of termites that are very destructive. These termite colonies have soldiers, workers, kings, queens, and swarmers. The appearance of the termite depends on its class and responsibilities. Workers and soldiers can reach up to three-eights of an inch, but soldiers have longer heads and strong mandibles. As for swarmer termites, they can reach half an inch in length.

Subterranean Termite Habits

Although most of these termites live in underground nests, they may have moist living areas above ground too. They’ll use mud tubes to ensure that they can travel back and forth from food sources while protecting themselves from open air. Subterranean termites feed on cellulose and products that contain cellulose. When spring arrives, the colony’s Subterranean swarmers will leave the colony to build colonies elsewhere.

Subterranean Termite Threats

These termites pose a major risk to humans and their habitats. Although they’re not dangerous, they are destructive. Their powerful jaws allow them to destroy wooden structures very rapidly. If the issue isn’t addressed quickly, the property damage and repair costs will climb higher rapidly.

Flying Termites And Flying Ants

Although flying ants and flying termites are similar, there are notable differences between them.

Wings – Flying termites have two sets of wings and both are the same size. However, they’re fragile and can be broken easily. Flying ants have longer front wings but they’re more durable.

Waists – Flying ants have a pinched waist like conventional ants. Flying termites do not.

Antennas – Flying termites have straight antennas, but flying ants have elbowed antennas.

Unique Facts Regarding Termites

Termites never stop eating. They will eat 24 hours each day and 7 days each week. As a result, the damage done during a termite infestation will be massive.
A termite colony can last many, many years. If not taken care of, the colony may stick around for 70 years.
A termite colony could house as many as half a million termites.
Despite being destructive, they help thew environment by dealing with the dead, decaying wood.
Many termites need access to water because they’ll dry out and die.
They can use mud tunnels above ground, but these tunnels must remain moist.
Ants can kill termites. They may attack the colony or worker ants when they’re searching for food sources.
An exterminator can help you get rid of the entire infestation.
The world is home to 2,000 termite species. Most of these species reside in tropical or subtropical locations.
40 species can be found in the United States.
Alaska is the only American state that does not have termites.
Subterranean termites cause most of the structural damage.
They won’t be able to eat through concrete, but their compact bodies allow them to glide through the cracks.
The worker termite is responsible for feeding the other termites. It will chew, digest, and regurgitate cellulose to feed other termites.
Queen termites may live up to 20 years or longer while laying thousands of eggs each day.

Do Termites Pose Health Risks?

Although termites are bad, they’re not dangerous. They do not bite humans and they won’t transmit diseases. Nevertheless, they could ruin your life. A termite infestation is going to turn your life upside down because it’ll destroy your home. If you don’t get rid of them, the wood supporting your home will be severely damaged. Repairing it may not be possible. If it is, the costs will be immense.

Dealing With Termites

Unfortunately, dealing with termite infestations won’t be easy. Once they’ve established a colony, they can travel up to 300 feet from that colony to search for food. And, they’ll often do so using underground tunnels so you won’t see them. As a result, you aren’t going to be able to find these pests easily. They’ll remain hidden so you need to work with an exterminator who can identify and fix the problem for you. Our company can get rid of termites in Livonia and nearby areas.

Can Homeowners Eliminate Termites?

DIY termite treatments are available, but they might not be worth it. The problem is that these solutions are often ineffective. Furthermore, they might be used or mixed unsafely. If this happens, you’ll expose your loved ones to dangerous chemicals. Call our office to learn more about our safer solutions.

When Can Your Exterminator Start?

How Safe Is Your Termite Treatment?

We offer a safer termite treatment. Our exterminators are trained thoroughly and forced to follow precise protocols to keep our clients safe. In addition to this, all of the products we use are registered with the EPA. These products have been proven safe around pets, humans, and plants. Protect your loved ones and pets by choosing us as your primary pest control service provider.

Preventing Termites From Entering Your Property

Make sure your home’s foundation remains dry. Water should be diverted away using gutters, downspouts, and splash blocks. Deal with any leaky faucets or water pipes immediately.
Minimize the humidity in your attic, basement, and crawlspace. Make sure these areas are properly ventilated.
Firewood needs to be stored further from your home. 20 feet or more is good.
If you use mulch around your home, make sure it is kept at least 15 inches from your home’s foundation.
Check the foundation to check for mud tubes.

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