Termites. Everyone has heard of them, but could you identify them?

What exactly do they do to damage homes and how costly can they be? Due to their typical diets of dead plant material (ie wood, leaf litter) they can cause significant structural building damage, about $5 billion worth each year. Found in every state of United States except Alaska, they are a widespread problem and Florida is home to four different species of termites: the eastern subterranean, formosan subterranean, powderpost drywood, and Florida dampwood. Living in colonies ranging from 10,000 to a million insects, it is important to catch them as soon as possible!

There are five main signs to look for that may indicate you have a termite infestation on your hands. The first, and most notable, are the swarms. Generally occurring in the spring as termites leave established colonies in an attempt to start a new one, you might find bodies in and around windows. The next and also quite noticeable sign are shelter tubes. Built by subterranean variety termites, shelter tubes are pencil size in width and made up of mud and earth. The termites build these across open spaces so you may see these across walls or ceilings. The final three signs require more proactive searching rather than reactive finding. You can check the mulch and dirt around a suspicious area for the bugs, inspect suspected wood to see if it’s been hollowed, or check for dirt in wood if you cannot tell if its been damaged by water or termites (termites can bring dirt into the wood).

So you found evidence of termites, what is the next best thing to do? Call in reinforcements! There are do-it-yourself treatments that will kill termites but are unlikely to take care of an entire infestation, it’s best to call in the big guns. Sunstate professionals have been taking care of pests since 1980 and know just how to successfully rid your property of these pesky bugs. Sunstate performs both preventative applications and takes care of active infestations. Covered by our trademarked Progard monitoring system and using such products as the #1 termite defense product in America, Termidor (a proven effective and safe, liquid termicide), there is no problem that cannot be remedied.

Whether termites are in the floor boars or base boards, foundation cracks or cracks in your wood paneling, termites are costly and damaging. If you want to rid your home of these pests and keep them away, just give the experts at Sunstate a call!