Termite control is one of the most important things that you could ever do, and that’s because of the damage that termites can cause to your property. That said, a local pest exterminator may know the best solutions for you to pick, depending on your specific situation. One of these is termite sealant, which can be found easily enough and applied during a DIY project if you know the details of its application. The tricky part may be knowing when to call termite control since waiting too long to do so could allow the termites ample time to wreak havoc.
A good expert will know all about how to get rid of termites, including colony termite control. This is the reason why you should hire a professional and save yourself the hassle of guesswork, as well as the consequences of a possible miss. While you may never think that you’d need to buy termites online, people who have pets may do so, and frequently, for that matter. That said, if you’re feeling entrepreneurial, you could look for a way to harvest the termites and sell them. This would make for a great way to make some money on the side, but the catch is that you’ll need to find a way to keep the termites under control.
Termites are sneaky little pests that can invade your home in the blink of an eye. They cause damage to approximately 600,000 homes each year and cost upwards of nearly $750 million in property damage each year. Eating more than 3% or their total body weight each day quickly turns your home into a crumbling mess from these creatures. Ignoring them won’t make them go away, and these creatures are pretty amazing. Read below to see some interesting facts about termites that you may not have known.
They Can’t See
Think about where termites spend most of their time. Dark moist places, chomping away on wood. There really is no need for them to completely develop eyesight because there is really nothing for them to see. The exception to this is the mating termites. They must see in order to find a mate and find a new location for new nests.
Mating
King and Queen termites find mating partners. A Queen termite can lay one egg every 15 seconds. If you do the math for this that equals 30,000 eggs per day! That explains how these creatures do so much damage in such a short amount of time.
Communication
Special chemical scents are used for communication between termites within mounds. special glands on their chest allow termites to leave a chemical trail for other termites to follow. All mounds have their own scent, so if a termite from another mound invades, the termites know. When danger is detected soldier termites bang their heads again walls to create a vibration within the mound to warn the other termites.
Digestion
Termites are not able to digest cellulose on their own. They get assistance from microorganisms. There are more than 100 species living in the guts of termites to help them with digestion. Young termites are not born with these microorganisms. There is only one way for them to get them, and that is by eating the feces of other termites. This puts the necessary microorganisms in the gut to aid in digestion for the younger termites.
Beneficial
It may be hard to imagine, but termites are actually beneficial depending on which wood they are chomping away one. They do like trees, meaning dead and decaying trees can be recycled into the soil through their eating process. Their tunnels in the soil also improve the soil.
Termite Homes
Termites live in mounds. These mounds hold a variety tunnels as well as a variety of different types of termites. Within these mounds are young termites called nymphs, soldiers, workers and reproductive males and females. While all termites typically resemble ants, they are actually more closely related to a cockroach rather than an ant.
As you can see termites are quite incredible creatures, so it’s no wonder that termite damage repair can get pretty costly for homeowners. Most of the time termite damage is hidden until home remodeling begins. Once general contractors begin the remodeling process, the damage is usually spotted. This can cause a residential construction company to focus on home repairs as well as termite damage repair. Termite damage repair can be costly, but it is important to remember that the sooner it is caught and remedied the better. Leaving termite damage can cost thousands and thousands more in repairs.