WHAT IS TERMITE?
One of the most stubborn pests is the Termites. These white or lotion colored creatures, resembling an ant can create a havoc if still left uncontrolled. Termites are a group of eusocial insects, with more than 2500 of species. These insects can cause severe destruction to wooden structures. They have the capacity to nest on nearly anything and almost everything. They commonly feed on wood, leaves or branches of bushes, papers, and many others. These insects can cause severe destruction to wooden structures. They generally build nests in trees or underground, as well as building large mounds above ground. Like bees, wasps, and ants, termites divide labor among castes, produce overlapping generations and take care of young collectively. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests.
That’s a whole lot of money wasted because of termite and pest infestation in homes, which is one of the primary causes of such damages. Have you heard the phrase, “small but terrible”? This can very well describe the small but terrible termites that invade your home and cause so much damage to your precious property. Unfortunately, termites and similar pests are quite common in most parts of the world. These destructive creatures invade your nice homes through any kind of wood THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE SOIL.
Termite Infestation Probability World Map
WHAT IS TERMITE?
One of the most stubborn pests is the Termites. These white or lotion colored creatures, resembling an ant can create a havoc if still left uncontrolled. Termites are a group of eusocial insects, with more than 2500 of species. These insects can cause severe destruction to wooden structures. They have the capacity to nest on nearly anything and almost everything. They commonly feed on wood, leaves or branches of bushes, papers, and many others. These insects can cause severe destruction to wooden structures. They generally build nests in trees or underground, as well as building large mounds above ground. Like bees, wasps, and ants, termites divide labor among castes, produce overlapping generations and take care of young collectively. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests.
The extent of infestation is world wide, however, if we look at India, there does not seem to be a single state where the termite infestation cannot be seen. Total damage caused by termites alone runs in the order of several billion of rupees
That’s a whole lot of money wasted because of termite and pest infestation in homes, which is one of the primary causes of such damages. Have you heard the phrase, “small but terrible”? This can very well describe the small but terrible termites that invade your home and cause so much damage to your precious property. Unfortunately, termites and similar pests are quite common in most parts of the world. These destructive creatures invade your nice homes through any kind of wood THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THESOIL. In some cases, termites have the capacity to build mud tubes, if there is not much wood around, and in turn, these tubes grow into colonies that contain thousands of termites in one area alone.
They are really so powerful that they even destroy the entire construction if left unattended. On the other hand, the eradication of termites is, however, a serious issue and fairly troublesome. There is no sole tactic in eradicating the menace and its reoccurrence cannot be avoided. It depends on the seriousness of infestation, the style of termites and its habitat. That speaks for the special attention of this issue. The main reason is that these small creatures (termites) have the ability to withstand the worst climate situation.
Termites mostly have a bad reputation in the human world, but in the overall ecosystem, that isn't so. Since they feed on wood, termites serve an important function by recycling dead trees into organic matter, or humus, which is then available to nourish living trees.
Unfortunately, the wood in our homes is just as palatable to termites as dead/dying trees in the forest. The latest industry estimates place the annual cost of damage to property and treatment cost at $5 billion worldwide. It is said that `no pest is more threatening to a structure than termites'. How to avoid the termite infestation in homes? Here are some points that could be of help.
Termites become a serious problem when they start consuming structural lumber. Each year thousands of housing units require treatment for the control of termites. Termites may also damage utility poles and other wooden structures. There are four types of termites such as Drywood termite, Dampwood termite, Formosan termites, and Subterranean termites. These pests cause serious damage to wooden structures and posts and may also attack stored food, books, and household furniture. The total weight of all of the termites in the world is more than the weight of all the humans in the world.
The social organization of termites includes reproductives, workers and soldiers. Termites are social and can form large nests or colonies, consisting of very different looking individuals or castes. PHYSICALLY THE LARGEST INDIVIDUAL IS THE QUEEN. Her function is to lay eggs, sometimes thousands in a single day. A king is always by her side. Other individuals have large heads with powerful jaws, or a bulblike head that squirts liquid. These individuals are called soldiers. But the largest group of termites in a colony is the workers. They toil long hours tending the queen, building the nest, or GATHERING FOOD. While other species of social insects have workers, termites are unique among insects in that workers can be male or female. Surprisingly, termites can be long-lived: queens and kings can live for decades while individual workers can survive for several years.
WHAT ARE SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES?
There are three major groups of termites which occur in the World drywood termites, Subterranean termites, and Formosan termites. Termites are identified by the appearance of the swarmers, their damage, and the droppings they leave behind. Subterranean termites or soil termites are social insects that live in societies whose members are mostly immature individuals. Their colonies, which can contain thousands to millions of termites, are formidable, even though each individual termite is soft-bodied and delicate. In nature, subterranean termites are closely ASSOCIATED WITH THE SOIL habitat where they tunnel to locate water and food like wood, fallen logs, and other cellulose-containing materials. Termites become a serious problem to humans when structures containing cellulose are built over or near their colonies in the ground. Termites are the major wood-destroying structural pests. On the average, there could be as many as 13 to 14 subterranean termite colonies per acre, which means that a typical home may easily have three to four colonies situated under or around it. And because there can be as many as 1,000,000 subterranean termites per colony, the threat of infestation becomes a very real big one. They are able to find weakened areas in the structure or areas of direct wood to ground contact, and feed on the cellulose. Soil termites cause about 95% of the termite-related damage found in the worldwide scenario. Like other types, this particular variety of termite eats cellulose for nutrition. Cellulose is found in wood and wood products.
Soil termites build earthen shelter tubes from the ground into the structure for protection from predators and to help maintain a moist environment. Many times these tubes are built on inside walls, porches, or chimneys where they cannot be seen.
Termites excavate galleries throughout their food as they consume it. They conceal their workings and can completely honeycomb wood by feeding along the grain and following the softer spring wood, leaving little more than a thin wooden exterior. Subterranean termites construct aboveground earthen runways that protect them from the drying effects of air as well as from natural enemies, such as ants. Termites are very susceptible to desiccation, and thus they are dependent on moisture sources. Termites work 24 hours a day. "Worker" termites bring food to the colony through tunnels, without ever resting.
Termites need moisture to survive and will die if exposed to sunlight or open air. Their tunnels protect them from the elements. High moisture areas like basements and crawl spaces are very attractive to termites and can serve as starting points for infestation.
In some rare situations, if water and wood are available from a source other than the soil, subterranean termites can establish a colony with no ground contact. Isolated, above-ground infestations may occur in buildings where termites have access to water from condensation, leaking pipes, roofs, or other sources. These type of termites are the most destructive insect pests of wood since they cause billions of dollars in damage each year and have a negative impact on a family’s most valuable possession— the home.
That’s a whole lot of money wasted because of termite and pest infestation in homes, which is one of the primary causes of such damages. Have you heard the phrase, “small but terrible”? This can very well describe the small but terrible termites that invade your home and cause so much damage to your precious property. Unfortunately, termites and similar pests are quite common in most parts of the world. These destructive creatures invade your nice homes through any kind of wood THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE SOIL.
Termite Infestation Probability World Map
WHAT IS TERMITE?
One of the most stubborn pests is the Termites. These white or lotion colored creatures, resembling an ant can create a havoc if still left uncontrolled. Termites are a group of eusocial insects, with more than 2500 of species. These insects can cause severe destruction to wooden structures. They have the capacity to nest on nearly anything and almost everything. They commonly feed on wood, leaves or branches of bushes, papers, and many others. These insects can cause severe destruction to wooden structures. They generally build nests in trees or underground, as well as building large mounds above ground. Like bees, wasps, and ants, termites divide labor among castes, produce overlapping generations and take care of young collectively. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests.
The extent of infestation is world wide, however, if we look at India, there does not seem to be a single state where the termite infestation cannot be seen. Total damage caused by termites alone runs in the order of several billion of rupees
That’s a whole lot of money wasted because of termite and pest infestation in homes, which is one of the primary causes of such damages. Have you heard the phrase, “small but terrible”? This can very well describe the small but terrible termites that invade your home and cause so much damage to your precious property. Unfortunately, termites and similar pests are quite common in most parts of the world. These destructive creatures invade your nice homes through any kind of wood THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THESOIL. In some cases, termites have the capacity to build mud tubes, if there is not much wood around, and in turn, these tubes grow into colonies that contain thousands of termites in one area alone.
They are really so powerful that they even destroy the entire construction if left unattended. On the other hand, the eradication of termites is, however, a serious issue and fairly troublesome. There is no sole tactic in eradicating the menace and its reoccurrence cannot be avoided. It depends on the seriousness of infestation, the style of termites and its habitat. That speaks for the special attention of this issue. The main reason is that these small creatures (termites) have the ability to withstand the worst climate situation.
Termites mostly have a bad reputation in the human world, but in the overall ecosystem, that isn't so. Since they feed on wood, termites serve an important function by recycling dead trees into organic matter, or humus, which is then available to nourish living trees.
Unfortunately, the wood in our homes is just as palatable to termites as dead/dying trees in the forest. The latest industry estimates place the annual cost of damage to property and treatment cost at $5 billion worldwide. It is said that `no pest is more threatening to a structure than termites'. How to avoid the termite infestation in homes? Here are some points that could be of help.
Termites become a serious problem when they start consuming structural lumber. Each year thousands of housing units require treatment for the control of termites. Termites may also damage utility poles and other wooden structures. There are four types of termites such as Drywood termite, Dampwood termite, Formosan termites, and Subterranean termites. These pests cause serious damage to wooden structures and posts and may also attack stored food, books, and household furniture. The total weight of all of the termites in the world is more than the weight of all the humans in the world.
The social organization of termites includes reproductives, workers and soldiers. Termites are social and can form large nests or colonies, consisting of very different looking individuals or castes. PHYSICALLY THE LARGEST INDIVIDUAL IS THE QUEEN. Her function is to lay eggs, sometimes thousands in a single day. A king is always by her side. Other individuals have large heads with powerful jaws, or a bulblike head that squirts liquid. These individuals are called soldiers. But the largest group of termites in a colony is the workers. They toil long hours tending the queen, building the nest, or GATHERING FOOD. While other species of social insects have workers, termites are unique among insects in that workers can be male or female. Surprisingly, termites can be long-lived: queens and kings can live for decades while individual workers can survive for several years.
WHAT ARE SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES?
There are three major groups of termites which occur in the World drywood termites, Subterranean termites, and Formosan termites. Termites are identified by the appearance of the swarmers, their damage, and the droppings they leave behind. Subterranean termites or soil termites are social insects that live in societies whose members are mostly immature individuals. Their colonies, which can contain thousands to millions of termites, are formidable, even though each individual termite is soft-bodied and delicate. In nature, subterranean termites are closely ASSOCIATED WITH THE SOIL habitat where they tunnel to locate water and food like wood, fallen logs, and other cellulose-containing materials. Termites become a serious problem to humans when structures containing cellulose are built over or near their colonies in the ground. Termites are the major wood-destroying structural pests. On the average, there could be as many as 13 to 14 subterranean termite colonies per acre, which means that a typical home may easily have three to four colonies situated under or around it. And because there can be as many as 1,000,000 subterranean termites per colony, the threat of infestation becomes a very real big one. They are able to find weakened areas in the structure or areas of direct wood to ground contact, and feed on the cellulose. Soil termites cause about 95% of the termite-related damage found in the worldwide scenario. Like other types, this particular variety of termite eats cellulose for nutrition. Cellulose is found in wood and wood products.
Soil termites build earthen shelter tubes from the ground into the structure for protection from predators and to help maintain a moist environment. Many times these tubes are built on inside walls, porches, or chimneys where they cannot be seen.
Termites excavate galleries throughout their food as they consume it. They conceal their workings and can completely honeycomb wood by feeding along the grain and following the softer spring wood, leaving little more than a thin wooden exterior. Subterranean termites construct aboveground earthen runways that protect them from the drying effects of air as well as from natural enemies, such as ants. Termites are very susceptible to desiccation, and thus they are dependent on moisture sources. Termites work 24 hours a day. "Worker" termites bring food to the colony through tunnels, without ever resting.
Termites need moisture to survive and will die if exposed to sunlight or open air. Their tunnels protect them from the elements. High moisture areas like basements and crawl spaces are very attractive to termites and can serve as starting points for infestation.
In some rare situations, if water and wood are available from a source other than the soil, subterranean termites can establish a colony with no ground contact. Isolated, above-ground infestations may occur in buildings where termites have access to water from condensation, leaking pipes, roofs, or other sources. These type of termites are the most destructive insect pests of wood since they cause billions of dollars in damage each year and have a negative impact on a family’s most valuable possession— the home.
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