TERMITES

Termite is an insect having scientific name isopteran. Termites are asocial insects that are classified at the taxonomic rank of infra order isoptera.

Termites are mainly of under mentioned types
1. Damp wood Termites
2. Dry wood Termites
3. Formosan termites
4. Subterranean Termites
5. Conehead termites

Termites are known as the silent destroyers. They hide and thrive in domestic areas. They do not show any sign of damage. Their main food is cellulose, and plant materials. Generally, all households have cellulose food for termites. Termites thrive on dead plants and trees. They also flourish on dead wood including wood in the soil. The termites have specially developed mouth part able to tear pieces of wood. They are small (I cm to few mm) in size but they cause heavy damage to property, house foundations, furniture, shelves, and even books and paper materials.

Subterranean termites
live in soil. They build elaborate tunnel system underground. They have access to over ground food materials through these tunnels and cause heavy damage to house foundations. They build their colories on walls and thereby keep on destroying walls of a house by building new colonies after breeding. They generally spread around windows, doors and wood panels and eat these area hollow.

Dry Wood Termites – Live inside the wood they eat. Dry cellulose plant materials are their food as well as home. They thrive on the wood and turn the wooden structure into white powder material, ultimately completely destroying the wooden structure. These dry wood termites also flourish on papers as papers are their cherished food.

Damp wood termites – are much larger in size. They can be up to 25mm in length. They have wings and they can fly. They generally live in damp, soiled, decaying wood. They build colorizes in rotting woods. These colonies are usually small in size but can become large in favorable conditions. Formosan termites prefer warm climates. They are both winged and wingless insect. They build their nest and calories within the soil. They generally invade wooden structures by building tunnels room soil. They cause harm to house foundation mostly. These termites can build cartons inside wooden structures. They retain moisture in these cartons and thrive even when weather is dry.

Cone head termites - are dark, cone head shaped termites. They build wider and bigger tunnels than other termites. These are invasive dry wood termite species. They eat almost anything made of cellulose. They eat trees, shrubs, roots, structures, furniture, fence posts rails and paper products. They are the most dangerous of all termites tribe.

Protect Your Home

Remove moisture problems from your house. Take care of water leakage and damp soil problems in and around your house. Keep your drainage clean and remove standing water from your house.
Remove all termites food material from the reach of termites, keep wood, paper away from floor and soil.
Look out constantly for termite damage signs in and around your house.

These do it yourself measures may not be enough for you to terminate termites. You have to have professional helps for effective, long lasting termite control in your premises, may it be domestic, commercial, office or otherwise.