“The silent destroyer” costs Americans more than $5 billion in damages each year, according to the National Pest Management Association. What’s “the silent destroyer,” you ask? Termites. Unfortunately, most homeowners’ insurance plans won’t cover the extreme damage that termites can cause in your home. Being proactive about protecting your home against termites is a crucial step toward termite infestation prevention. In order to survive, most termite species’ top three needs are wood, moisture and shelter. Taking preventative measures against these three things and having a professional consistently inspecting your home will assist in lessening the likelihood of an infestation. Take a look at these simple tips to lower your risk of termite infestation.

Fix Leaky Faucets, Water Pipes and AC Units

Because termites love any kind of moisture, it’s important to fix leaky faucets, water pipes and air conditioning units as soon as you notice there is a problem. They thrive in damp places, especially places where there could potentially be damp wood. If there is any sign of water damage in your home, be sure to investigate immediately and fix the source. It’s also important to replace that rotting wood because, before you know it, you could potentially have some unwanted houseguests eating you out of house and home—literally.

Ventilation

Our monsoon season can create damp, muggy and humid basements providing just the right amount of moisture and stickiness that draw in termites. They aren’t attracted only to the moisture itself but also what that moisture does to wood. A good rule of thumb for proper ventilation in your basement or crawlspace is to have one square foot of vent opening per 150 feet of the area. To prevent humidity, make sure to keep vents on the inside and outside of your home clear from plants and other shrubbery. The more airflow you have in your basement or crawlspace, the better the ventilation and less likelihood of humidity, mold and rotting wood. Dehumidifiers are another extra measure you can take to prevent dampness in your basement or crawlspace. But be sure to empty out the dehumidifier’s tray of water because you definitely don’t want any standing water anywhere.

It’s also important to make sure to seal foundation cracks and holes within the basement or crawlspace, as well as on the outside of the home. Termites can get in through tiny nooks and crannies, including entry points for pipes and other utilities.

Get Rid of Easy Access to Their Favorite Food

While mulch is great for plant health, and it’s a pretty nice little aesthetic for the outside of your home, it definitely contributes to termite problems if it’s used in excess. Mulch is often made of wood, and it retains a lot of moisture, two of termites’ favorite things. If you must use mulch, use it sparingly and never let it have contact with doors, windows or the foundation of your home.

Cardboard boxes, firewood, sawdust, lumber and even newspapers attract termites as well. If these items are stored in your garage or in and around your home, it offers a tasty treat for the termites in your home. If you must keep firewood outside of your home, be sure it’s elevated off the ground and stacked away from the home’s foundation. Getting rid of vines and stumps near the foundation of your home is also a good way to reduce your risk of termite infestation.

Physical Termite Barriers

Physical termite barriers are another option for lowering your risk of termite infestation. They are designed to protect the foundation of your home by inhibiting termites from gaining access. The most common and effective barrier here in Arizona is a liquid barrier. This barrier is made by applying a product directly into the soil around the foundation of your home. A liquid treatment along with keeping conducive conditions in check around your home are an extremely effective combination in protecting your home against subterranean termites.

Termidor is a type of pest control treatment manufactured by BASF Pest Control Solutions that primarily targets termites, including all the subterranean species of termites found in Arizona—subterranean termites, though it is also effective against ant infestations.

Termidor is a liquid treatment used to kill termites as they enter a perimeter around the home, as opposed to the less common baiting treatments for termites. The liquid treatment is applied in careful locations to the soil around the outside of the home, directly in the path of the termites. Because this is a non-repellent termite treatment, meaning that it does not drive the termites away, they simply walk through and eat the treated material. The liquid will not only kill those that have ingested it, but can be carried by one termite to another and spread throughout the colony; this is referred to as the Termidor “Transfer Effect.”

The thought of thousands of termites crawling around inside your walls, chewing through wood and wreaking havoc on your home can send anyone into a panic. Instead of razing your home to the ground to get rid of these unfortunately common pests—some claim termites damage approximately 600,000 homes a year—many homeowners and pest control experts turn to Termidor as the main tool used to eradicate termites entering the home.

What to Expect from a Termidor Treatment

Termidor should not be applied by the homeowner, and only a licensed pest control technician should treat termites with Termidor to ensure maximum effectiveness and safest handling. During the application process, which typically takes just one day, the pest control technicians will employ a technique called “trenching,” or “trenching and rodding,” in which they dig small trenches around the foundation of the home. If there are concrete or other hard materials next to the foundation, the technicians may drill small holes into the structure to ensure that the Termidor reaches all infested areas. Extensive infestation may require that the technicians treat areas within the home.

Is Termidor safe to use?

Termidor is odorless and water-based, and it will not leach through soil or cause harm to plants near the treatment areas. It has been used safely in millions of homes, including those with children and pets; in fact, one of the main active ingredients in Termidor is also an ingredient in Frontline, one of the leading flea and tick control products for dogs and cats.

With regular checkups, a Termidor treatment will keep termites at bay as long as it the “Termidor Zone” is active.

Other Treatments for Termites

There are many different types of treatments for termites, including repellent liquid treatments, non-repellent liquid treatments and baiting treatments. Liquid treatments are generally the same: the pest control technicians apply a solution to the soil and foundation of the home. Termidor differs from many other liquid nonrepellent termite treatments because of the unique “Transfer Effect” feature. Termites are social insects and once a termite comes into contact with Termidor it “transfers” the product to other termites as they work to sustain the colony. This transfer ultimately gets to the termite queen(s), when then eliminates the queen(s) and the colony. With baiting treatments, stations are installed around the home with a cellulose material and active ingredient. This treatment requires that the termites find the stations and ingest the material.

If you’ve noticed any signs of a termite infestation in your home, don’t try to tackle it yourself—call Blue Sky Pest Control to tackle it for you. Join the thousands who rely on our trained and friendly pest control professionals to get to the root of their termite concerns and know how to treat your house for termites.

Termites are extremely common throughout the greater Phoenix area. Every day, we treat homes with termite infestations. The most common termite we work with—about 98% of the time—is the Heterotermes, or desert subterranean termite.

There are generally two approaches one can take to address this type of termite activity for a home or business: liquid treatment or baiting.

Liquid Treatments—the Most Common Treatment Approach

• How do Liquid Treatments Work

A liquid treatment involves digging a two- to six-inch deep by four- to six-inch wide trench around the foundation of the home. Where there is concrete abutting the foundation, holes are drilled into the concrete to get to the soil underneath the concrete or pavers, unless it is a post-tension slab. The chosen material is then placed into the trench or injected under the slab through the drill holes. The material will travel into the soil to target the termites, since that is where the desert subterranean termite comes from.

• Effectiveness of Liquid Treatments

The effectiveness of liquid treatments is determined by the type of material chosen and how the treatment is applied by the pest management professional. Non-repellants are the best materials to use as they cannot be detected by the termites. With non-repellants, the termites unknowingly get into the material and share it within the colony. This liquid treatment leaves a residual that can effectively protect a home from termite activity for a period of several years after treatment.

Baiting Treatments

• How Baiting Treatment Works

Bait monitoring stations are installed in the soil around the home using a drill or auger, spaced about every ten to 20 feet. These bait stations have an area in which to put a cellulose material, which is then available to the termites underground. This material can include an active ingredient or simply be the cellulose material, which has no attractant; the termites have to find the material. After being placed, these monitoring stations are inspected to determine if they are “hit.” If using cellulose material only, the active ingredient needs to then be added to the stations.

• Effectiveness of Baiting Treatments

The Heterotermes desert subterranean termite is a sensitive little creature to what is called “disturbance.” Studies have shown that when something around them is disturbed, the termites tend to stay away for a time. So what does this have to do with baiting?

Previous systems required the pest management professional to take the interior tube that held the cellulose out of the station to inspect the system to see if there was activity. In addition, when a hit occurred, this material was swapped out for bait that had an active ingredient that would actually eliminate the colony. In each of the scenarios, disturbance occurs; this is one of the factors as to why baiting systems have had trouble in the Phoenix area.

In other areas of the country where different species of termites live, baiting systems have proved to be very effective. BASF, a chemicals company, has had a product on the market for some time called the Advance Termite Bait System (ATBS). This system does not require the pest management professional to disturb the cellulose within the cylinder in the ground. Once termite activity is experienced, he or she simply places the active ingredient on the top of the cellulose. This approach reduces the likelihood of disturbance. Dow, another chemicals company, has also recently introduced a similar approach with its widely used Sentricon system. This new approach allows the pest management professional to avoid disturbing the cellulose at all.

In addition to disturbance, research has been done that identifies other factors that may affect the effectiveness of baiting systems. The size of the termite colony we deal with most often in the Phoenix area ranges between 100,000 to 450,000 termites. Other species, like the Eastern subterranean termite, have colonies that can reach numbers greater than one million. Smaller colonies may reduce the likelihood of finding the baits. In some instances, not enough bait monitoring stations are placed at the customer’s home in order to reduce the cost of the baiting system and continual monitoring. Current research is not conclusive, but there is the possibility that because the colony sizes are smaller, the termites that come into contact with the active material may not bring a sufficient quantity of it back to the colony to be effective.

There are advances being made with the baiting systems, and we are currently in the look and see phase to determine if these new advances will provide the consistency and predictability of results we promise our customers.

Residents of Phoenix are highly aware of termites and the damage they can bring. Preparing and preventing a termite infestation includes knowing what the common signs of termite infestation are. Termites are sneaky critters. Sometimes called the “silent destroyers,” homeowners oftentimes don’t even realize they have a termite infestation. To an untrained eye, noticing certain signs of termite infestations can be difficult. Being aware of these different signs can make you more aware of termite activity that may be present at your home or property.

Signs of termite infestation include:

• mud tubes,
• noticeable swarms,
• termite droppings,
• discarded wings,
• buckled or warped wood

Be sure to familiarize yourself with these signs and be on the lookout for them in order to spot and call in experts to treat a termite infestation problem. Termites are so common here it is recommended to periodically inspect the home for termite activity and to take other preventative measures to protect your home and property from termites.

Look for Mud Tubes

Subterranean termites live and breed in the ground, and they build pencil-sized “mud tubes” that connect their colony to your home. These mud tunnels are made from tiny pieces of wood, soil, termite feces and debris, and they allow termites access to food sources above and below ground. These wormlike mud tubes also protect the termite colony from predators and retain moisture within the tubes. If you have a termite infestation, you may find these dirt tubes around the foundation of your home. Sometimes you’ll even spot them hanging from the rafters in your basement or attic. Many of these tubes are behind walls and hidden from view.

Identify Termite Swarms

Both subterranean and drywood termites create termite swarms as they reproduce. In Arizona, both species are attracted to light, and you will typically find them in light fixtures around your home and in windowsills. Males will often fly up into the light cover on your ceiling fixture, and you’ll see a large swarm of them lying in the bottom of the cover. Subterranean termites tend to create massive colonies, producing anywhere from hundreds to thousands of termites in the swarm. Drywood termites are a bit sneakier because they produce small swarms, only ranging from 10 to 100 per colony.

Termite Droppings

Drywood termites tend to leave behind droppings after they consume wood, and these droppings are commonly referred to as “frass.” Frass can be all kinds of different colors depending on the type of wood the termites have been eating. Oddly enough, termites are good housekeepers, so they push droppings out of their home and into yours. The droppings from their colonies will form in little piles next to the infested wood. If you see these little piles of feces next to a small hole in the wall, there’s a pretty good chance you have a termite infestation. Their feces tend to smell like mold and mildew, look like piles of coffee grounds and are pretty easy to spot.

Discarded Wings

Termites are active year round in Phoenix, Arizona. We experience an increase in termite activity during the spring time and the monsoon season because of the rain during these periods. Moisture is a conducive condition to termite activity. During these seasons, winged male termites and female termites without wings mate and form new colonies. Immediately following their reproductive cycle, the male termites shed their wings. Although often difficult to identify and spot, at times, you may be able to see a pile of discarded wings around your home. These wings are different than your typical insect wing because they are clear and look a lot like fish scales.

Buckled or Warped Wood

Signs of termites on the inside or outside of your home may appear to look like water damage at first, especially because termite infestations produce a scent similar to mold and mildew. Buckling wood, warped floors, swollen ceilings and cracks in your walls and on the floors could be signs of termites – especially if you notice these issues in areas where there is no possibility for water damage. It can be tough to decipher whether or not these are signs of termites or if it is indeed water damage, but either way, it’s important to get these areas of your home checked out. Neither water damage nor termites are issues you want to leave unresolved for long.

Unfortunately, termites aren’t just one insect. There are many different termite species, which will differ depending on where your home is located. Although each species has different characteristics, the one thing they all have in common is the ability to cause severe structural damage to your home.

The five most common types of termites include Dampwood, Drywood, Formosan, Subterranean and Conehead. If you’re worried you may have a termite infestation, there are differing signs depending on the type of termite you have. Knowing the differences between the species of termites can help you quickly recognize any signs of damage and allow you to expedite the extermination process.

Dampwood Termites

Dampwood termites are aptly named because they are drawn to damp, decaying wood to form their colonies. Unlike Subterranean termites, Dampwood termites do not nest in the soil, however, they will invade wood that is placed on the ground, especially if it is decaying. Dampwood termites are one of the larger species of termites, with the swarmers reaching 25 mm long, and the “soldiers” being as large as 20 mm. You can tell the Dampwood termites apart from some of the other species by their heads, which are large and have pinchers on the front. The most common place to find this particular species of termite is along the Pacific Coast, the Southwest desert and southern Florida.

Drywood Termites

Breaking the typical pattern of other species of termites, the Drywood termites need very little moisture, hence the name “Drywood.” Their colonies are usually formed in wood – most commonly, wood found in attics – and they don’t need to have any contact with the soil around your home. Since these termites aren’t as attracted to moisture, they actually extract water from their feces in order to conserve it, and then push the pellets out of their tunnel. These fecal pellets are called frass, and mounds of these (which look like piles of coffee grounds) in your home indicate termite activity.

Formosan Termites

Commonly found across the South, the Formosan termites prefer warm climates. They are usually located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, but have also been found in California, Hawaii and even as far north as the Canadian border. Unlike Drywood termites, Formosan termites nest in the soil and invade homes from the soil directly through “wood to ground contact.” They also commonly build mud tubes from soil and use those as a duct to get into structures. The queen in the colony can produce more than 1,000 eggs per day, and they eventually swarm to create new colonies. Common signs of damage from Formosan termites include sagging walls and plaster and wood that appears to have been sanded down. Luckily for now, we do not have Formosan termites here in Phoenix, Arizona. The desert heat and lack of moisture are a difficult environment for Formosan termites.

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites are the most common type of termite found across the country. The desert subterranean termite is the termite we treat for 99% of the time here in the Phoenix, Arizona area. They live in colonies underground and build tunnels into structures in search of food. They also build mud tubes like the Formosan termites, and their diets consist of wood and other cellulose material – including carpets. There are three “castes” of a Subterranean termite colony, with each caste differing in size and defining features. The “workers” are 6 mm long and are light-colored and wingless. The “soldiers” of the colony have pinchers and long heads. The “reproductives” are dark in color and they have two pairs of wings that are equal length.

When warm temperatures and heavy rainfall occur, these guys send out a swarm of winged termites that include males and females. A common mistake many homeowners make is misidentifying a flying ant as a subterranean termite and vice versa. A good way to be sure to tell the difference is to check the wings. Flying ants have two large wings in front and two smaller wings behind, but termites have four wings that are all the same size, resembling fish scales. You’ll know if you have a termite infestation in your home if you find piles of these wings in your home, particularly in windowsills.

Conehead Termites

Conehead termites get their name because the “soldiers” have a dark, cone-shaped head. These soldiers make up about 20 percent to 30 percent of the entire Conehead colony, whereas soldiers in Subterranean and Drywood colonies only make up about 2 percent. These particular termites are most commonly found in the Caribbean and Central American tropical countries, such as Panama, however, since 2001, they have also been found in the most southern part of Florida. Conehead termites usually infest and consume shrubs, trees, roots, fence posts, furniture and paper products, as well as anything that contains cellulose.

Conehead tunnels also look different than the typical mud tunnels of the Subterranean termites. Conehead tunnels are larger, wider and more extensive, and they create nests in trees that are out in the open. The nest looks like a large, bumpy brown ball, almost like a beehive.