Identifying Termites
Termites swarm in the spring. They find mates and go on to establish new colonies. When they land at the new site, they shed their wings. Swarming termites are dark brown or black. They have straight antennas and a thick waist. Their two pairs of wings are of equal size.
Soldier termites have enlarged heads with large pincers on the end. They are pale yellow with darker pincers. They do not have wings. These soldiers are the first line of defense for the colony. Worker termites are straw-colored and do most of the work in the colony.
Damage Termites Do
Termites eat wood. When they come into contact with your house, they begin to eat the studs in the walls, the beams that hold the roof on, and other parts of the house. If they remain undetected long enough, they can cause the house to collapse because they have eaten so much of the supporting timbers.
Signs Of Termites
You may first see termites during the spring when they swarm. Sometimes they swarm inside the house but more commonly they swarm outside. If you find wings on the windowsills or the floor around openings, you have termites. Another sign is the presence of mud tunnels from the soil to the wood in your house. If you tap on a wooden stud or other wood in the house and it sounds hollow, you need to get your house inspected for termites. Sometimes, you may accidentally put a screwdriver through the wood walls and find termite tracks in the wood.
Preventing Termites
There are several things you can do to try to prevent termites in Eustis. For example:
- Repair water leaks inside and outside the house.
- Make sure that the soil around your foundation is below the level of the house walls.
- Use treated wood for anything outside, like decks.
- If you have a deck or stair rail or something similar, make sure it is on masonry blocks, not down into the ground.
- Clean up debris in the yard.
- Make sure firewood is not touching the house.
- Keep shrubs back from the foundation because they can form a dark, moist environment that attracts termites.
Treating A Termite Infestation
If you have termites, you need professional home pest control help. This is definitely not a DIY project. Contact Pest Ref Services to help you. When you call us, we will come out and inspect your property inside and out. We will mark current infestations and conditions that make it easier for termites to get into your home. After the site inspection, we will develop a treatment plan with you.
We use eco-friendly products to eliminate termites. First, we seal entrance points in your home. We show you where tree limbs need to be pruned back so that they do not touch the roof or walls. From the outside, we seal all entry points around pipes, electrical cables, and other utilities entering or leaving the home. We also remove lawn debris, tree debris, and small tree limbs that touch your house.
If you think you have termites, or you want to make sure you never do, call Pest Ref Services at (352) 329-6636 today to protect your home with our termite control services.