Termites

If there is one thing people know about termites, it is that they love wood. Unfortunately, that is just the start of why Winnipeg residents are most likely failing with their termite elimination efforts. Indeed, the termite does eat wood, but it is the cellulose in the wood they are after. Cellulose can also be found in other products. Products like wood furniture, paper, cardboard, and even trees contain cellulose. If it was just the wood alone, the termite wouldn’t give the product a second glance.

Given their immense propensity for damage, one must ensure they have their facts right when it comes to the termite. That’s what we are here for. This and anything else you may need. We will start by providing pertinent information regarding the termite.

What Are Termites?

The termite is a soft-bodied insect living in colonies made up of castes. A caste should be thought of as the hierarchy of the colony, or the pecking order if you will. Each caste has an important role to play towards the development and betterment of the colony and it will be the caste that decides that role. Just as a quick example, the worker termite is the workhorse of the colony. There are hundreds of these members, and it is their specific role to do the manual labor.

Not only are their castes to worry about, but there are species to consider. There are over 2,000 species of termite across the globe. And each species will exhibit different characteristics. Characteristics that play a role in how you tackle the elimination. With that in mind, there are only one species that Winnipeg residents must worry about. Unfortunately, this species is the Subterranean Termite, which is the most destructive by far. This troublesome termite starts its primary colony underground, 200 to 300 feet from the home, with tubes and tunnels that provide them access to and from the home or cellulose.

This species alone is responsible for 95 percent of the reported $8 billion in damage these insects cause yearly. You can clearly see how and why this species has become so feared. Therefore, it is best to engulf as much knowledge as you can.

Understanding The Castes

The Queen Primary Reproductive Member

The queen is the leader of the colony. Other members will go above and beyond to appease the queen. She is also by far the largest member with the potential to grow 4 inches in length. She can get so big that if she needs to be moved it will take hundreds of workers pushing and pulling to accomplish the task. She is also primarily responsible for the reproduction effects. The queen can live for ten years, but what’s most impressive is, she can lay 30,000 eggs in a single day.

The King Primary Reproductive Member

It probably doesn’t surprise anyone that the king’s main objective is to please his queen. And that’s exactly what he’ll do, going out of his way to assist with reproduction efforts. He does an excellent job of this and will continue to do so through the entirety of his life.

Worker Termites

As was mentioned, the worker termite is the workhorse of the colony. These guys might be soft-bodied, light in color without wings, and only grow to 10 millimeters, but they are dedicated members. They work 24/7 building and maintaining tunnels, foraging for food, while also feeding and grooming other members.

Soldier Termites

The termite does have a natural enemy, and this would be the ant. This is where the soldier termite comes in. These members have long heads with two extremely powerful jaws oftentimes utilized as weapons. They are also white, soft-bodied, and wingless, but don’t let that fool you. They will do whatever is necessary to fend and protect the colony.

Winged Reproductive Termites

The Subterranean termite builds its initial colony underground, 200 to 300 feet from the property. However, they do build secondary colonies. And these additional colonies are usually constructed on or closer to the property. It is the winged reproductive members that are responsible for flying off and starting these new settlements. These members can consist of both males and females and there are hundreds of them.

Recognizing A Termite Infestation

Most wise Winnipeg property owners always practice termite prevention. However, it still is wise to learn how to recognize problematic termite activity. Learning to detect an infestation during the earliest stages could save you an immense amount of trouble along with thousands of dollars in repair damage.

To start, you’ll want to keep an eye peeled for swarming termites. These wood munchers can usually be found swarming near windows, doors, vents, and lighting fixtures. They’ll be looking for a safe and secure location to erect their colony. Although don’t see any swarming members, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any.

It’s possible you just missed them, so you’ll always want to keep another eye peeled for wings. Termites shed their wings once they find a home. These items can usually be found in the same locations that were mentioned above along with droppings. Droppings are wood colored, so they might be easier to miss. They are usually about the size of a grain of sea salt, which doesn’t help matters, but they could give you the necessary evidence you need.

Above all else, the easiest way to be diligent about termites is, watching your wood surfaces. Any blistered beams or wood structures could be signs of an underlying infestation. Termites like to erect their additional colonies by burrowing into the wood. They’ll sometimes also make mud tubes, so watch for this as well.

The Dangers Of Termites And DIY Elimination

The Subterranean Termite doesn’t bite or transmit diseases. However, you can clearly see how structurally destructive they are. This alone makes them immensely dangerous. They can gnaw away at wooden structures and foundations to the point of collapsing. It is possible that the weight of your body entering a structure could be all that is needed to cause the collapse. This would usually require immense termite work over long periods, but it’s always a potential.

While there are plenty of DIY termite elimination tools, it is still best to work with a professional. You don’t have to worry about the termite attacking you, but you do have to worry about finding and eliminating every insect. Given their complexities and propensity to build colonies underground and away from the home, it would be easy to imagine missing a single insect.

It just takes missing one. Therefore, this is a problem best left for our professionals. We have practiced termite prevention and elimination for years. We’ve become quite adept at the process and always offer satisfaction guarantees. When you take advantage of our Winnipeg pest services, you can rest assured you’ll get more than you are paying for.

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