Termite Facts & Tips
Termites cause by varying analysis between 1.5 and 5 billion dollars in structural damage in the United States every year. Even by the most conservative estimates, termites damage accounts for more dollars spent than that on fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined every year. Although nearly 4,000 termite species have been classified, with 400 of these classified as pests, the primary termite species affecting humans are Subterranean and Drywood.

California is a hotbed for Western subterranean termites(sub termites) and Western drywood termites(drywood termites). Within both sub and drywood colonies, there are members of different castes, each with a different role to perform and all interdependent upon each other for survival of the colony. These include the queen, king, the winged reproductive (young kings and queens), soldier and worker termites. In short, the winged reproductives mate and lay eggs, the soldiers guard the termite galleries from ants, termites main predator, and the workers in sub termite colonies and nymphs in drywood termite colonies eat wood. The primary difference between the two termite species is that Drywood Species can live with the moisture trapped in wood, while Subterranean termites require added moisture from the soil or from water leaks.

Western Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termites get food from the wood in your house, and water from the moisture in the soil. If there’s no direct connection between the two, they will often build mud-based tunnels to connect them (a sure sign of an infestation).To eradicate subterranean termites it is necessary to apply a termititicide to the soil or subterranean area since subterranean termites must continually return to the soil for hydration. If your home is built on a raised foundation, a Mariners Pest Control technician will trench around all wood members under the home and apply Mariners Pest Control’s weapon of choice for subterranean termites; Termidor SC. If your home is built on a slab foundation, and the subterranean termites are attacking your interior wall construction through tunnels they have built in cracks the slab, Mariners Pest Control will pressure treat. Pressure treating entails drilling holes through your concrete slab and then injecting a termiticide like Termidor under the slab with a rod application device attached to a pressurized hose.

Drywood Termites
Drywood termites can be erradicated by structural fumigation with a poison gas (Vikane)

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