Termite Identification

Knowing termite appearance and morphology is essential in identification of these pests and eventual eradication of the colony.  Most people think of termites as little white ants, but termite appearance and morphology is so much more than thinking they are little white ants.  In fact, the common termite only superficially resembles an ant.  The reason people think of the termite as white ants is because of their similar size and social habits. Like ants, termites live in colonies with very specific structure.  Each termite has a specific job to do in order to make the colony work.  Worker termites bring food back to the mound that is home to colony and they do the most damage to structures and crops.  Soldier termites defend the colony from predators.  They have very strong mandibles and can cause damage to anyone trying to destroy the colony.  Reproductive termites are winged and lay eggs so that the colony is always growing.  The king and queen “rule” the colony and are responsible for making sure that the colony continues and that all members are doing their jobs. As far as termite appearance and morphology is concerned, the termite is softer, whiter, shorter-legged, fatter and generally much slower moving.  In all actuality, they are not even closely related to ants.  Ants, along with bees and wasps, belong to the Order Hymenoptera. Termites are much closer to cockroaches and mantids, and all three are sometimes clumped into a super order called Dictyoptera. Some scientists have concluded that termites should be classified as a family Termitidae within the cockroaches’ order Blattodea. Termites have biting mouthparts, and their soft bodies are small, rarely over one centimeter in length.  Typically, they will occupy dark nests and tunnels only venturing out when the winged alates emerge to leave the parent colony, when constructing shelter or when harvesting their food. The bodies of flying termites are darker while the termites that remain in the nest or mound are generally white in color with only their heads having color.  The wings of termites are long and slender in pairs that are similarly sized and shaped.  The name of the Order they belong to is derived from their having equal wings.  Isopteron (iso=equal, pteron=wing).  The wings are quickly shed after a flight with a simple body flick when the swarming termites find a new nest site, pair up, and dig in.  The remnant of a termite wing is a distinct triangle, but they are small, so don’t try looking for one too hard! Knowing about termite appearance and morphology can help you identify termites around structures and in crops.  Once you are able to determine you have a termite problem, you can take steps to eradicate them before they cause too much damage.

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Even the mention of a termite can send terror into the heart of a homeowner.  Many people know that a termite can cause huge damage to a home and when you take one termite and add it to another termite and then another and another and another, you might find yourself with a home that is not only unsound but extremely difficult to sell and live in.  Many people know about the termite, but not many people know specifics about this pesky insect. A termite – also known as a white ant – is a member of a group of social insects much like regular ants.  They most often feed on dead plant material including wood, leaf litter, and soil.  The termite can cause huge damage to structures such as houses, building, crops, and forests. The termite superficially resembles an ant and is called a white ant only because of their social behaviors and similar size.  However, the regular termite is softer, whiter, shorter-legged, fatter and generally much slower moving.  In actuality, a termite is much more similar to the common cockroach.  Some experts feel like the termite belongs in its own classification of insects instead of being clumped together with ants in the Hymemoptra class or a super order which contains all of them called the Dictyoptera class. The common termite has a biting mouthpart and their soft bodies are rarely longer than one centimeter in length.  As a colony, they typically inhabit dark nests and tunnels, only venturing out when the winged alates emerge to leave their parent colony, when constructing shelter or, in the case of grass- and leaf-litter-feeders, when harvesting their food.  The alate is basically a baby termite growing into a full blown termite and getting ready to venture out into the world to find their own food source to decimate! As with ants, the termite resides in a colony along with other termites.  That is why they are referred to as social insects.  Termite colonies can number anywhere from hundreds to even millions of inhabitants.  They work together to survive and use self-organized swarm intelligence to obtain food sources and sustain the colony.  Just as with ants, there is a certain hierarchy within the colony.  It is usually “ruled” by a queen and there are workers, soldiers, nymphs, and reproductive termites responsible for re-populating the colony. While a termite is a dreaded insect for most people, they are easily recognized and easily controlled when you know that you have a problem.  If you take the time to know about the common termite, see the signs that you may have a termite problem, and then take steps to alleviate the problem, you will have much luck in repairing the damage that these invading insects can do.

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There is a current debate right now in the pest control industry as to whether or not Termidor termite treatment vs. Sentricon termite treatment is better.  These are two very popular termite control chemicals and Termidor termite treatment vs. Sentricon can bring about some heated debates in the bug control business. 

So what do you think?  I suppose we should give you a little background information first. The Sentricon System consists of a series of bait stations surrounding the perimeter of your house. The pest control company periodically monitors these stations and, once they detect termite activity, they replace the wood bait with a poison that is supposed to wipe out the colony. Sentricon is probably the most ‘green’ solution out there, but its effectiveness has also been brought into question by a number of so-called experts. That’s the first part of the Termidor termite treatment vs. Sentricon debate. 

So what is the Termidor system? Termidor is a chemical termiticide that provides a soil barrier surrounding your house. Published reviews of Termidor say that it is far more effective than Sentricon, and not particularly dangerous to people. Termidor costs about $50 more than Sentricon up front, but the annual contract, which covers monitoring, periodic reapplication, if necessary, and repair of any termite damage is about $150 less for Termidor as compared to Sentricon. It is obvious that Sentricon is the more eco-friendly solution to the problem of termites.  However, it might not be as effective as other chemicals out there.  Termidor, on the other hand, introduces chemicals into your yard as well as into the soil that surrounds your structure. 

Some people feel that any chemicals that are exposed to people are horrible not only for the environment so they oppose the use of Termidor. So when we consider the Termidor termite treatment vs. Sentricon termite treatment debate, the choice really isn’t clear.  Our job isn’t to sway you towards one or the other.  It depends on your point of view and what you feel is the best choice for you. 

If you are committed toward living a clean, green lifestyle, then you will want to choose Sentricon.  If you’re more interested in making sure that termites don’t infest your home, then you might want to consider Termidor for its effectiveness. As new chemicals begin to emerge onto the pest control scene, there is likely to be debate.  That’s why it’s no surprise that the Termidor termite treatment vs. Sentricon debate rages on.  It’s likely to keep raging as well.  Choose your side and argue to your heart’s content.

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If you live in the great state of Florida and find that you have a termite problem, you are very lucky since you have easy access to one of the premier termite eradication companies in the state – St. Pete Termite. This amazing company is located in St. Petersburg, Florida and is a member of the Fumigation Advisory Council of Florida. St. Pete Termite has also received numerous awards including the prestigious Commitment to Excellence Certification in tent fumigation by Dow Agrosciences. St. Pete termite has been in business since 1946 and has committed themselves to providing termite fumigation services to the people of Florida on a large scale. They have state of the art technology for termite and general pest control and keep up-to-date with any new technologies that might come about from research and testing in the field of pest control. Their employees are highly trained and they offer up guarantees that assure you will be getting the best service and rid you of your pest problems.

When St. Pete Termite was founded, their owners wanted to fill a gap in the pest control industry. What they wanted to do was give Floridians a choice in who they wanted to take care of their termite problem – a company who could do the job effectively versus a company who could come into your home and do the best they could without any type of promise or guarantee that the job would be done correctly and efficiently. One of the great things about St. Pete Termite is that they specialize in tent fumigation. What that means is that if you have a termite infestation, they will come in and spray your home with the most effective chemicals on the market. They will then erect a tent around the area that has been treated and allow those chemicals to go to work and get rid of your termite problem.

This company is one of the premiere termite and pest control companies in the greater Tampa Bay area. They have successfully fumigated all sorts of structure like high-rise towers, commercial buildings, boats, condominiums, and even mobile homes. St. Pete Termite is a company that takes pride in their work and does every single thing that they can do to eradicate a termite problem and save your structure. Something to keep in mind about St. Pete Termite is that they are fully licensed and sanctioned in the state of Florida. That means that the Florida government deems them able to provide the services that they advertise and that they do so with an amazing sense of accuracy. If you are in Florida and want to contact St. Pete Termite, go to their website at www.stpetepest.com.

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If you think you might have a problem with termites, it can be advantageous to have pictures of termite damage that you can refer to when you are looking around your home for evidence.  Having pictures of termite damage to refer to can help you look for the same types of damage in your own home and that can be extremely helpful so that you know exactly what to look for. Termites can cause an alarming amount of damage to the wood of a structure.  They can decimate the foundation and the wood that holds the home together making it unsafe to live in and leading to possible hundreds of dollars of damage in repairs.  Pictures of termite damage can be found in many places, but your best bet is to look on the Internet.  Use your favorite search engine and type in the words “pictures of termite damage”. 

You will find hundreds of pictures out there on the World Wide Web and you may be shocked at what you find in those images. What might be even more disturbing when looking at pictures of termite damage is realizing that the same type of damage could be happening in your home and you may not even know it!  Termites can be devastating to homes and buildings made of wood.  They can infest in seconds and where there is one, there are hundreds.  The worker termites burrow through the wood gathering food for the rest of the colony that will sustain them and help the colony grow. Another advantage to having pictures of termite damage is so that you have a reference point when doing a self-check of your home to see if you might have a termite problem.  The termites leave very specific trails and evidence when they have been someplace.  Referring to pictures of termite damage that you have found can make identification easier.  Once you’ve identified a possible problem, then you can take steps toward getting a professional inspection and start treatment right away. Pay special attention to pictures of termite damage and realize that the devastation that these insects can cause is almost unimaginable. 

The key to locating and eradicating termites is to educate yourself about these wood boring pests.  That’s why you should find pictures of termite damage and realize that without knowing what to look for, you may be clueless and be unable to identify a possible problem.  Then you can take steps to make sure that your home doesn’t end up as one of the pictures of termite damage on the Internet.

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If you suspect that you may have a termite problem, it can be helpful to find some photos of termite damage infestation to help you realize not only what could happen to your home, but also what to look for when you are inspecting your home. 

There are many places you can find photos of termite damage infestation, but the best place to start with is on the Internet.  Many pest control companies are committed to educating the home owner on termites and termite damage, so they publish photos of termite damage infestation on their websites so the average person knows what termites can do to a structure. Use your favorite search engine and enter “photos termite damage infestation”.  If you use Google, they have a separate section above the search box that says “Image”.  Click on that and you will find hundreds of photos of termite damage infestation.  It can help if you print out these pictures so that you can have a reference point when you start looking in your home for evidence of termites. 

Any responsible home or building owner needs to periodically look around the structure to try and find any evidence of termite damage.  If your home or building has termites, you absolutely must take steps to eradicate the problem before they take over your home and cause irreparable damage. Photos of termite damage infestation can be quite shocking when you see them.  When the termites eat through the wood of a structure and are left untreated to do their work, they can literally eat through an amazing amount of wood that can structurally damage the building and make it unsafe to live in.  Then the repairs that must be made can be extremely expensive and often extensive.  That’s why you should take steps to look at photos of termite damage infestation to spur you towards not only having your home inspected for termites, but also to pursue treatment of the home so that you don’t find yourself with the same damage shown in the photos.

The last thing you want to have happen is to have your home taken over by these damaging insects.  They are a fact of life in the world of nature, and while they serve no useful purpose, they’re not going away.  Find photos of termite damage infestation and remember what is shown in those photos.  Then take steps to make sure that your home doesn’t show up in the photos of termite damage infestation on the Internet as well.

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One of the most effective products on the market today in the field of pest control is Phantom termite treatment used for the extermination and prevention of termite infestation. 

Phantom termiticide-insecticide is a remarkable termite control product, employing the world’s most advanced termite pest control technology. It is also the most vital component of an effective termite treatment plan. In some of the most extensive testing a pest control product has ever been subjected to, Phantom has consistently proven to provide superior termite control under almost any condition. And, Phantom is proving to be highly impressive at keeping termites from coming back.

Long-term field trials by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service showed no signs of re-infestation at over 98% of study sites seven years after treatment by Phantom. Phantom termite treatment is highly flexible, utilizing effective non-repellent technology. In fact, nearly 500 Experimental Use Permit trials on actual real-world structures have proven Phantom effective against every key subterranean termite species- even in structures where other leading termiticides have failed.  Phantom termite treatment came onto the market in 2001, and since then, it has had consistently proven to be overly effective in the treatment and eradication of termites. As most homeowners know, termites can cause huge, devastating damage to a wood structure.  Often, that damage can cost hundreds to repair if it is even repairable.  That’s why it is so important to have a termite treatment plan for your structure that you stick to faithfully.  Once termites get into the wood of your structure and take over, it’s not all that difficult to get rid of them and prevent them from coming back.

Pest control companies all over the country agree that Phantom termite treatment is one of the best termiticides on the market and should always be included in all termite treatment programs that they develop.  Phantom termite treatment has even been called revolutionary because of its effectiveness in preventing and getting rid of termites. You should not try to get rid of termites on your own.  This is a complex project that requires certain skills that the everyday person doesn’t have.  Working with pesticides such as Phantom termite treatment requires special training which is why you really need to have the services of a professional pest control company treat your home.  And when you call the pest control company, be sure to let them know you want them to treat your home with Phantom termite treatment.  Let them know you want nothing but the best for your home and Phantom termite treatment is just that – the best!

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The National Pest Management Association is the association that licensed and professional termite inspectors belong to, and they will provide to each pest control agent the NPMA-33 Termite Inspection Form that must be completed at the end of each termite inspection that they do. Completion of the form will give both the NPMA information about the inspection and it will allow the homeowner as well as the termite inspector have a record of the inspection as it was done and what was found during the inspection. The Npma-33 Termite Inspection Form can be found in a variety of places including certain pest control software that many termite inspectors use to keep track of their business.

The Npma-33 Termite Inspection Form is most often used during real estate transactions to provide evidence either of a termite infestation or evidence that the home is clean. It can be request by the buyer, the seller, or the real estate agent. The Npma-33 Termite Inspection Form is easy to use and easy to understand, but here are some of the finer points you should know about.

The first section of the Npma-33 termite inspection form gives general information about the location of the property being inspected and the specific areas being inspected. The name of the inspection company, address, and phone number will also be displayed as well as their business license number. The license number is the number given to the inspection company by the state they are registered in that gives them the permission to conduct pest control services according to your states guidelines.

After this section of the NPMA-33 termite inspection form, there should be some general information about the property being inspected including the address, the sellers name, the buyers name, and the date of the inspection. Included in this section of the NPMA-33 termite inspection form is the name of the inspector, his or her signature, license number, and credentials as issued by the state the inspection is taking place in.

Finally, we get to the meat of the NPMA-33 termite inspection form. This is where the findings are listed specifically. This section can include diagrams and actually, it should. These diagrams will show any infestations and any potential problem areas that should be concentrated on. This part of the NPMA-33 termite inspection form should also list what types of pests are or could be a problem and any suggestions as to how to eradicate any existing or possible problems.

The NPMA-33 termite inspection form should be completed in its entirety and presented to any interested parties upon completion of the inspection. The NPMA-33 termite inspection form should be completely filled out and have no spaces left blank. After that, preventative treatment can commence or repair work can begin.

Many people are very cognizant about the chemicals that we use to control pests which is why there is a new trend toward natural termite treatment to rid our structures of these pesky and damaging insects. While the use of chemicals is the most effective way to get rid of termites, you can still take measure with natural termite treatment to minimize the damage and keep termites out of your home or building.

Natural termite treatment is the use of termite prevention and control without chemical use. Instead, physical controls are installed during construction such as sand barriers or metal termite shields. If termite infestation does occur, least toxic methods of treatment are used. What that means is that natural termite treatment is geared toward keeping those pests out instead of killing those who have already gotten in.

What you really need to do is use natural termite treatment to prevent termites from coming into your structure in the first place. That means you wont use chemicals to keep those pesky termites away, but you will use certain strategies to make sure that they have no food sources that will attract them to your place.

One of the first things you can do in natural termite treatment is to remove any source of chronic moisture since termites are attracted to damp wood for their food source. Moist soil is necessary for termites to survive. Termites travel back and forth between soil and food sources because they must obtain moisture from the soil. In addition, capillary action and water vapor buildup can result in excessive dampness which can actually wick through a concrete slab or masonry foundation to the wood framing above it, thus attracting termites.

In above-ground foundations, moisture barrier films such as 6 mil polyethylene can be used to cover the area under the structure. This will help decrease moisture buildup in sub-flooring. Foundation wall vents should be placed to provide cross ventilation for homes with crawl spaces. If re-grading or remodeling covers vents, additional vents may be needed. Some experts recommend the use of moisture barriers under slab foundations as well in natural termite treatment programs.

Areas subject to moisture build-up, such as bathrooms, should be given special attention since they are likely to be attack areas. Areas under tubs and drains leading to the exterior (such as air conditioner drains) should be considered vulnerable spots. This is a very important part of natural termite treatment since elimination of moisture will take away the termites food source and they wont come for a visit!

Natural termite treatment is a great way to keep our environment healthy and ecologically sound. We should do what we can to make sure that our Earth survives despite our use of chemicals and natural termite treatment is a great place to start!

One of the most exciting innovations in the pest control industry is the use of infrared technology and termite inspection. Infrared technology is used to detect heat in small spaces and is perfect for use in the termite inspection because it can detect colonies that are massed together and make it easier for the pest control operator to pinpoint the location of the infestation and effectively get rid of the problem in one fell swoop.

Finding termites can be difficult, yet knowing where they are located is important when deciding on the correct eradication program. The traditional method is to simply tap on the wood with the back of a screwdriver, or to poke holes in walls or even pull them apart. Infrared technology and termite inspect now offers a new, high technological detection system that is quick, effective and does not require any damage to houses.

Infrared technology and termite inspection is being used with an increased frequency because it can easily detect the presence of termites by simply inserting a small camera at the end of a thin rod and then manipulating the camera around to find the termite swarms. Because termites mass together to work on the wood, where there is one, there is always more. Thats why infrared technology and termite inspection go hand in hand.

Thermal imaging technology detects heat patterns. When termites invade buildings, the normal heat patterns of the walls, floors and roof are changed due to the presence of termites. The thermal camera records this change in heat patterns and indicates the exact location of any termite infestation. A color image shows hot spots as red or yellow and cold spots as blue or purple and these heat patterns indicate termite infestations. That means that infrared technology and termite inspection can be much more effective than the normal ways of doing a termite inspection.

However, termites are considered cold blooded insects, so how can they generate heat? Termites are hosts to bacteria, which live in their gut, and these bacteria help break down and digest cellulose, the main component of wood. It is this digestion and chemical reaction that generates the heat. Thats why infrared technology and termite inspection makes the location of termites much easier thus allowing the pest control company to target the specific areas where termites are located and make the treatment effective. The pest control company that pairs infrared technology and termite inspection together is one that is highly effective and employing the latest tools in pest control so that they can do a great job for you the consumer.