Termite Identification

If you own a property or structure, it would be impossible for you not to ask the question, “What does a termite look like?” Naturally, this is because as an owner, you only want to prevent your property from being damaged by termites.

What does a termite look like? The question can only be answered by taking a good look at the different kinds of termite in the colony.

White and Small

The worker termites are small, white, and closely resemble white ants. In the termite hierarchy, it is the worker termite that foragers for food for the entire colony. Eradicating the foragers means eradicating the colony’s food supplier. What better way to get rid of the entire colony than to start with the worker termites?

Winged Swarmers

The reproductives have wings and are known to swarm during certain times of the year. One of the best tell tale signs of termite colonies is the swarmer. As soon as these are observed around your house, it is time to check for termite mounds where possible colonies have thrived.

The Royalty

The king and queen termite usually confine themselves in the termite mound. Queen termites are long, large, have large, elongated bodies that are light in color. The king termite may be smaller than the queen but his body is darker in color.

Photo by Sheilaellen

In arid and tropical savannas, termite colonies construct large and elaborate mounds. Usually, these mounds have very distinctive forms with tall wedge-shapes. It is usually shaped for a reason: thermoregulation.

Hot air usually rises in these termite mounds above ground. This helps drive circulation currents inside the network or chambers inside the mounds, keeping it cool enough for the termites to thrive in.

In some cases, termite mounds can reach as high as six feet. However, most termite colonies build their mounds somewhere around two feet.

How does it work? Termite mounds are able to regulate temperature because of the ducts and holes within their structure. It may be difficult for millions of inhabitants in a single mound, located in single nest burind a meter beneath the ground but termites were able to address the problem of ventilation with these termite mounds.

It may sound preposterous or even disgusting to some but there have been poems written about termites! Since everyone knows that poetry can be about anything, some writers figured they may as well write about something that has been plaguing homes the world over.

Humor

Termite poems are characteristically humorous, though. No matter how great a poet, one can hardly be inspired to write a poem on friendship or love story between humans and termites! One poet, Ogden Nash is known for his witty poems including one short one on termites.

The Termite by Ogden Nash:

Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.

In one stanza or in 4 short lines, Mr. Nash basically summed up in this termite poem what these little insects can do. While it may sound hilarious in a poem, we can hardly say the same in reality. Termites can not only eat up a home literally, their damage may also prove to be dangerous for the people living in it.

Termite poems does more than entertain readers. If we look deeper and closer into the wit and warning embedded in termite poems, we may find out that termites are enemies that are not to be taken lightly.

Like most insects, termites are also reproduced and bred through the laying and hatching of eggs. The queen termite can be impregnated with eggs from several colony members to keep the society thriving. Since termites aren’t exactly what we call monogamous, it is therefore easier for them to multiply.

A mature queen termite can lay several thousands of each every single day. Some species of termites, the queen can even grow several ovaries allowing them to reproduce even more eggs! Like any pregnant creature, queen termites also have enlarged abdomen. While they are immobilized in their condition, the hundred of worker termites around it work to move and feed her.

Once they are hatch, the eggs will eventually turn into nymphs and further on, into different members of the termite colony. Worker termites make up the largest part of the community.

Just like many other insects, the termite is reproduced through the laying and hatching of eggs. Unlike the typical male/female dynamic that we, as humans, know, the queen of the termite colony can become impregnated with eggs from multiple colony members just so that the society is kept going. In other words, termites arent monogamous. These worker termites are wingless, are blind and are the ones mostly found in infested wood. Although the soldier termites are blind and wingless as well, the group has the capability to defend the colony when under attack - by humans and termite deterrents.

Winged termites are the reproductives and supplementary reproductives of the colony. During swarming season, these group swarm to a new location, shed their old wings and pair up with a new termite colony. Supplementary reproductives stand the chance of being replacement when a termite king or queen dies.

Fortunately for termites and unfortunately for the homeowners, termites can reproduce into hundreds and even a thousand in a matter of days. Thus termite colonies and their respective damages are almost always difficult to battle with.

Looking for more information on termites and how they can be controlled? Click here to check out Termite Identification, Treatment and Control.

If you are interested in becoming a termite inspector, a good way to break into the field is to find a place as a termite apprentice.  There are many termite apprentice programs that are offered by accredited schools and even universities that only take a couple of days to take.  These termite apprentice programs are in the form of intense classes that will teach you all sorts of information including termite biology, practical field identification of wood-destroying organisms, their damage, and the safe use of tools, chemicals, and other equipment used to rid the home of these devastating insects.

Because these courses are short, they can be quite intense and require a lot of work.  But when you want to become a termite inspector, the termite apprentice program is a great way to get into the field and know what you’re doing right off the bat.  These courses are often not very expensive, but when you consider the experience that you are able to pick up, you will soon realize that they are well worth the money.

Once you have taken a termite apprentice course, you will probably want to hook up with a licensed professional termite inspector and ask if you can be their termite apprentice so you can gain experience in the field.  Many termite inspectors are happy to take on a termite apprentice – especially if you are willing to work with them in the field to help alleviate their work load.  Often, your termite apprentice course will be able to find someone who is willing to work with you and teach you the business.  Sometimes these will be paid positions and sometimes they won’t.  What you have to do is weigh the experience you are getting with the necessity of a paycheck.  Some people just can’t sign on to be a termite apprentice because they need the money, so find someone you trust and talk honestly with them about your expectations as well as theirs.

Often, when you are trying to get into a new field of work, the best thing you can do for yourself is get some on-the-job training.  Plus, for a termite inspector, it is a welcome advantage having some help in the field as well.  So if you are interested in the lucrative field of termite inspection, you may want to seriously check out becoming a termite apprentice.  Not only with the experience be invaluable, but you will learn so much more than you could ever hope to find from a textbook.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Termite Identification Treatment & Control

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.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Termite Identification Treatment & Control

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.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Termite Identification Treatment & Control

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.

You may be surprised at the devastating effect of termite damage on a building. When you have a swarm of termites, they can eat through whole wood beams and cause such problems with the structure of the building that could make it uninhabitable. The effect of termite damage often takes a period of several years to cause serious structural problems which is why you need to really pay attention to whats happening inside your home when it comes to inspecting the building for termite damage and take steps to control that damage before it does become a huge problem.

The effect of termite damage will cause the integrity of the wood to become compromised. That means when the termites begin feasting on the wood of your home, they can weaken the wood, cause drywall to crumble, eat away window sills and door frames, and so much more. Even though these small little insects are less than a centimeter in length, the effect of termite damage on a structure can be huge and very expensive.

As a property owner, you should know what to look for when doing an inspection of your property to see if you have a termite problem. If you dont take steps right away to inspect for a possible termite infestation, the effect of termite damage on your structure could get out of control before you even know it. Start by looking around the outside of your home near the foundation where the soil meets the base of the home. Termites can enter a home through the smallest opening, so pay special attention to any cracks in the foundation and fill those cracks with an appropriate filling agent to keep the termites from getting in.

Another effect of termite damage can be the presence of termites in places where you cannot readily see as in the crawl space or in the walls of a home. This invisible damage can be difficult for the everyday person to see which is why it is a good idea to have a professional termite inspection done on your building for peace of mind. Plus, a licensed professional can point out the obvious effect of termite damage and make suggestions as to how you can take steps to correct the problem.

You may also want to look at pictures that show the effect of termite damage on a building. Were willing to bet that once you see how termites can wreak havoc on a structure, youll want to take care of the problem immediately. The effect of termite damage can be stopped, but only if you take steps to do so as soon as possible. Check it out and then take action!

Have you been wondering about the age old question, can a termite see? Me either, but it is an interesting question. After all, these small pests can infiltrate a home and cause a huge amount of damage, but how do they find their food source? Do they see a tasty huge old Victorian home and call all their bodies to road trip on into the foundation? The truth is that in most termites, they have no eyes, so the easy answer to the question can a termite see is No. Some of the reproductive members of a termite colony will have eyes because they also have wings, but in general, termites cannot see.

So how do they find their food? Thats almost as good a question as can a termite see! Termites are blind, and they really have no method to their madness, so to speak, when it comes to finding a food source. Basically, they wander around moving about until they encounter some type of resistance at which time they switch directions and keep going until they find something they are able to eat. Were not talking about a cross country road trip, but lets just say you have termites in a wood pile behind your home. When they finish up with the wood and decide they want a different kind of wood and head toward your house, the travel across your yard might feel like a cross country journey to them!

Some people consider the question can a termite see frivolous, but it really can mean a lot to the person who is interested in getting rid of or preventing a termite problem. If they cant see, all they can really rely on is touch. They like wet places especially wet places with damp wood. Take steps to make sure you have no leaks around your home that may attract your blind enemy. Dont let the soil underneath your house get wet in any way, and keep the soil away from the foundation of your house if at all possible.

When doing landscaping work, you may want to use a wood mulch to decorate. If you want to do this, keep the mulch away from the foundation of the house and always use black landscaping to keep the termites from emerging from the soil and eating through your mulch. An even better idea is to use stone when landscaping.

We hope weve answer your question about can a termite see effectively. For more information, you may also want to consult an encyclopedia or look on the Internet to become fully informed about those pesky termites!