Pacific Coast Termite

Know Your Enemy

There are a variety of termites in the United States but they all have one thing in common: left alone, they'll eat you out of house and home. The most common varieties, subterranean termites, consist of a queen, king, reproductives, workers and soldiers. Termite swarmers look a lot like flying ants. In fact, homeowners often mistake flying ants for termite swarmers and become alarmed. But look closely and you'll see several differences.

Termites

• Straight antennae
• Two pairs of wings of the same size and shape
• Broad waist
• Short legs

Flying Ants

• Elbowed antennae
• Two pairs of wings, with rear wings smaller than front wings
• Narrow or pinched waist
• Long legs

• Recession-Proof Pests… Termites cause more than $5 billion in damage to U.S. homes each year- that's more than fire, storms and earthquakes combined!
• A Deep-Wooded History… Termites have been around for more than 250 million years. In fact, in ancient Roman times, the termite was referred to as "termes", meaning woodworm.
• Road Map for Disaster… Termites are found in 49 of the 50 states. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 40 different types of termite species; 2,000 worldwide.
• Chew on This… Worker termites will travel up to 250 feet away from the colony, eating through plaster, plastic and even asphalt, to get to a wood food source.
• There's No Beating the Odds… Fifty billion termites infest about one million U.S. homes (one in every 30 U.S. homes) each year.
• These Critters Love to Carve Up the Nation's Housing… a small colony of approximately 60,000 termites can eat a linear foot of a 2-by-4 in about five months.
• A Welcome Ray of Sunshine… Termites can actually die from exposure to open air and direct sunlight.
• Defying the Sandman… Termites never sleep; they work 24 hours a day. However, as silent invaders, termites may go undetected for years causing thousands of dollars in damage.
• Innumerable Ground Forces. Several termite colonies could be present in as little as one acre of land and contain more than one million termites.

Signs and Symptoms of Infestation

• Termites need only 1/64th of an inch to enter the home. Common entryways may include a slab wall, lumber in contact with the soil, an earth-filled stoop, expansion joints, brick veneer, and foam insulation in contact with soil. Hint: Be on the lookout for wall cracks or blistered areas on a floor, wall, window frame, joist or stud.
• Since termites die when exposed to open air or sunlight, they travel in shelter tubes made of mud, bubbled paint or wooden surfaces that are damp and cool to the touch. Hint: Be on the lookout for narrow mud tubes along the base of the home.
• Reproductive termites generally swarm during spring, in or near a building or windows. Hint: Be on the lookout for termites swarming inside or outside the home and discarded piles of wings or seed-like pellets lying around.