Termites are one of the most dangerous pests that homeowners can face. They’re not all that dangerous to your physical health, but they can destroy your home, putting you out on the street and bleeding the value out of your biggest asset. That means Colorado Springs homeowners need to take every measure to keep these dangerous pests off their property and eliminate any existing infestations as soon as the first signs of them emerge. Below, we’ll talk about what you need to do.
Termite Description
Termites are social insects. They live in colonies similar to ants – with a queen laying eggs and populating the entire colony. Termite colonies are highly organized into a caste system with reproductives on top of the pile. The primary queen, primary king, and supplementary queens and kings make up the permanent reproductive adults of the colony. This supplemental “royalty” replaces the queen and king when they die, and they usually don’t sexually mature until this happens.
Winged reproductive adults, or alates, are meant to leave the colony when it’s time to create new nests. Under the reproductive caste, the soldier termites defend the nest from intruders while workers perform day-to-day functions like maintaining the nest and caring for the queen and king. Both these castes are sterile.
Most termite species you’ll encounter in your home live in or directly beneath their source of food (wood and other sources of cellulose). That means they don’t have to forage far – if at all – to eat. This is one of the primary reasons termites can infest your home for months or even years while you’re none the wiser. They barely ever leave the nest unless it’s time to mate.
Dangers Of Termites
Termites are not known to transmit disease, so you can live with them for many years without worrying about negative health impacts. Sometimes termite droppings and sawdust (called carton and frass) can trigger allergies, but as a rule, termites are not otherwise directly harmful to your health.
Of course, termites can be indirectly harmful to your health by causing you to lose a considerable chunk of your wealth and rendering you homeless. And make no mistake, an unchecked termite infestation can and will eventually destroy your home.
Termites eat wood, tunneling through it and weakening its internal structure. When this happens, all kinds of damage can occur. You might notice ceilings sagging or walls bulging out. You might also start to have trouble closing doors and windows as their frames warp. Eventually, your home’s wooden support structure can become so damaged that it renders your house unlivable.
What To Do About Termites
Prevention is the first line of defense against termite infestation. To keep termites off your property, do things like:
- Seal all cracks in your home’s foundation or siding.
- Ensure all wooden components in your home are dry, undamaged, and suitably stained.
- Fix moisture problems like leaky pipes or clogged gutters.
- Trim back tree branches and shrubs from around your home.
- Keep a six-inch barrier between your home and any mulch.
If you start to see signs of termites despite your prevention efforts, you need to act fast. The reality is that by the time you see things like piles of frass, wood damage, or termite swarms, you’ve probably had an infestation for a while.
That means it’s vital to call Beeline Pest Control as soon as you realize you’ve got a problem. We have all the latest and most outstanding termite solutions to eliminate the entire infestation and ensure it never comes back. So give us a call or visit our contact page, and we’ll make a beeline to the rescue!