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There are 3 main forms of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Every type of termite colony includes employees (who eat your home ), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers who locate new places to colonize). Though you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great to know how to identify them, Wilson says.

Drywood termites commonly possess a brown body with a red head. Swarmers have sheer, tan wings but there are colour variations. Workers are light, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.

Dampwood termites are much like drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and sheer wings. These employees also resemble maggots.

Subterranean termites are somewhat smaller than their above-ground brethren with black bodies and sheer wings to the flyers. The employees are smaller, white and maggot-like.

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Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed timber and often end up in attics, flooring boards and window frames.

Dampwood termites like decaying wood or wood that is loaded with moisture. They often strike wood that's making contact with the ground and are found in regions with high rainfall or humidity.

Subterranean termites will eat soft (moisture-rich) timber and drywood, however they initially make contact with your house through the ground.

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Drywood and dampwood termites enter your house through small cracks, often around window frames through cracks in the home. Make sure you check around windows frequently and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers shed their wings and burrow into the wood. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.

Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. For example, when you hammer Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind small holes and create an open door for a termite colony. .

Subterranean termites often seep into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area, a lot houses have increased foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes around the bottom floor, often along posts. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson states , mud tubes can stretch from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the house. .

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So what can you do if you find a termite in your house If you see one drop wing or one termite flying by, it doesnt mean you've got an infestation. But if you see a group of wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.

Termites are actually simple to kill, Wilson says, but you need a termiticide to perform it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not readily available to the public. Most home shops sell termite spray, but those are watered down to meet public security specifications, so theyre not as effective.

In case you have an infestation that's isolated to one part of your home, state the door trim, you can substitute the trimming, Wilson says. But if you have a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.

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Subterranean termites have to get cut off from the house at the ground. Pacific Coast Termites resource makes a chemical barrier between any regions of grime and the house, as well as around the entire house. It functions as a shield that the termites cant break through.

Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a timber treatment product such as XT2000 Orange Oil, which is injected under pressure into the wood through ink-pen-sized holes. This item saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes approximately four to six hours.

Homes which are exceptionally infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a huge tent is placed over your home, or all of the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that will kill each of the termites. This procedure can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the type of infestation.

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Apply a good, quality coat of exterior paint on your property, since termites wont consume through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation openings are caulked and sealed. Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then pull them down. The tiny holes make termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the pockets year-round or fill the holes when you remove the nails. .

Quickly resolve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof redirected here or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide appropriate ventilation under your raised home to keep that area dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.