Jun 13, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Florida Termite Control
Termites thrive in warmer weather and are known to create extensive damage to your home if not managed properly. This makes Florida’s warm and humid climate a hotspot for termite activity! In our sunshine state, the most common types of termites are drywood and subterranean termites. Let’s breakdown the difference between these two termite species and how you can prevent these pests from infesting your home.
Drywood and Subterranean Termites
It’s important to understand the difference between drywood termites and subterranean termites to properly treat and prevent them.
Drywood Termites
- Drywood termites live inside dry wood and do not need contact with soil.
- A good indication on whether drywood termites have infested is finding small piles of wood pellets or frass, tiny holes in wood surfaces, and discarded wings near windowsills or light fixtures.
- Drywood termites cause significant structural damage by hollowing out wood from the inside out.
Subterranean Termites
- Subterranean termites build colonies in the soil and require moisture to do so. They will often create mud tubes to travel between their nest and food sources.
- Signs of a subterranean termite infestation include mud tubes on exterior walls, foundations, or crawlspaces. Other infestation signs include damaged wood that sounds hollow and swarms of winged termites.
- These termites will destroy foundations, support beams, and other wooden structural causing thousands of dollars in repairs.
Termite Prevention Tips
There are several do-it-yourself prevention tips that you can utilize to prevent both drywood and subterranean termites. Consider the following:
- Seal any cracks and crevices in your home’s exterior using caulk or steel wool depending on the size.
- Keep attics, basements, and crawlspaces well-ventilated and dry; consider encapsulating your crawlspace to help with excess moisture.
- Fix leaky faucets, pipes, and air conditioning units to prevent standing water.
- Make sure your home’s drainage system directs water away from the foundation.
- Keep firewood, lumber, and other wooden materials elevated and away from your home’s foundation.
- Keep shrubs, trees, and other vegetation trimmed away from your home.
- Schedule an annual termite inspection with a professional Pompano pest control company near you. These professionals will provide you with a thorough inspection and termite control options if termites are found.
Apr 11, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Florida Termite Control
Drywood termites might seem like their counterpart, the subterranean termite, but they couldn’t be more different. Instead of surviving off moisture like subterranean termites, drywood termites seek dry wood for their food source. Once these termites find a place to create their colony, they will excavate the wood and cause significant structural damage to many Florida homes. One of the best ways you can avoid drywood termite damage is understanding their signs and the preventative measures to place on your property!
Common Signs of Drywood Termites
Drywood termites build their colonies inside wood in and around your home, surviving above the ground. While termites are difficult to spot, there are signs to indicate their activity in your home, including:
- Discarded wings on windowsills and near doors
- Seeing flying termites or swarmers near your home or in your neighborhood
- Hollow-sounding or visible damaged wood; the wood often looks carved out
- Piles of frass, or termite droppings, around the exterior or interior of your home; droppings look like coarse grains of sand
Drywood Termite Prevention Tips
In Florida, drywood termite activity is year-round, so it’s crucial to stay on top of your termite prevention. Consider the following tips to avoid a drywood termite infestation:
- Regularly inspect your home for any of the above drywood termite signs. Don’t forget to look near baseboards, beams, and other wood materials throughout your home for their activity.
- Seal openings around your doors, windows, and utility pipes with caulk or other sealants as soon as possible; this will help to keep termites and other household pests from entering your home.
- Before bringing used furniture or firewood inside your home, make sure to inspect it first for any signs of termites.
- At night, turn off your outside lights and close your curtains as termites are attracted to light.
If you notice drywood termite signs or suspect there are termites inside your Florida home, it’s best to contact a local pest control company near you. These professionals can schedule you with a routine termite inspection and termite control options.
Mar 12, 2024 | Florida Termite Control
Drywood termites are quite common in the South Florida area, thriving off our year-round dry and humid temperatures. This termite type can be difficult to spot in homes and will often go undetected for lengthy periods, causing considerable structural damage. The best way to avoid the costly damage of drywood termites is to understand their characteristics and the preventative measures you can place to deter them away from your property. Let’s learn more about these household pests and drywood termite control tips to protect your home.
What Are Drywood Termites?
Unlike the subterranean termite, drywood termites do not need to live in soil to survive. These termites will instead excavate wood to create a colony and live. Drywood termites will seek out dry wood, hence their name, to build a nest and live in it, such as attic framings. Drywood termites have an oval-shaped waist, short legs, and a cream to light brown colored body.
How Do I Know I Have a Drywood Termite Infestation?
Often, drywood termites get into your Florida home by hitchhiking through an already infested piece of old furniture, picture frame, or other wooden structure. While they don’t create mud tubes like the subterranean termite to enter the home, they instead fly directly to the wood they infest. They’ll also enter homes through open gaps or cracks around window frames, doors, soffits, and attics.
Since termites live in excavated wood, it can be hard to identify them but there are plenty of signs you can lookout for. A good indication that termites have created a colony in your home is spotting discarded wings near windowsills or doors and finding droppings or frass that look like small mounds of tiny pellets inside or around your home.
How Can I Prevent Drywood Termites from Entering My Home?
There are several preventative do-it-yourself methods you can use throughout your Florida property; consider these:
- If you have lumber, wood, or mulch in your yard, place it away from your foundation; likewise, if you store firewood in your yard, place it 20 feet away from the home and elevate it off the ground.
- Trim all shrubs, bushes, or other dense greenery so it does not touch the sides of your home.
- Before bringing any antique furniture or wooden furniture inside your home, always thoroughly inspect it for drywood termites.
- On a regular basis, check your home’s exterior for any openings leading inside and repair them as soon as possible.
- Consider attic insulation and crawlspace encapsulation for your home to help reduce moisture, termite infestations, and other household pests from entering.
If you’ve noticed signs of termite activity on your property or would like to get started on drywood termite control, reach out to your Florida pest control company! Termite professionals will provide you with a free home inspection, a treatment plan based on your termite control needs, and a prevention plan to avoid a future infestation.
Jan 31, 2024 | Florida Termite Control
Swarming termites, or alates, are often seen in the spring and summer months. While they might seem alarming, these pests do not bite, sting, or chew wood. Instead, swarming termites indicate they an established termite colony is close by, which can be problematic for your home and family. But when does swarming season begin and how do you know if termites have invaded your Florida property? We breakdown what you should know about termite swarms.
When is Florida swarming season?
Swarming season often depends on the type of termite; however, in Florida we have two common termites to lookout for: subterranean and drywood termites. Subterranean termites swarm during the spring and early summer months. Drywood termites tend to swarm in the late spring to end the summer. Termite swarms are also determined by weather, with rainstorms and overcast increasing swarm activity.
Why do termites swarm?
Termites swarm to both reproduce and expand their colony. Once a colony has reached its capacity of termites, the swarming process begins, leaving their existing one to start a new. The number of termites that will swarm will often depend on the type of termite species and colony size.
How can I prevent swarming termites?
Preventing swarming termites starts with preventing termite colonies from establishing. There are several preventative measures you can place at your home to avoid termite swarms and keep termites from establishing, including:
- During peak swarm seasons, keep your outdoor lights turned off at night; consider relocating exterior lights to recessed areas away from doors and windows
- Avoid excess moisture by ensuring you have proper ventilation and fix any leaky pipes
- Keep at least a 4-inch barrier between mulch used in your landscaping and the side of your home
- Keep shrubbery trimmed back at least 12 inches from the walls of your home and remove any fallen branches, dead wood, or old tree stumps on your property
- If you have a crawlspace, consider enclosing it to help eliminate moisture under your home but to also prevent mold, mildew, wood rot, and other household pests
- Schedule an annual termite inspection and request a quote on treatment options, such as the Sentricon Always Active Bait station for 24/7/365 termite protection
If you suspect swarming termite activity nearby or a termite infestation at your home, it’s best to call your local pest control company for help. Termite professionals will give you a thorough evaluation and the best termite treatment and prevention plan.
Dec 20, 2023 | Florida Termite Control
Dealing with a drywood termite infestation is less than ideal since these pests can cause significant structural damage to your Florida home. So how can you prevent termites from invading? It’s important to understand the characteristics of drywood termites, signs of their activity, and the preventative measures to place throughout your home, we break down all these below.
What to Know About Drywood Termites
Drywood termites have an oval-shaped waist, short legs, and a cream-white to light brown colored body. The size of these termites depends on their age, but usually range from ¼ inch to 1 inch long. Unlike their counterpart, the subterranean termite, drywood termites do not need soil to live. Instead, they excavate wood, living and nesting within wooden structures or dry wood, such as attic framings.
Signs of Termites
Since these termites live in the excavated wood, it can be difficult to spot and identify them. However, there are still termite signs you can look out for. Swarms of termites or discarded wings near windowsills or doors is an early indication that a colony has been established at your home. Likewise, spotting their droppings, or frass, is a telltale sign of a termite infestation. These droppings look like small mounds of tiny pellets.
Preventing Termites
Consider implementing these do-it-yourself termite control measures throughout your property to avoid a termite infestation:
- Keep lumber, wood, and mulch away from your foundation.
- Trim all shrubs, bushes, or other dense greenery so it doesn’t touch the side of your home.
- If you have old trees, lumber, or tree stumps, consider removing them.
- If you are utilizing firewood, store it at least 20 feet away from your home and elevated off the ground.
- Before bringing antique furniture or wooden furniture inside your home, make sure to thoroughly inspect it first.
- Inspect your home’s exterior for any openings leading inside and repair them as soon as possible.
- Keep your attic and crawlspace well-ventilated to help reduce moisture and other household pests.
If you’ve noticed drywood termites on your property or would like to get ahead of your termite prevention, contact your local Florida termite control company for more information. These professionals will provide you with a free inspection, a treatment plan based on your home’s needs, and recommendations on preventing termites in the future.
