Georgia has the highest termite activity in the
continental United States! Improper construction is the leading
cause of all termite infestation.
In nature, termites have a very important job. By feeding
on dead wood and other cellulose material, termites make our soil rich and
fertile. Without termites our landscape would be littered with fallen
trees and the like.
Though there are other insects
that break down cellulose material by far termites are the most
voracious. We get calls all the time from panicked homeowners saying that
they found termites in a tree or debris they are clearing away from their
yard. We must reassure them that
this is natural and doesn’t mean
that termites are planning an attack on their home.
First we need to understand
the termites and their actions to determine how to make your house termite
safe. "Which came first?" (the chicken or the egg question) can be used
to understand termites. So let's start with the termite "swarm."
Every spring, just as
temperatures begin to rise into the 70s, flowers bloom, bees buzz, eggs
hatch, and birds chirp. Down in the soil, the same thing happens with
termites. Inside a termite colony, a group of reproductive termites are
developing wings to set out on their mating flights.
The size and amount of
reproductive "swarmers" depend on the size of the colony. They can range
from a few dozen to hundreds or even thousands! The actual reason why
they swarm is uncertain. In our experience, the first swarm usually takes
place after the temperature has been in the 70s for at least 3 to 4 days
in a row. So, it usually occurs in the first weeks of March.
The swarming takes place at
night, so you rarely see the process actually take place. Most people see
the signs when they awake in the morning to discover hundreds of flying
insects laying in a pile somewhere in the house or around a window. The
termites match up with their respective mates in the air, do what comes
naturally, and then drop to the ground. If the pregnant female finds the
right conditions, she will burrow into the ground and begin the start of a
new colony. And no---they don’t nest in your couch or walls---they only
nest in the soil. So, when you have a swarm in your house, chances are
that the "swarmers" will not find suitable nesting areas there and the
process ends.
That is why most of the winged
termites you find are dead or dying.
Even though your home passes a
number of proper inspections, it is already a target from the
moment ground is broken. We are finding termite damage in homes that
were built less than a year ago. While most pest control termite inspectors look for
active termites, we
look for conducive conditions that make your home a target.
In most cases, solving
these conditions will make your home termite free for many years.
