Termite Extermination

The North Jersey Residents Guide to
Termite Extermination
What you need to know BEFORE you
hire a Pest Control Company
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Table of Contents
1
The Termite and its Family
3
Your Home is their Banquet
6
Getting Rid of Your Unwanted Guests
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Table of Contents
1
The Termite and its Family
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1
THE NORTH JERSEY RESIDENTS GUIDE TO
Termite Extermination
The Termite and its Family
Lets begin at the beginning, with the bug himself. Termites are a social insect living in colonies numbering anywhere from a few hundred up to a million or more. They are not closely
related to ants (another social insect) but instead are relatives of the cockroach. The only
type of termite found in the Northeast US, and specifically in Northern New Jersey, is the
Eastern Subterranean Termite (Reticulitermes flavipes)
In any colony there are several types of
termites present. The heart and head of the
colony are the king and queen termite. The King
and Queen are at the head of a group called
Reproductive, there may be supplementary reproductives in the colony to assist in egg laying
but the King and Queen are the founders of the
colony and give direction to the workers using
controlling chemicals called pheromones.
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THE NORTH JERSEY RESIDENTS GUIDE TO
Termite Extermination
The Termite and its Family (continued)
After the queen lays her eggs, the eggs will hatch into an immature termite or “larva”.
These immatures usually (about 90-95% of the time) will grow into worker termites.
Depending on the size of the colony, a small percentage of nymphs will continue to develop
as workers before they reach their final adult form as Soldiers or Reproductives.
Worker termites are the most numerous
members, and hence, the most damaging
part of the termite colonies. Worker
termites will be found in infested wood or
foraging for new food sources. They will
also build mud tunnels, clean the nest
areas of debris and care for other termites by
feeding and grooming them. For these little
workers, there is “no job too small”.
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Table of Contents
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Your Home is Their Banquet
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The North Jersey Residents Guide to Termite Extermination
Your Home is Their Banquet
In a large and healthy colony, some workers will molt again into soldiers. These soldiers
have large darkened heads complete with powerful jaws. Soldier termites are primarily
responsible for defending the colony and are unable to feed or groom themselves due
to their specialized jaw structures. They are wholly dependent upon Workers for their
day-to-day necessities.
Lastly, large colonies will spawn reproductives. Some reproductives become supplementary reproductives and never leave the home nest, assisting the Queen in egg laying, and
even replacing her if she dies. Other reproductives grow wings and become something
called an “Alate”. These “Alates” number in the hundreds and are released in the spring.
They leave the colony in mass and try to begin a new colony in a new location. These
Winged Alates are the intrepid explorers of the termite world.
Termites have evolved to feed almost
exclusively on wood for food, using a
micro-organism in their stomachs to aid
in the breakdown and digestion of wood
particles called cellulose. Termites also
feed (occasionally) on molds or fungi
found within their chambers, as well as
on the bodies of their fellow workers
after they die.
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The North Jersey Residents Guide to Termite Extermination
Your Home is their Banquet (continued)
This affinity for wood as a food source is what most
often brings termites into contact with humans in our
homes. In their search for food, termites concentrate
on areas with high moisture levels or direct wood to soil
contact. Although termites would prefer wood directly
in soil, they have adapted to reach wood above ground by
using shelter tubes made up of mud and semi-digested
wood to traverse areas of open soil or rock (like a
cinderblock wall). These shelter tubes, along with the damage termites inflict, are one of
the few telltale indicators of their presence in homes.
Oftentimes customers may ask us “how did the termites even find my house?” and the
answer is relatively simple, they were busy searching for it! A healthy termite colony
will send out foragers looking for a new food source. A large colony can forage over an
area of half an acre to an acre, a little larger than a football field. It’s disturbing to some
homeowners that termites are a native pest in our area, they existed here long before
humans ever came to North America. In essence, they aren’t the invaders, We Are!!
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A queen termite may live for 25 years.
She can lay thousands of eggs every year.
Worker termites infest wood and cause DAMAGE.
Table of Contents
3
Getting Rid of Your Unwanted Guests
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The North Jersey Residents Guide to Termite Extermination
Getting Rid of Your Unwanted Guests
So now that we know a bit about termite
biology and colony function, we can get down
to the nitty gritty: How to get rid of them!
Understand first and foremost, termites
are a naturally occurring insect that preform
a vital function in nature and are hugely
beneficial. They attack homes as a by product
of their behavior, almost accidentally.
There will never be a cure-all for or an endto termites. Long story short, we need them
for a properly functioning eco system.
As a homeowner, your first concern is with
the safety of your home and value of your
investment, as well should it be. Some
estimates place the dollar amount of damage
caused by termites over $5 Billion a year in the
US alone! Remember that it takes termites years, if not decades, to do significant structural damage to a home. Oftentimes, damage might be contained to a specific area at first,
or limited to aesthetic damage only. Even brick-and-mortar or concrete slab homes are in
jeopardy of being attacked, termites will attack trim lumbers, paper from sheetrock and
even foam insulation.
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The North Jersey Residents Guide to Termite Extermination
Getting Rid of Your Unwanted Guests (continued)
There are a few important aspects to successful termite control that must be adhered to:
•
Make sure you have Termites!
Many other types of insects may
How to tell ANTS from TERMITES
TERMITE
look like or have similar behaviors
ANT
to termites. Ant colonies also have
winged reproductives and there are
Thick waist & Straight antennae
Narrow waist & bent antennae
small white insects called psocids that
are drawn to moist wood. Either of these insects can be confused with termites and have a
completely different treatment technique. Its always a good habit to keep a specimen.
•
Termites are NOT a do-it-yourself project! Proper treatment requires a proper initial
inspection and understanding of the termite activity. A licensed, experienced and credentialed Wood Destroying Insect Inspector should be your only choice for a professional.
•
The treatment must fit the problem. Studies show that the average home under
termite attack will have activity in 2-3 areas, some of which might not be visible from
any inspection. Since full termite treatments are a building-wide event (both inside and
outside) using upwards of 100 gallons of finished product, beware “partial” treatments or
limited scope applications. Odds are, you’ll be missing something, allowing termites to
feed uninterrupted.
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The North Jersey Residents Guide to Termite Extermination
Getting Rid of Your Unwanted Guests (continued)
• A proper treatment will require uniform spacing between application sites and
most homes will need at least some drilling to access areas under slabs and porches.
Beware of a treatment that requires no drilling, Termites require moisture and slabs and
porches are notorious for retaining moisture, these are the areas most often requiring
treatment.
•
You’ll need a proper, written warranty period from your service provider. Termites
are a perennial problem and come back year after year. As a matter of fact, they will always
be present in our environment, so a short term warranty (a year or less) just isn’t going to
cut it. Warranty extensions are a nice option but since homeowners don’t always make
use of them, they can be forgotten about or unused. Make sure you get a solid, multi- year
warranty with the initial application, 2 years at least….
•
If you do go for warranty renewals, make sure you’re
getting an annual inspection along with it! Don’t just put a
check in the mail and assume you’ll be covered. A good pest
control company will require an inspection to continue
coverage. It also helps to be there yourself, a good inspector will
point out any pest activity or potential as they’re inspecting for termites. It’s always nice to
find out about the mouse hole before the mice move in or hear about that leak before real
damage is done.
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