Pest Control Spring Update
Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termites are social insects that live in colonies consisting of
workers, soldiers, reproductives, and kings and queens. Workers are about 1/8 inch long
and are blind, wingless, soft bodied, creamy white to grayish-white with a round head. The
workers are sterile, and they are the colony members that go out in search of food.
Soldiers are also wingless and resemble workers with larger heads and jaws. Male and
female reproductives can be winged or wingless. Winged primary reproductives are called Swarmers,
but they shed their wings soon after flight.
Termite colony members are
dispersed throughout the soil and can extend underground 
tunnels
tens to hundreds of feet in search of feeding sites. They feed on wood or other items that
contain cellulose, such as paper, fiberboard, and some fabrics derived from cotton or
plant fibers. Foragers travel above ground in search of food by creating and moving inside
mud tubes. One of the easiest ways to detect termite activity is the presence of these mud
tubes running from the ground, up the foundation, and inside the walls of the home.
The presence of termite swarms is another easy way to detect activity. A "swarm" is a group of adult male and female reproductives that leave their colony in an attempt to pair and initiate new colonies. Swarms can often be seen between February and May in the Southeast. The presence of winged termites or their shed wings inside a home should be a warning of a termite infestation.
Preventive practices are a critical aspect of termite management. These practices deal with disrupting the termite's ability to locate food, water and shelter. Wood that is in contact with soil provides an easy food source for termites. Maintain at least 6 inches of clearance between the soil and house siding, porch steps, lattices and other wooden structures. Avoid storing firewood, lumber, and other wood or cellulose based products against the foundation. Avoid or minimize the use of wood mulch next to the foundation.
Dust Insecticides
long lasting control in the right location
Pests in your
home do not interact with you. They do not normally sit on the couch and watch TV with
you. They build their nests and colonies inside the walls where they feel safe and have
access to moisture from pipes. Using contact insecticides along baseboards provides very
limited control because the products are not being applied where the insects spend most of
their time.
The use of dust insecticides inside the walls and around pipe voids is a far more effective way to control pests in your home. The dusts we use in our household pest program are waterproof. The dust will not absorb moisture or clump, and this allows the product to have a much longer residual. We apply the dusts inside the walls by removing switch plates at all points of entry to the home and around the pipe voids under your sinks. This places the product exactly where the insects travel. They get the dust on the hairs of their legs, and take the product back to the colony. This way not only does the foraging insect die, but the entire colony is controlled as well.
