Termites
If you are (or ever have been) a homeowner, it is likely you have heard of subterranean termites or termites. It is likely you have dealt with a termite inspection before the closing of a home. You may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Can a tiny insect really destroy an entire home? The answer, in short, is yes! In North Carolina, subterranean termites are everywhere!
About Termites
Termites are soft-bodied insects that are about the size of a grain of rice. They are so small, that they only need about a 1/16” opening to get through to your home. Termites live in colonies underground and feed on the cellulose material found in wood. Each termite in the colony has a job: workers, soldiers, swarmers, or the queen.
There are more termite workers than any other “position” in the colony. The workers are constantly searching for food, even after they find a source. Once the workers find food, they bring it back to the colony for the soldiers, swarmers, and queen to feed on. Then, they start foraging again. It is a never-ending cycle.
Soldier termites protect the colony and the queen. Soldier termites have larger heads with pinchers at the end. They may also be darker in color. The queen is the largest termite in the colony and is rarely found.
During swarm season, reproductive termites (swarmers) fly out of the ground, leaving their current colony. Generally, during swarm season, we see hundreds of reproductive termites from one colony, which is how they get the name, “swarmers”. The goal of the swarmers is to find a mate and form a new colony. They don’t have much time, so they work fast to achieve this goal.
Termites can also come above ground by forming mud tubes to hide from daylight. You will typically find mud tubes leading to a food source. This means you won’t see signs of termites until they have reached your home, which is why we here at Kind Pest Control recommend a preventative measure to protect your home from termites.
The Kind Approach
At Kind Pest Control, we have trained termite specialists who will perform an inspection to determine whether or not you currently have signs of termites in your home. We will then recommend treatment. We partner with Sentricon®, a trusted brand dedicated to keeping your home termite free with use of Sentricon bait stations. These bait stations are placed strategically around the foundation of your home to target termite workers. Without the workers, the rest of the colony cannot survive. This is a proven defense system to prevent you from experiencing termite damage to your home.
The bait in the Sentricon system prevents the termites from molting, or shedding their exoskeleton. Therefore, the termite then outgrows the exoskeleton and can no longer survive. The bait in the Sentricon stations is only harmful to insects with an exoskeleton, making them kid and pet friendly! Since the bait sits in the station and will only harm select insects, this also makes Sentricon systems a more eco-friendly option over termiticides.
Fun Fact
Termites can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home. Additionally, your home insurance policy does not cover termite damage! This is why we recommend the Sentricon system to all homeowners.
Give us a call and protect your home from termites today!