Drywood Termite

Identification

Drywood termites go through three different stages or castes: reproductives, workers (nymphs), and soldiers. There are three growth stages the egg, nymphs, and adults. The Drywood termite reproductive’s known as swarmers are approximately 7/16 inches long, two body parts, dark brown in color with smoky brown to clear wings with black veins. The wings of the swarmers are the same length. The workers are creamy white in color with a yellowish brown head. The soldiers have a larger rectangle head that is a reddish brown in color; they have large jaws and light colored bodies.

Sometimes its hard to identify the differences in termites and ants. Termites have two body parts whereas ants have three. The Drywood Termite swarmers wings are of equal length whereas ant wings are different sizes.

Biology

Drywood termites are social insects that live in nests or colonies in sound dry wood. Drywood termites get all their nutrition from wood and other materials containing cellulose. Their main purpose in life is to break down and eat wood. Stumps, dead wood, paper, cotton, burlap, fence posts, trees, brush, wood shingles and rail road ties are just a few of the areas you can find them. As they break down dead wood and return it to the soil it allows new plants to emerge. If not for the drywood termites and other termites it would take longer for dead wood in the environment to decompose. The only problem is they do not know the difference in wood used in homes and other structures and wood found outside the home.

Drywood termites are found mainly in warm climates like the south and southwest. In Texas they have been found from Beaumont south to the Rio Valley and inland to the San Antonio and Austin area. Most of the damaging populated areas have been the Beaumont, Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Rio Grand areas.

Male and female swarmers or reproductives will leave a colony to start their own colony usually in late summer or early fall. During this swarm, which is usually a dry warm day, is when most people know they have a problem as there will be hundreds of swarmers leaving the colony. These swarmers will fly to lighted areas such as windows and light fixtures. So its not uncommon to see hundreds reproductives piled up in window sills or caught in cob webs. As soon as they get to where they will habitat they will loose their wings and bore approx. 4 inches into wood. The queen will then start to lay eggs and develop her own colony.

Drywood termites can be found in window frames, door frames, attics, soffits, facial boards, wood shingles, around chimneys, wood siding, exterior wood trim, floor joists, and around garage door frames. Fecal pellets are a common way of identifying Drywood termites. The Drywood termite fecal pellets are about 1/16 of an inch, six sided, rounded ends and the color of the wood they are eating. These fecal pellets are deposited outside exit holes. It makes it easier to identify a Drywood termite infestation as these fecal pellets pile up outside the wood they are eating. Drywood termites in the attic, soffits, and facial boards are harder to identify as you do not always see these fecal pellets pile up.

Treatment

A thorough inspection to identify areas of infestation and kind of termite is required before any treatment can take place. Depending on the areas infested and the severity of the infestations will determine the type of treatment needed. Sometimes the wood infested can be removed from the home. When doing so replace the wood with treated wood to prevent re-infestation. Other times an area treatment or spot treatment can be effective if the infestation is limited to only a few accessible areas. Fumigation of the entire structure may be needed if areas of the home that are infested cannot be treated or if infestations are widespread through out the home.

Fumigation requires tenting the home completely and pumping a fumigant into the home. This kills out all infestations in the home but does not keep future infestations. Fumigation is expensive and extremely hazardous, you may have to vacate the home for several days. Area treatments or spot treatments with residual insecticides can kill out the infestation and keep Drywood termites from re-infesting the areas treated.

You can help keep exterior wood painted and sealed, chalk all cracks and crevices, use 20-mesh hardware cloth over all vents, remove firewood and stored wood around the home, remove dead trees and stumps, and have your home inspected yearly for all wood destroying insects by one of our certified pest control operators.

For identification and options for control or treatment of Drywood termites call RP Lee Termite & Pest Control. We recommend yearly inspections of all homes for Wood Destroying Insects. Treatment or preventive treatments can be less costly then repairs. So protect your most valuable asset, your home, and call us today.