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There are three main forms of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Every type of termite colony includes employees (who consume your house), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that locate new areas to colonize). Though you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its good to know how to identify them, Wilson states.

Drywood termites commonly possess a brown body with a red head. Swarmers have absolute, tan wings but there are colour variations. Employees are light, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.

Dampwood termites are much like drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and sheer wings. These employees also resemble maggots.

Subterranean termites are somewhat smaller than their above-ground brethren with black bodies and sheer wings to the flyers. The workers are smaller, white and maggot-like.

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Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed timber and often end up in attics, flooring boards and window frames.

Dampwood termites like decaying wood or timber that's rich with moisture. They often strike wood that is making contact with the ground and are found in areas with high rainfall or humidity.

Subterranean termites will consume soft (moisture-rich) wood and drywood, however they initially make contact with your home through the ground.

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Drywood and dampwood termites enter your home through small cracks, often around window frames throughout cracks in the caulk. Make sure you check around windows frequently and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers lose their wings and burrow into the timber. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.

Be mindful of maintaining your exterior paint. For instance, when you hammer Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind small holes and produce an open door for a termite colony. .

Subterranean termites often seep into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions like the San Francisco Bay Area, a lot houses have increased foundations, Wilson states. Termites build mud tubes up to the floor, often along posts. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson states , mud tubes can extend from the ground up through thin atmosphere to connect with the base of the home. .

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So what do you do if you find a termite in your house If you click to read more see one shed wing check over here or one termite flying by, it doesnt mean you've got an infestation. But if you find a group of wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.

Termites are in fact simple to kill,'' Wilson says, however you need a termiticide to do it. Unfortunately, good pesticides are not readily available to the public. Most home shops sell termite spray, but these are watered down to meet public security specifications, so theyre not as effective.

If you've got an infestation that's isolated to one portion of your home, state the door trim, you can replace the trim, Wilson states. But in case you have a full-on termite infestation, you need a bigger scale treatment.

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Subterranean termites must get cut away from the house at the ground. Pacific Coast Termites makes a chemical barrier between any regions of grime and the home, in addition to around the entire home. It acts as a shield that the termites cant break through.

Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a wood treatment product such as XT2000 Orange Oil, which can be injected under pressure into the timber through ink-pen-sized holes. This product saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes approximately four to six hours.

Homes that are massively infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a massive tent is placed over your home, or all of the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that can kill each of the termites. This procedure can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the kind of infestation.

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Apply a good, quality coating of paint on your property, since termites wont eat through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then yank them down. The tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the holes year-round or fill out the holes when you remove the nails. .

Quickly solve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide proper ventilation under your raised home to maintain that area dry. Subterranean termites adore wetness.