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

Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a red head. Swarmers have absolute, tan wings but there are color variations. Employees are pale, 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 workers also resemble maggots.

Subterranean termites are smaller than their above-ground brethren with black bodies and utter wings for 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 attack wood that is making contact with the ground and are found in regions with high rainfall or humidity.

Subterranean termites will eat 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 through cracks in the home. Be sure to check around windows frequently and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers lose their wings and float into the wood. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.

Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. As an example, when you hammer Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind little holes and produce an open doorway for a termite colony. .

Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area, many homes have raised foundations, Wilson states. Termites build mud tubes around the floor, often along articles. But even in the absence of articles, Wilson says, mud tubes can stretch from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the home. .

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So what can you do if you find a termite in your home when you see one drop wing or one termite flying by, it doesnt mean you've got an infestation. But if you find a group of shed wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.

Termites are in fact easy to kill,'' Wilson says, but you need a termiticide to do it. Unfortunately, superior pesticides are not 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 is isolated to one portion of your home, say the door trimming, you can substitute the trimming, Wilson says. But if you've got a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.

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Subterranean termites must be cut off 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 house. 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 see this site Orange Oil, which is injected under pressure into the wood through ink-pen-sized holes. This item saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes approximately four to six hours.

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

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Employ an excellent, quality coat of exterior paint on your house, since termites wont eat through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont staple or nail up Christmas lights then pull them down. Even the tiny holes make termite homes. Instead, either click here for info abandon the nails in the pockets year-round or fill out the holes when you eliminate the nails. .

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