Owners of wooden houses are very often faced with a variety of insects and rodents that create a lot of inconvenience. And the most dangerous among them are termites. In just a couple of years, termites are able to completely destroy the main structures of the house, so every owner needs to know how to get rid of them.
General information about termites:
Outwardly, they are often confused with ants. They are also small and have a similar body shape. Biologists believe that these pests are relatives of cockroaches. Insects live mainly in warm tropical countries.
All the woodwork of your home is made from recycled wood, and therefore dead. Insects feel this and strive for their favorite delicacy. They eat the wood from the inside and leave the dust. Their strong teeth carefully process the boards and choose cellulose from the inside.
Therefore, if there are termites in the house, everything will be at risk:
- furniture;
- books;
- paper wallpaper;
- wooden floors.
Termites do not have deadly poisons, but, nevertheless, they carry a certain danger to humans:
- feeding on wood, they cause irreparable damage to structures;
- their bites are quite painful;
- a bite can cause a severe allergic reaction. The patient may not only have swelling and fever, but also develop Quincke’s edema, dizziness, abdominal pain.
Another problem associated with termites is mold. Insects live in moist wood, which is at the same time an ideal habitat for the growth and development of the fungus. By transferring spores on their body, pests contribute to their spread. If mold spores are inhaled for a long time, people and animals may have problems with the respiratory system or chronic diseases may worsen.
The fungus is a threat not only to people and animals, but also to the house in which it is introduced by termites. Since insects live inside materials, they also “plant” mold spores deep inside the wood, which makes its complete removal almost impossible.
How can termites be detected:
- View wooden items or materials for the development of your home. In certain spots, you can see little circular openings;
- Check whether little rosy brown, ruddy brown or dark heap is apparent anyplace;
- In certain spots, under the wooden items, you can see little heaps of worn wood;
- On the off chance that a great deal of breaks unexpectedly showed up on one of the household items, then, at that point attempt to uncover this spot. In the event that insects have settled there, it will be not difficult to do this. The center of the stick or leg will be pitted with entries;
- Try knocking on wood. If you hear empty sounds, then the termites have already taken this place;
- Inspect the inside and outside of the foundation walls in search of dirt passages. Earth termites live in the soil near sources of moisture, but they come to feed on wooden structures, laying underground passages from their habitat for this purpose.
- It is important to know that termites do not tolerate light, so when searching for them, you need to give preference to darkened areas of your home, where daylight is minimized.
- Call specialists in the search and destruction of termites. It is necessary to fight termites. After all, untimely processing of residential buildings made of wood can lead to the collapse of an entire building. Only specialists with special licenses can carry out disinsection of the house. Click here to find DIY termite treatment services. Our team will do everything quickly and efficiently in a way that is safe for your health. We are the guarantor of your peace of mind.
Interesting facts about termites
Despite the fact that termites cause great damage to wooden structures, they are very interesting insects. We present a selection of interesting facts about termites:
- They are rich in iron, calcium, fats, amino acids, as well as proteins, which makes them a very beneficial food. Many cultures use them as food or medicine for diseases;
- They never sleep. Termites construct their colonies 24 hours per day, day after day, until they perish;
- Ants are the main competitors and predators. Once in a while, termites and ant colonies living next to each other enter into a war for an area and access to food;
- These insects feed on the excrement of their relatives. Thus, they populate their intestines with the necessary microorganisms;
- In times of danger, such a kind of termites as soldiers sound the alarm, and in an original way. They beat their heads against the walls, transmitting vibration along the walls of the termite mound, warning of the danger of congeners;
- Termites are quite capable of opening cans, smearing the tin with a special composition produced by symbiont bacteria, from which the metal quickly rusts and collapses.