11 May What Do Termites Look Like?
What Do Termites Look Like?
Ants VS Termites
Even though termites look very similar to ants, but they are an entirely different species. Where ants have a hard external skeletal body, termites have a soft body, which they cannot use to survive outside their nests for an extended period. Termites are most likely to dry out and die in the open, which is why you wouldn’t normally see them crawling here and there as ants do.
However, if you live somewhere where the humidity levels are high, you would probably see termites out and about as well because moisture attracts them and is suitable for their living.
One way to tell termites and ants apart is to simply look at them closely. Their bodies can tell you how different they are. Another major difference between termites and ants is that they both eat different foods. While most ants can be seen running around bread crumbs or sweets, termites usually feed off wood or paper.
However, it is almost impossible to tell ants and termites apart during their alate phase because in this phase, both have grown wings, and both species can be seen swarming.
Is a Termite Inspection obligatory?
Although no federal law deems the termite inspection mandatory while buying a home, most lenders don’t provide a loan without one. So, if you are buying a home through a mortgage lender, then the termite clearance letter might be necessary. A licensed termite inspection company issues this letter. It states that the company inspected the property thoroughly and didn’t find any evidence of the termites or damage due to termites around the house.
Another important note to be made is that although the house may not have a current termite infestation, it may have some damages from a prior one. The buyer and the seller must discuss this issue and decide who would be paying for the damage repair.
Two Types of Termites Species
There are two different types of termites, and you can recognize their species by studying their particular approaches toward the wood.
Subterranean termites
Subterranean termites are typically found feeding on wood, and they start their infiltration of the structure from the bottom. Therefore, if you have space underneath your house, then you need to be very mindful of this termite species because you may have a termite infestation that you do not even know about. However, you can see clear signs in the shape of mud tunnels with these subterranean termites.
Drywood Termites
Drywood termites have an opposite approach, and they like to approach their wood from the top. They start developing their colonies usually from the part of the wood that is exposed either on or near the top. However, there are signs of dry wood termite infestations, such as termite droppings that look a lot like sawdust.
What to Do in a Termite Infestation?
Knowing about termites is simply not enough because it will not help you prevent or cure your house of a termite infestation. You will need to take termites seriously if you wish to limit or prevent damage to your house’s woodwork.
Whether they approach your house from the ground or the attic, rest assured they will eat all your house’s woodwork and leave your house hollow.
This is why the best thing to do is to eliminate the termite threat as soon as you get a whiff of them. Mostly, if you are not careful and if you are not in the habit of keeping a close lookout for termites, there is a high likelihood that your house might already have a termite infestation somewhere. All you have to do is look for sawdust-like sand around the edges and corners of your home, which will tell you all you need to know.
It is best to have a professional pest control Adelaide guy or company take care of this problem because they have different plans and treatments that can help you get rid of the whole termite situation for good.
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