Ground Termites
Ground termites – also known as subterranean termites – are so named because they primarily live underground. The ground termite is considered to be one of the most destructive termites in the world. They have the ability to create enormous colony sizes and eat a lot of wood in a very short time!
Even worse, because these guys live underground, there may be no sign of the ground termites until structural damage is so bad it becomes evident. Some signs of ground termite infestation may be hollow-sounding beams, spongy or saggy flooring or steps, blistered paint, warped walls, or perhaps a leaky roof.Identification, control, and prevention are key to maintaining sound, termite-free wooden structures. Identification will take a blog of its own to explain. If you need help in identifying ground termites, please give us a call because identification and estimates are always free.
Control. Ground termites need a good place to make a home and colony – a place that has easy access to food (wood) and water (ground moisture, leaking pipes) for sustainability. Your job is to make as few of these situations present as possible. Keep vegetation away from the structure, remove any earth-to-wood contact, and fix excessive moisture areas. Now, if you think or know a ground termite colony is already established, then your job is to call a professional right away; these are not the kind of “pests” you want to play around with. If active ground termites are present, there is no way of getting around having to treat the soil around the structure’s foundation (also referred to as ground treatment), or to treat with a baiting system (such as Sentricon).
Prevention. Remember the measures that can be taken to preventing ground termites from getting established in any wooden structure. Keep the area all around your house (or structure) clean of plants and other things so you can always see the structure’s foundation. There should be no wooden part of the structure touching the ground. Check around your foundation on a regular basis for signs of ground termite infestation. The best preventative measure you can take is to permanently install a bait or liquid treatment, both of which will protect your asset and eliminate property repair costs created by ground termite infestations.
I know this is a lot to ingest for those with little knowledge of the biology and behaviors of the ground termite. Please feel free to call our office for further information or questions.
