Monday 1 July 2013

About Termites and Damage

All About Termites And Damage

It may not be exactly what the average homeowner wants to hear but termites are very interesting. They have a remarkable way to survive all the odds. There are varieties of termites that were introduced to North America. They came from other parts of the world as far away as Japan. They live in large colonies that eat mostly wood. There are varieties that also eat other materials such as paper and cotton. Knowing all about .termites is certainly going to help you in protecting your possessions from the harm that comes from termite infestation. Knowledge in this case is power.
All About Termites – Be Prepared
When we speak about termites, beyond your first reaction of irritation and anger about those pests, what exactly do you really know about them? You get frustrated at the mere mention of these pests that you find rather disgusting and invasive to say the least. Most of us have the attitude of I don’t care what they do or what they are just get rid of them immediately. This is where we are wrong. The more you know about them, how they function in nature and why, the easier it will be to keep them away from your home.
The natural food of termites are any materials that are rich in cellulose, hence their favorite food is any kind of wood or byproduct of wood. It is clear to see why they zoom in on any home manufactured of wood and wood products.
Their social structure and breeding is much the same as other insects, except that they are led by both a queen and a king, these are their primary reproductives. The task of these reproductives is to propagate the species and keep reproducing. The colony also has a secondary reproductive pair as back-up in the event that their main reproductive team dies.
Termites start a colony or new colony a colony reaches a certain size. The reproductives with wings, also known as alates fly and find a new location that is perfect for laying eggs. This process of moving and starting up a new colony is called swarming. The queen on average lays about 50,000 eggs per year and she has a lifespan of about 25 years.
A termite colony is eusocial, this means they have a socially organized class system made of thee classes with distinct abilities and physical characteristics.
• Reproductives (primary and secondary pair) dark brown in color and have equal sized wings.
• Workers that have no wings, are blind and cream colored. Each worker has a specifically assigned job that assures the survival of the colony.
• Soldiers have no wings, but oversized heads with large and powerful mandibles. These are their weapons for protecting their colony.
The role termites play in nature is soil enrichment. They convert dead wood into organic matter and this result in fertile soil in any area where they have a colony mound. They have well constructed mounds with ventilation shafts and chimneys that are functional and organized and this is where they take their food as the collect it for storage for future use. Termites actually do prefer to live within soil in a humid climate with enough moisture, for the soil gives them perfect ventilation and the needed moisture to keep cool during the hot summer months.
All About Termites And Damage
It may not be exactly what the average homeowner wants to hear but termites are very interesting. They have a remarkable way to survive all the odds. There are varieties of termites that were introduced to North America. They came from other parts of the world as far away as Japan. They live in large colonies that eat mostly wood. There are varieties that also eat other materials such as paper and cotton. Knowing all about .termites is certainly going to help you in protecting your possessions from the harm that comes from termite infestation. Knowledge in this case is power.

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