Before you think about how to get rid of termites that are infesting your home, you should get to know your enemy. So, what exactly are termites and why do they want to eat your home?

Termites damage costs approximately $5 billion to American buildings annually. It takes termites from 3-5 years to cause any real damage. Termite treatment cost can be very expensive, so spotting termites as soon as possible is important.

In a colony of termites, there can be anywhere from 10,000 termites to a million. There are three types of termites that cause the most damage in American homes: subterranean, drywood and dampwood termites. Subterranean and drywood termites cause the most damage to buildings.

Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termites being the most widespread, and can be found throughout the United States. They live in ground colonies or nests and swarm or fly in groups in spring and fall.

These flying winged termites are often visible around or in your home when they swarm, and you may also find wings that they have shed. These termites travel in mud tubes that extend to the from the ground to the wood or foundation, so any damaged wood will have the remains of mud tubes. Mud tubes are about the same diameter as a lead pencil.

Drywood Termites
Drywood termites are found in dry, undecayed wood like dead tree limbs, utility poles, posts and lumber. They migrate seasonally to nearby buildings. Drywood termites are mostly a problem in coastal cities such as Florida, California, Louisiana and Texas. They are larger than subterranean termites and are dark brown with black wings. They have a reddish head and thorax and leave salt and pepper like faecal pellets.

The subject of how to get rid of termites yourself is a little trickier. But there are ways to do this, which I will be explaining in future posts.