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Did You Know...
Worldwide, there are over 2,200 species of termites.
In the United States, 500,000 homes are treated for
termites each year at a cost of over $1 billion. Subterranean
and drywood termites are responsible for the most
of the damage to wooden buildings in the United States.1
Biology
Termites are nature's recyclers, breaking down and
returning to the soil the cellulose-containing materials
of fallen trees and decaying wood. Termites derive
nutrition from wood and other cellulose materials.
They cannot digest the cellulose themselves. Instead
they are dependent on one-celled protozoa in their
stomachs that break down the cellulose into simpler
compounds that the termites can use as food.
Termites colonies are complex social organizations.
A colony typically contains several castes including
workers, soldiers and reproductives. Each caste has
a precisely defined role within the colony.
There are five major groups of termites in the United
States. Two kinds of termites are important pests
throughout the U.S. and a third type is a major problem
in the
Pacific Northwest.
They all require different ecological conditions to
live.
Subterranean
termites need warm, moist conditions to survive. The
colony lives underground in the soil. Mud and excrement
tubes connect underground tunnels with above ground
wooden structures where the termites go to feed. They
cannot survive for long without regular contact with
moisture. If a source of water is available within
a structure, a secondary nest can be established.
Drywood
termites nest inside wood. During the mating flight,
swarms of winged termites seek suitable nesting sites
entering homes through cracks in windows, eaves, screened
vents in attics, under shingles and sometimes in infested
furniture.
Dampwood
termites are the most common termite in the Northwest.
They nest in damp or water-damaged wood but can expand
their activities into dry, sound wood. They cannot
survive without access to moisture.
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