Termites have strong survival instincts and are capable of eating through the foundations of your home.
Termites are known to infest wood and feed on cellulose. There are three categories they can be grouped into, listed below.
The drywood termite gets its name as it needs no soil to get in contact with soil. Drywood termites have wings that allow them to reach the frame of a house and nest there. They do not need much contact with moisture and can be found in places even far away from water.
This species lives in damp or water-damaged wood. Even though not as common as the subterranean and drywood termite, these too pose a severe threat to house integrity.
Below are three steps you can take to get rid of termites from your home.
If you think that your home has a termite infestation, the first step should be an inspection. An inspection would reveal all the places that are damaged in detail. Also, not all species of termites are detrimental to house health, and some don't need a termite treatment.
Once the inspection reveals that treatment is needed, get a treatment. There are three common types of treatments. Spray treatment is a quick and cheap fix but is temporary and not recommended. Termite baiting and a chemical barrier are long-term fixes.
Getting a treatment once is not permanent pest control. They can always return. You need to get your home inspected every 3-6 months for a spray treatment and an annual inspection for termite baiting or a chemical barrier treatment.
Just like any living creature, the lifecycle of a termite begins with reproduction. Reproduction starts with swarming winged males and females, who establish new colonies and procreate. These termites shed their wings after fertilisation. These insects then become kings or queens of the colonies that they have established. They are the center of the termite life cycle and are primly responsible for reproduction.
Next, the queen lays her eggs, which hatch into larvae. The larvae then moult into workers, soldier, and reproductive based on the colony's needs. Nymphs are young termites that go through several moults to continue their duties based on the colony's requirements. Moulting is a process when termites shed their exoskeleton to expose a new exoskeleton, which then enlarges and hardens. As the larvae grow, they assume new roles in the colonies, the last function being reproductive, after which they die off.
Each stage is assigned duties and they can be distinguished with a distinctly different physical appearance. Workers are responsible for making tunnels; soldiers are tasked with protection but cannot feed themselves. The last role is of the alates, which are reproductive termites. They are born with two pairs of wings, so they can fly off and make new colonies.