{"id":1045,"date":"2017-06-05T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2017-06-05T13:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insightpest.com\/?p=1045"},"modified":"2022-05-19T15:31:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T21:31:15","slug":"termites-friend-or-foe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightpest.com\/termites-friend-or-foe\/","title":{"rendered":"Termites: Friend or Foe?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By: Randy Pope<\/p>\n<p>Mankind needs termites.\u00a0 Mankind hates termites. Whether these little creatures are our \u201cfriend\u201d or \u201cfoe\u201d will depend on whether these guys are eating on your home or helping clear out underbrush in your natural wooded areas.\u00a0 In everything there is always a line between beneficial and destructive.\u00a0 This holds true with termites.\u00a0 Unfortunately, for termites, this is a very broad line.\u00a0 Termites cause an estimated <u>$5 billion dollars<\/u> in structural damage every year in the United States.\u00a0 However, termites are one of nature\u2019s greatest custodians.\u00a0 They are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/fascinating-facts-about-termites-1968587\">important decomposers<\/a>.\u00a0 Termites break down tough plant fibers, recycling dead and decaying trees into new soil. These hungry insects are vital to the health of our forests.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-1118\" src=\"https:\/\/insightpest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/TermiteWorkerS-300x195.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"309\" height=\"211\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As\u00a0they tunnel, termites also aerate and improve the soil. It just so happens that we build our homes from termite food\u2014wood.\u00a0 Generally speaking, we invade their homes well before they invade ours.\u00a0 So, I guess we would be what one could call a \u201cfrienemy\u201d (friend-enemy conjunction).\u00a0 Like many marriages, sometimes we can\u2019t live with them and other times we can\u2019t live without them.\u00a0 Again, your perspective is normally driven by whether you have ever had to pay for damages related to their handiwork.<\/p>\n<h2>Termites 101<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1048\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1048\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1048 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/insightpest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/termites.com-different-size-termites-300x290.jpg\" alt=\"Termites\" width=\"300\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insightpest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/termites.com-different-size-termites-300x290.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insightpest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/termites.com-different-size-termites-151x146.jpg 151w, https:\/\/insightpest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/termites.com-different-size-termites-50x48.jpg 50w, https:\/\/insightpest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/termites.com-different-size-termites-77x75.jpg 77w, https:\/\/insightpest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/termites.com-different-size-termites.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1048\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Casts: (from left to right) soldier, worker, nymph, larva. Image: Termites.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Before you can determine whether these little cellulose eaters are your friend or foe,<\/p>\n<p>you must be able to understand how to identify termite damage, termite activity, conducive conditions, and what termites look like.\u00a0 The average person can easily mistake one or all identifiers, so it\u2019s best left to someone who is experienced and well trained to determine if a structure has termite activity.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some basics to help:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Termites are social insects<\/li>\n<li>Within each species there are \u201ccasts\u201d that perform different duties for their colony<\/li>\n<li>Termites come in a wide variety of colors and sizes<\/li>\n<li>Colonies can be very large depending on conducive conditions<\/li>\n<li>Conducive conditions must be right for termites to survive in a structure: Moisture, Food, &amp; Protection (see below)<\/li>\n<li>Based\u00a0on where you live, there are several species of termites to consider<\/li>\n<li>Depending on the species, they leave behind different evidence such as frass (another word for termite poo), mud tubes, tunnels with the grain of the wood that look like honeycombs (depending on the species), or tunnels across the grain of the wood making large voids (depending on the species)<\/li>\n<li>Depending on the species, they are attracted to distinct types of wood<\/li>\n<li>Various points in the Spring and Fall, termites grow wings and \u201cswarm\u201d to find ideal sites to establish new colonies; these are called \u201cSwarmers\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Again, this is only some very general information about <a href=\"https:\/\/insightpest.com\/termite-control\/\">termites<\/a>.\u00a0 If you suspect that your structure may have these unwanted visitors, then finding an expert to make this determination is always your safest option.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Conducive Conditions:<\/h2>\n<h2>The right living conditions\u2026<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">As started above, one of the biggest issues that homeowners face are the conducive conditions around their home.\u00a0 The good news is that you are in control of these conditions and can correct them if you choose to.\u00a0 Termites need three things to survive: moisture, food, and protection.\u00a0 When these conditions are present, then termite activity can, not only be present, but<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u00a0can thrive.\u00a0 So, we should try to eliminate such conditions so that we can reduce the possibility of termite activity around or in our homes.\u00a0 Here\u2019s an abbreviated list of items to be on the watch for, and to try to correct, if you really wish to reduce your risk of termite issues:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wood to soil contact<\/li>\n<li>Wood piles or wood debris near home<\/li>\n<li>Excessive mulch build up on foundation of home<\/li>\n<li>Soil grade slopes towards home<\/li>\n<li>Water directed towards the foundation<\/li>\n<li>Water damage to wood finishes on home due to poor water runoff\/drainage<\/li>\n<li>Internal water damage to wood caused by roof, seal, and\/or plumbing leaks<\/li>\n<li>Cellulose (wood and plant fibers) materials being stored in basement or crawlspace<\/li>\n<li>High moisture content in crawlspace due to improper ventilation or water intrusion<\/li>\n<li>Cracks in foundation or slab<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Proactive or reactive treatments:<\/h2>\n<h2>Is there really a choice?<\/h2>\n<p>Well, there\u2019s only two approaches in dealing with termites.\u00a0 One cannot just decide to either take a \u201cproactive\u201d or \u201creactive\u201d approach either.\u00a0 The approach will be predicated on the findings of a thorough termite inspection of the structure.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If no termite activity or damage is found, then one would have the choice to be proactive or reactive. Being proactive is where one would elect to have a liquid treatment or an approved baiting program put in place.\u00a0 Both options would be state recognized preventative treatments. \u00a0Although neither preventative treatment is a 100% guarantee that you will never have termites, a reputable pest and termite professional company should provide a warranty on their work.\u00a0 Most companies will warranty up to a specific dollar amount covering the cost to retreat any affected area and\/or even paying to repair the damaged areas.\u00a0 If after a clean termite inspection is performed, and one choses to wait, then\u00a0he\/she\u00a0is taking the risks of potentially becoming a reactive client in the future.\u00a0 Keep in mind that the costs of these treatments increase significantly once one has termite issues.<\/li>\n<li>If, during the initial termite inspection, termite activity or damage is found, then one would only have the reactive approach to consider. Like the proactive, liquid treatments and approved baiting programs can be put in place to address and remedy the termite activity, but one can expect the costs to perform this work to be notably more expensive.\u00a0 Likewise, the treatments are not a 100% guarantee that you will never have an issue again, but the level of the warranty is there to protect retreating future issues.\u00a0 The major difference is most companies will not cover damage repair costs on homes that they confirm prior damage on.\u00a0 So, waiting could potentially cost more than one would save.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>Regardless which approach that you take for your home, just remember to have it inspected annually by a reputable professional.\u00a0 Your home is your largest investment, keeping it safe from termite damages is such a small cost to consider for the protection it will receive.\u00a0 Catching issues before they occur could save you a lot of money down the road.\u00a0 The ultimate goal is to provide you the peace of mind to know that termites will not be your home\u2019s foe, all while they can continue to be nature\u2019s friend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By: Randy Pope Mankind needs termites.\u00a0 Mankind hates termites. Whether these little creatures are our \u201cfriend\u201d or \u201cfoe\u201d will depend on whether these guys are eating<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":1118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[10,11,12],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Termites: Friend or Foe? - Insight Pest Control<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Termite prevention, termite control, and termite treatment are all very important for homeowners. 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