Helpful Hints to Identify Termites
Although, they can be small and somewhat difficult to find, termite identification is not all that difficult if you understand what you are looking for. This species create nest structures so that they may live together, much like ants. The colony also works together to source food. They eat wood and have the ability to consume large trees and even the enormous to them, anyway, structure that is your home. Many homeowners have a termite inspection once a year to ensure that termites have not made themselves at home in the basement or within wooden support structures. Any exterminating agency may perform this annual check-up, which is recommended for any and all homes.
There are different types of termites, each built for a specific purpose. Soldier termites can be recognized by their long heads and powerful jaws, used to protect the nest from invaders. You should never pick one up, but if you have found soldiers you may be close to where they have built their home. If you find a termite soldier within your home, this is a sure sign that the problem has made its way inside. These species are a mere portion of the population, so to find them you must look carefully.
Workers make up most of the termite population. These are about 2/5 inch in length and light in color. They look somewhat like soft, tiny grains of rice. Termites with wings are those capable of reproduction. The wings do not mean much because they cannot fly especially high and do not even make the attempt unless humidity is high and the sun is shining. The queen is the largest member of the termite nest. She may grow up to four inches long, and, unfortunately, is capable of producing four eggs each minute. In the case, the queen suffers an untimely death; one of the winged reproductive termites will become the new queen.
During a reproductive swarm, termites can be spotted easily. In fact, this species behave much like ants during this swarm, though termites are a different breed completely. The term “white ants” has been used to identify termites, but this is not especially accurate. Although, it may be white, often it is so clear that its intestines can be identified. And unlike ants, the termite workers have soft bodies. Termites capable of reproducing are darker in color.
They have six short legs, and those with wings have four wings of equal size. Ants, on the other hand, have four wings of which the front pair is longer than the back. Termites have no clearly defined “waist,” instead they appear oblong and smooth like rice. The different sections of an ant’s body can be clearly seen with the naked eye. Even their antennae differ because ants have elbowed antennae and termites are equipped with strait antennae which appear to be beaded, though this is difficult to see without a microscope. The way they live is similar to the way we know ants to live, but termites are actually more closely related to cockroaches.
Author Bio: Ellie Lewis has often called on the expertise of a Knoxville termite Inspection company to treat her large office facility. She hired a Knoxville exterminating company to rid her home of termites.
Category: Home Management
Keywords: Knoxville termite inspection,Knoxville exterminating