What is a Subterranean Termite?
Termites are one of the worst wood destroying organisms in North America. Termites are known as "silent destroyers" because they can completely devastate a home's flooring, roofing, foundation, and furniture. While a termite colony doesn’t eat a home quickly, usually eating a cubic food of wood in a year, termite infestations can go undiscovered for years at a time, giving the termites more than enough time to damage the wood inside of your home. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, homeowners in the United States spend over two billion dollars a year to treat termite damages. Some experts say the damage that termites cause worldwide costs more than fires, floods, and hurricanes combined.
Subterranean termites are one of the most common types of termites in the United States, as well as the most destructive. The EPA estimates that 80% of the two billion dollars spent each year on termite treatment is caused by these subterranean termites. These subterranean termites built their nests underground, and will only eat softwood rather than hardwood. These termites create mud tubes from their nests to food sources, like your home.
Subterranean termites are social insects and have a few different types of termites in their colonies.
Termites have flat soft bodies. Termites also have straight antennae and large strong jaws. They will also have six stubby legs attached to their bodies. The worker termite is the termite that causes the destruction in your home. They eat only cellulose… more commonly known as wood. This termite uses its jaws to tear pieces of wood away from your home’s walls and structure, and their internal organs shred it. These termites have special enzymes inside of their body that help them to digest the cellulose of the wood. These are the termites that eat the wood of your home, and they will feed the rest of their colony using their partially digested meals.
This is what a normal worker termite looks like:
A soldier termite doesn't eat any actual wood, but instead protects the colony from danger (like ants) by spraying an acid and crushing any enemy ants that invade the colony with their large jaws. Soldier termites can't actually feed themselves because their jaws are so big, so they must rely on worker termites to help them. Since the soldier termites do not care for the young of the colony, this means that soldier termites are left to die during a fight if there is a tunnel breach. Once the breach in tunnel is fixed and repaired, soldier termites can't get back into the colony, so they end up dying en masse.
All termite colonies have reproducing termites that become the new kings and queens of a new termite colony. These termites, also known as alates, have wings. These wings are generally teardrop shaped and the same size on either side of its body. They’re also known as “swarmers” as they will leave the nest in swarms and try to find a mate. Once they find a mate, they will fly off, discard their wings, and start a brand-new colony.
A queen termite is a baby-termite-making machine and can produce up to 30,000 eggs a day. Queens produce an egg every three seconds for 15 years. Once a queen dies, the colony dies as well, since the queen is not reproducing any more termites. These colonies can be reinstated if another reproductive termite takes over.
What is the difference between a subterranean termite and a drywood termite?
A drywood termite nests in the wood it eats, while a subterranean termite nests below ground, away from its food source. Drywood termites will also kick out their excrement, called frass, from the walls through holes. This excrement looks like fine sand. Subterranean termites’ excrement is used to line their mud tubes.
What is the difference between a subterranean termite and a dampwood termite?
Dampwood termites only feed on damp wood, and are generally only found in basements and places where the wood in your home is moist. They also nest inside of the wood itself, much like a drywood termite.
Signs of a Termite Infestation
Shelter Tubes on Garage of Foundation
If you see vein-like mud lines on your garage or foundation, this can be a sign of termite activity. These are shelter tubes that lead from the subterranean termite nest to the wood within your home.
Piles of Wings
When the reproducing termites of a colony swarm out to find a mate and start a new colony, they land after finding a mate and leave their wings behind. If you find a pile of leaves on a porch or windowsill that looks a bit like fish scales, this is a sign of a termite infestation.
If you touch your baseboards and they give way, this can be a sign that the wood behind the paint has been eaten away by a termite colony.
Paint Bubbling Up
As termites spread through your home, they can cause bubbling paint. If your paint is bubbling or peeling off and you see salt and pepper-like residue behind the paint, this can be a sign of termite activity.
How to Get Rid of Termites
Since termites can cause such devastation within a home, it’s recommended that you do not attempt to DIY pest control treatment for these insects. Although you can try to prevent termites by diverting water away from your foundation and providing large gaps between the ground and outward facing wood, if your home already has an infestation, you will need to call a pest control expert to kill the termites. Usually, this requires some sort of fumigation. If you have a home warranty through Landmark that covers pest control, you can have help with subterranean termite pest control!
Home Warranties and Subterranean Termite Pest Control
Landmark Home Warranty offers some plans that cover pest control. If your home is covered under a home warranty with pest control, you are covered when it comes to subterranean termites. If you suspect termites are in your home, all you have to do is call Landmark Home Warranty and open a service request. Then, a termite pest control expert will come out to your home. If they do not find any termites, you just have to pay your service call fee ($60-$100) for the inspection. If the pest control experts treat your home for subterranean termites, you will pay $175.
On average, a subterranean termite treatment will cost around $537 according to Home Advisor, which means you are getting an amazing deal if you use your home warranty for pest control purposes, especially with subterranean termites!