How to Identify and Exterminate Swarm Termites in Lexington, KY
WHAT ARE TERMITES AND SWARM TERMITES?
Often called the silent destroyer, termites can live in your home without any visible signs. These social insects live in colonies in the soil underground or inside wooden structures, such as your home or furniture. Termites typically enter your home in search of food, water, shelter and optimal temperature.
Although there are many types of mosquitoes, almost all of them rely on exhaled carbon dioxide, body odors and temperature to locate their prey. The females then use a proboscis to suck a blood meal from the host. Every time a mosquito bites, they rely on their two tubes: one to inject an enzyme to prevent blood clotting and other one to suck the actual blood. The enzyme that is injected into the blood stream causes an allergic reaction and the itchy bump. The blood meal is then used as a meal for their eggs.
WHAT TERMITE SPECIES CAN SWARM?
There are two main species of termites that swarm.
- The subterranean termites
must maintain contact with the soil for optimal temperature and moisture, so the colony is generally below ground with mud tunnels that allow access to food sources above ground. When subterranean termites swarm, they create very large swarms that are easy to notice and control.
- The dry wood termites live entirely inside of the material that they feed on, including trees, timber, hardwood floors, or even furniture. The dry wood termites live in smaller colonies with less than 5,000 termites in a colony. Because of their smaller size, dry wood termites produce less swarm in a season.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY HOME IS INFESTED WITH SWARM TERMITES?
In general, if you see winged termites indoors, it is typically a sign of an infestation. Also, you will tend to find swarm termites around windows and doors since they are attracted to light. Additionally, earthen mud tubes can be formed on walls, support piers or joists by any termites in the home. It should be noted that termites are often confused with ants because they swarm around the same time in the year. Termites and ants can be differentiated because termites have straight antennae, while ants have elbowed antennae.
HOW CAN I EXTERMINATE SWARM TERMITES FROM MY HOME?
Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars to control termites and repair termite damage. There are two commonly used forms of termite removal: baits and liquids. Baiting consists of placing a palatable food with a slow acting lethal substance, such as paper or cardboard, near mud tubes or below ground to remove the hidden termite populations. Liquids consist of applying liquid termiticides to the soil around your home to create a barrier to the nest. Unfortunately, termites can be notoriously difficult to remove because of the employment of the royal taster system, which is when the colony workers taste and process all foods before feeding it to the queen. Thus, it is difficult to completely remove termites with baited food or liquids.
