The Different Types of Termites: Understanding Your Pest Problem

Spotting evidence of termites in your home is any homeowner’s nightmare.

You’ve invested plenty of money into purchasing your home, and plenty of hard work and effort into making repairs and renovations, plus redecorating the place.

Knowing that tiny insects are burrowing into the wood in your home, with the potential to cause major structural damage, could stress anybody out!

Don’t panic, though– at Hopper Environmental Services, we’re here to help you manage the problem. In the meantime, we’ll help you get educated about what types of termites you might be dealing with, their habits, and how best to eradicate them from your home.

How many types of termites are there?

The term “termites” applies to roughly 45 different species of termites within the United States.

Globally, there are about 2,500 species of termites! These critters are everywhere– which means that people have been dealing with them for a long time.

Luckily, the 45 different species of termites within the United States can be divided into three main categories.

Dampwood Termites

True to their name, dampwood termites seek out wood that holds a lot of moisture. The good news for homeowners is that these termites are typically not found in the home, since the wood in most homes does not have enough moisture to keep them happy.

In fact, dampwood termites rarely live in any buildings at all. Instead, they make their homes within trees. You can find dampwood termites in 10 U.S. states (Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington)– but generally, they’re not much of a nuisance to people, so even if you live in one of those states, you don’t have to worry about them!

Drywood Termites

Drywood termites– you guessed it– prefer wood with a much lower moisture content. This means that this type of termite can be found within homes and other buildings.

Because they make their colonies in dry wood environments, they might live within structural timbers in buildings, hardwood floors, or dead trees. This means that a colony of drywood termites who have taken up residence within a building can cause serious structural damage.

This type of termite can typically be found in about 9 U.S. states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.

Subterranean Termites

These termites can be found in every U.S. state, with the exception of Alaska. They are also the most dangerous type of termite, with the highest likelihood of causing serious structural damage to buildings.

Unlike the other two types of termites, subterranean termites build their nests underground. The fact that they don’t simply live within wooden structures means that colonies can grow much, much larger than dry- or dampwood termites. Unfortunately, a healthy subterranean termite colony might have anywhere from 60,000 to 2 million termites.

Subterranean termites travel by way of mud tubes, which connect various food sources, like structural timbers of buildings, trees, and other sources of wood.

Is termite treatment different for different species?

Dampwood termites don’t pose much of a threat to manmade structures, so professional pest treatment is not usually required to deal with them.

Drywood and subterranean termites, however, do require different methods of treatment to get rid of them.

For subterranean termites, pest professionals must treat the soil around the home to create a protective barrier. Additionally, pest professionals use bait– poisoned food– that termites bring back to the nest.

Drywood termite infestations tend to be more difficult to treat. They live within the surface of wooden structures, and tend to stay there– that’s where the food is!

A drywood termite infestation requires gas that’s able to penetrate deep into the structure of the home, where the termites reside. This gas kills termites and eggs, too, fully eliminating the problem and preventing future reproduction. Drywood termites can also be killed using extreme temperatures, since they cannot handle extreme heat or cold.

How should I treat my termite infestation?

Any type of termite infestation is best left to pest control professionals. This is because their behavior and nesting behavior can be very difficult to access for people without the proper materials and equipment.

If you’re dealing with a termite infestation, call the pest control professionals at Hopper Environmental Services today.