Termite Identification & Prevention in Indiana

Understanding Termites: What You Need to Know

Termites are wood-destroying insects, the most common type of termite in North America are subterranean termites. Outdoors, they nest underneath the ground and, while on the quest to develop their colony, they seek out any viable source of wood – including your home.  In nature, termites are beneficial as they speed up the decomposition of decaying trees and plants; however, inside homes and other buildings, termites are destructive.

Termites are social insects, living and working together to maintain their colony. Their complex social structure allows them to divide themselves into three different groups, or castes: workers, soldiers, and reproductives.

Worker termites - Workers make up the largest group of the colony. They are responsible for tunneling through wooden structures to gather cellulose to bring back to feed the colony.

Soldier termites - Soldiers are the largest members of the termite colony. They use their large, powerful jaws to protect the colony from threats.

Reproductive termites - Reproductives are fertile females and males that sprout wings and perform mating flights in the spring. They are the only members of the colony that are winged.

The Dangers of Termites: Why You Should Act Now

Termites are considered dangerous due to how destructive they can be to property. Termites pose no direct threat to people and, in fact, rarely ever come into contact with people; however, termites are responsible for causing more than five billion dollars in damage to structures across the country each year. Adding even more insult to injury, their damage is not typically covered by homeowners insurance.

In addition, termites are difficult pests to deal with. They enter properties unseen, and have the ability to work undetected for weeks, months, or even years. The presence of termites is often only discovered once they've caused extensive damage.

Identifying the Causes of Your Termite Problem

Termites are on your property because it is providing what they need to survive - moisture and materials made of cellulose to feed their colony. Termites often find their way onto a property during a termite swarm. A termite swarm is when reproductives “swarm” from a mature colony to find mates and start a new colony of their own.

Termites find their way into homes while foraging for food. They travel through the soil and make their way through cracks in the foundation of homes or through wood siding, deck supports, or porch steps. Once inside your home, they are attracted to wood that has been previously damaged by water. They don’t live in the tunnels they create. Instead, they travel back and forth from their food source to their nests daily. Their nests may be located on your property or on a neighboring property.