Termite Awareness Week March 10-16, 2019 - It's Termite Season
Termite Swarms
Usually when the weather starts to get warm is when termite swarms become more of a possibility. Termite swarms will usually last about 30-40 minutes and fly towards any light source, sometimes collecting around sliding glass doors and windows.
A termite swarm is probably the only time homeowners might actually see termites before they create damage. Winged termites (shown in this picture) are common in our area and can cause just as much damage as their wingless cousins.
Termites derived from close ancestors of cockroaches. Termite queens have the longest lifespan of all other insects and flying termites can range in size from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch.
Termites Behind Your Walls
This 2nd picture shows termite damage behind the slate wall near this fireplace. In this case the homeowners had no idea they even had termites. Fortunately for them the damage only required a single wall to be rebuilt and restored.
Termite infestations can go on for several years until the damage reveals itself and it's too late.
Some signs that you may have termites can be seen through cracks or collapse of the building’s wood and evidence of "Mud Tubes".
In some extreme cases termites have been known to destroy whole homes beyond repair.
How To Prevent Termites
Although termites are sometimes called "white ants", they are actually not ants.
The cockroach shares the strongest similarity with termites and is considered to be a sister-group to termites.
Ways to prevent termites from invading your home can be making sure that broken roof tiles are fixed. A broken roof tile can create moisture which attracts termites, and can provide a gateway inside your home.
Reduce the amount of moisture throughout your home such as the moisture release of your air conditioning unit; Making sure it's away from the foundations of your dwelling.
