Your Broken Arrow exterminator can deal with termites and get rid of them. These insects are special, in the fact that they feed upon the wood that we build our homes out of. Not only can they chew up the structural wood of your home, but they can also feed upon paper items and the drywall that makes up your home. In the end these insects are structurally damaging and can just remove the joy from living in your home. Let’s take a good hard look at termites, their life cycle, and what you and your Broken Arrow exterminator can do to protect yourselves, and your home from termite invasion.
TERMITE FORGING AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
These insects are actually quite fragile. They require a high level of humidity to be able to survive. If they find themselves in a dry situation, they will dry out and die quite quickly. Because of this, these Eastern subterranean termites that we find here in northeastern Oklahoma, require that they stay underground. The air under the ground is quite humid and perfect for them. So if they go above ground, they must build mud tubes to travel up buildings and trees to forage.
In addition to this, they will dig through the top 6 inches of soil, trying to find a source of food for the colony. Once they find a building or a tree, they’ll build these mud tubes up the side of the structure and search for wood. When they find this wood, they will start caring bits of this wood back to the colony. They begin with the floors of their mud tubes by collecting this material.
INTERIOR MUD TUBES
If a mud tube comes up inside the house and inside a wall, it often will go undetected by the homeowner. Cracks in the foundation and other gaps can allow this to happen. If they come up in the inside of a wall and go up the drywall, they will start to eat the paper and gypsum of the drywall. Eventually, they will get so far into the drywall, that they will pop out the other side creating holes. Often you can find weak spots in the drywall in places where they’ve actually broken through the outside paper. Here they will re-fill the holes with dirt in order to protect their humid air. This can be a telltale sign that you have a termite infestation. If you see this, then it’s time to contact your Broken Arrow exterminator today.
SWARMERS AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
Another sign that you may have a termite problem is a specialized termite known as a swarmer. These are winged termites that are much more resilient than the average termite. When a termite colony gets to full maturity, it will seek to reproduce itself as a complete colony. To do this, the queen will lay certain eggs that will become reproductives. These reproductive‘s will have wings. Once a year, in the late spring, the workers will create special tubes going above ground known as swarming tubes. At the end of the tube, they will open up in to the open air. These reproductive’s will exit the colony through the swarming tubes.
Flying into the night air, swarmers will search for a large swarm of other reproductive termites. In the swarm, they will fly around and search for a mate. At this point, predators are common and will eat many of these reproductives. In most cases, only 2 to 5% actually live long enough to create a new colony. But if they live long enough to find a mate, they will fly to a suitable location, land and lose their wings. Both of these termites will begin to dig into the ground until they create the beginnings of a new colony.
This new colony will be known as the royal chamber. Here the two will mate, and the female will begin to lay eggs. She will be the new queen to a new colony. In addition to this, the king will work as a worker to take care of the eggs and find food for the queen. Once the eggs hatch, the new termites will become the workers and the king will die. If you are having an issue with termites then its time to call your Broken Arrow exterminator.
SWARMERS INSIDE YOUR HOUSE
The point here is that if you find these flying termites in your home, you have a problem. If a colony is underneath your home or it has swarming tubes coming up inside your home, these swarmers will come out in this late spring time. They will try to find their way outside, and usually gravitate towards the windows in an effort to get out. Here they can see the outside and want to get out. Of course they never do, so they die in the window. If you’re seeing flying termites in your window sill, then it’s time to call your Broken Arrow exterminator because you have an issue.
While termites in your windowsills can be a sign that you have a problem, sometimes they could be confused with ants. Ants also use swarmers as a method of reproducing the colony. The way to tell if these swarming insects are ants or termites is by taking a closer look at the carcass. An ant has three distinct body sections with a small waist between each body section. Termites on the other hand, have a long body that is equally wide to the extent of the length of its body. It has no distinguishable sections. In addition, the wings of a flying ant will be about the length of the body of that ant. The wings of a flying termite are longer than the body of the termite. This can help you if you’re trying to identify swarmers in your windowsill.
ELIMINATING TERMITES AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
If you’re having an issue with termites or any other pest control problems, and it’s time to contact your Broken Arrow exterminator. Here at TermMax pest control we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with termites or any other insects. We service agree to Tulsa area, including Owasso, Turley, Bixby, Jenks, Sand Springs, Prattville, Sapulpa, Coweta, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Catoosa, and so much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!
