Hardly anyone who owns a house needs to be told about the pesky termite and the damage that it can inflict in and around your home. Simply put termites are wood eating insects that are unfortunately social in nature. What this means for the homeowner is that one termite often means there will be many more. It’s a good idea to get to know your enemy so here’s a little primer on the nature of these insects.
Termites like to tunnel. That’s the first thing you should know about these little pests. And what that means is that you should never leave wood exposed at ground level — these industrious little beasts will be able to find the one piece that you’ve left lying around and once they do, they’ll start building a little causeway for themselves right to your front door. Another thing that you’ll need to know is that these little termites are specialists as well.
They become so good at eating wood that there are various subspecies within the termite world that only like certain kinds of wood. Some prefer damp wood, while others find that the dry variety is more to their taste. And these are social animals as well. Some of the offspring even stay in the nest long after the others have left to look after their brothers and sisters. Not only that but there are certain termites whose only job is to look after the Queen of the nest. Still none of this changes the fact that these little beasts are often out to eat you out of house and home.
And never think that the damage that the termite can create is small and inconsequential. Statistics tell us that termites in some places cause more damage than some of the larger natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes. Remember these are small bugs but extremely industrious and social. You’d be hard pressed to find just one termite burrowing into your house.
Here’s a few more unsettling facts about these little home wreckers. Not many people know that a termite never stops eating — they go at it 24 hour a day and they can enter your home though a crack as thin as a piece of paper. As well, they make no distinction between wood in the forest and wood that was used to build your home. Some people even think that the termite is on the decline or has at least been relegated to certain areas but that’s not the case. Homeowners need to keep in mind that they can be found in various areas and their colonies can number into the millions.
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