FAQ's

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites cause about 95% of the termite-related damage
found in the United States They cause more than $2 billion in damage
each year, more property damage than that caused by windstorm and
fire combined. While subterranean termites are often found in homes,
they actually live in the soil. Subterranean termites require moisture to
live and will always return to their colonies in the soil. Wood damaged
by subterranean termites is often not noticed because the exterior
surface usually must be removed to see the damage. However,
galleries can be detected by tapping the wood every few inches with
the handle of a screwdriver. Damaged wood sounds hollow, and the
screwdriver may even break through into the galleries.

For more information on subterranean termites go to en.wikipedia.org

Dry wood Termites

Dry wood termites attack dry untreated lumber and tree limbs. Once
established, winged reproductives can leave infested lumber and move
to new chomping grounds, maybe your garage or another part of your
home. Dry wood termites do not live in the ground like subterranean
termites, and they don’t multiply as fast. In the U.S., Dry wood termites
cause far less damage than subterranean termites, but their ability to
live in dry wood, without outside moisture or contact with the ground,
makes them especially troublesome. The destruction caused by Dry
wood termites does not happen rapidly, but over the course of many
years, they can completely destroy the timbers in your home. A sign of
Dry wood termites are the smooth tunnels in the wood. These tunnels
will also have hard fecal pellets scattered in them, which looks like
ground pepper.

For more information regarding termites go to en.wikipedia.org
Is it a Termite or an Ant?

One of the most urgent questions we get is whether a winged insect
found in the home is a termite or an ant.  Both termites and ants
may have a swarming or reproductive stage. Here are some
characteristics to help you determine the difference:

  1.      Wings are paddle shaped and are twice the length of the
    body
  2. Antennae are straight and fairly short
  3. Body has only two components: head and (ribbed) abdomen
    as one continuous piece
Prevention

Avoiding an infestation of termites can be achieved to some extent
by:

  1. Eliminate moisture build-up, especially in areas where
    structural wood exists.
  2. Add vents to an area with excessive to help make wood less
    attractive to termites.
  3. Get the property inspected annually
ESCOCIA TERMITE INC