If you see swarms of flying termites around or inside your home, it should act as a warning sign for 2 potential dangers: You may already have an existing termite problem. Your home may be at risk of potential termite infestation.
In fact, some cultures consider termites in the home bad luck. These cultures see termites as an omen of death in the near future for the homeowner; the only way to escape this ill fate is to eliminate the termite colony or abandon the infested home. If prevention fails, early detection is the next best thing.
Swarming. It may seem as if termites suddenly appear when they are in swarming mode. During mating season, winged reproductives, called alates, swarm at dusk in the spring months, usually after rainfall, to find a mate and start new colonies.
Swarms occur when established colonies produce winged male and female termites in order to reproduce. After these mating flights, fertilized termites shed their wings and go on to establish new colonies. Termites seen flying in a home are indicative of a mature colony.
Sunlight. Termites hate sunlight. In fact, they can die from too much sunlight and heat exposure. If you suspect that a piece of furniture has termites, drag it to the yard to bake in the sun for a bit.
Termites do not cause harm to humans in the direct way that pests like rodents, mosquitoes, and bees can. However, the damage that termites cause to properties can harm your finances, stress levels, and potentially make structures unsafe for occupancy.
Termites can cause damage to the structural wood of your house as well as in areas around your windows and doors. Serious infestations can even lead to damage inside the walls of your home and to the wood furniture inside.
Termites are attracted to any food source that contains cellulose, primarily wood. However, some termites prefer damp, soft wood, or live in the ground near your home’s foundation.
Foraging vibration signals attract foragers and identify food size in the drywood termite, Cryptotermes secundus. Insectes Soc.
How to Tell If Termites Are Active in Your House- Discolored or drooping drywall.
Essentially, termites definitely bite wood and do attack other insects, but they do not bite people. Although homeowners experiencing an infestation should not be concerned about receiving bites from termites, professional extermination methods should be sought and implemented to protect the structure of your home.
Most species of subterranean termites swarm during the spring and summer months, typically on a warm day with calm winds after a rainfall. Drywood termites and one particular species of subterranean termite (R. hageni) typically swarm during the late summer or fall months, from August through November.
If you spot a termite and want to dispatch it immediately, this is the technique for you. Shoot Termidor Foam directly into cracks, voids, and crevices that make for great termite hiding places. The odorless foam will expand, then evaporate, leaving behind a residue that poisons termites as soon as they touch it.
Termites are not known to carry diseases harmful to humans, either. However, people who are living in homes infested by termites may suffer from allergic reactions or even asthma attacks. Heating or ventilation systems can especially contribute to the spread of irritating particles and dust from termite nests.
Workers and soldiers live approximately one to two years. Queen termites may survive for over a decade under optimal climate conditions.
A commonly mentioned substance termites hate can be found even in your kitchen. It’s vinegar! The problem is, it’s difficult to permeate this smell through any interior wood where termites could hide, and the liquid could risk weakening dry wood further.
Ants are the Enemy of Termites
Ants are the biggest natural predators of termites. If you have an established colony of ants in your yard, it is highly unlikely that you will have an established colony of termites.
Some of the all-natural methods used to prevent termites include orange oil, cardboard traps, diatomaceous earth, and boric acid. These all may be effective to repel termites, but they will not be effective to control an active termite problem.
Is It Safe To Sleep In A Bed With Termites? Not unless you are unbothered when insects crawl all over your body as you sleep, you can go ahead and sleep on a bed with termites. This is, however, not recommended even though termites are not considered to cause direct harm or be dangerous to humans.
A termite bite is rare and would be very mild because of the size and biting ability of the insect. You are susceptible to infection with any bug bite or opening of the skin. Keep an eye on the bite area and call a doctor if you develop a fever or if the bite area looks or feels worse over time.
Health Problems Caused by Termites- Termite feces, or frass, also contains allergens, and it’s thought that even termite mud tubes can contain pathogens that are harmful to humans.
Mold spores are known to cause headaches, fatigue, coughing, irritated throat, burning eyes, and a runny nose.
Termites help to decompose dead trees and turn them back into fertile soil, which can help forests regrow faster. In addition to that, they also help aerate the soil which can help water and nutrients reach the plants and trees better, therefore increasing soil quality even more.
Vinegar diluted in water or vinegar mixed with lemon juice is the most powerful termite killer. Other solutions, depending on your tastes, are also available. After you’ve made the solution, spray it throughout the house in any areas where termites might be hiding. Spray the mix in the visible holes.
For effective drywood termite control, heat must raise air temperatures to between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures inside the wood – where the drywood termites live – must reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 35 minutes to kill the termites.