CALL SHO-ME PEST CONTROL, THE BEST PEST CONTROL PROFESSIONALS FOR TERMITES AND OTHER WOOD DESTROYING INSECTS IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI. LET US HELP YOU WITH YOUR NEXT PEST EXTERMINATION.
- Wood-destroying insects including termites, carpenter ants, bees, and wood-boring beetles
- Wood-destroying insects are responsible for billions of dollars of damage to homes, businesses, and properties each year.
- Termites are the most destructive and the most feared of these.
- Termites and wood-boring beetles will eat wood, whereas carpenter ants and bees will excavate wood, but not actually eat it.
- Each of these pests are present in Missouri.
- Each of these insects can be transported with firewood or mulch. It’s also not uncommon to bring in a wood-boring beetle problem with antique furniture or artifacts.
- Carpenter ants, bees, beetles, and termites will favor wood that’s already been damaged by moisture and /or fungus, wood rot, or another insect.
- Termites, like ants, have a colony structure and a queen.
- The main nest for carpenter ants is usually not in a building - a tree stump or woodpile is a lot more attractive to them. Problems can begin to compound i they build a satellite nest in a wall. This is most common if the area is damp.
- Carpenter bees aren’t a problem unless they decide to bore into your house to make their nests, which is a round hole about 0.6 inches in diameter. They are much less likely to bore into finished wood. They are large and look like bumble bees, but hardly ever sting.
There is plenty of information out there about how to prevent termites, but keep in mind that if you are dealing with any wood-destroying insects (especially termites), you should consult Sho-Me Pest Control South-Central Missouri’s best Pest Control Professional to protect your investment. Call to have a WDI Inspection done on your home today! Residential and Commercial termite control. Termite Inspections and Termite Treatments are cheap compared to the cost of repairing damage caused from termites on your property Don’t put off having a termite treatment done on your home or business before it’s too late, Call Sho-Me Pest and let them be your professional termite exterminators!!
TERMITES
Subterranean termites are social insects that live in colonies within the ground and have specialized castes to perform specific colony functions. The termite colony has three primary castes: workers, soldiers, and the reproductive (kings, queens, and secondaries). The creamy-white workers are seldom seen unless a termite tube or infested wood is broken open. It is the workers that feed on the wood and cause damage. Individual workers are believed to survive for up to five years. Soldiers have elongated yellowish heads with large jaws and are about the same size as the adult worker-a quarter-inch. There are fewer soldiers than their associated workers and must rely on the workers to feed them. Whenever the colony is invaded or a hole is made in a tube or piece of infested wood, the soldiers will use their jaws to defend the breach. The secondaries are supplementary reproductive females that occur in mature colonies under favorable conditions. The kings and queens are dark-brown or black and about 3/8 to 1/2 inch long. They have two pairs of translucent wings of equal length, which break off shortly after swarming. Very often the shed wings are the only evidence that termites are in a building. In Missouri, the winged eastern subterranean termite swarms during the day from March to May. Generally, termites swarm on a warm day after a rainfall. Termites are active across the state of Missouri, which includes local areas such as Rolla, Lebanon, St. Robert, and Waynesville.
- Termites cause an estimated $5 billion in damage each year, according to the National Pest Management Association.
- Termite damage is rarely covered by homeowners’ insurance since most insurance companies view termite damage as preventable. It’s something you can and should prevent.
- Unless you live in Alaska, your house is not safe from termite damage.
- A termite colony can contain 1 million or more termites, and it’s not uncommon for a home to have multiple colonies feeding on it at the same time.
- Termites can travel more than 100 yards in search of food.
- Termites can be on your property without any visible signs of damage.
- Termites only need a 1/16-inch gap (the width of a credit card) to gain access to your home.
- Termites are foraging and feeding machines, working around the clock to find food.
- Termite foraging activity, which includes searching for and retrieving food, is influenced by environmental factors like climate, soil temperature and moisture. In the United States, foraging termites tend to be most active in the spring, early summer, and autumn. But, that doesn’t mean they just go away in the winter months. In colder areas of the U.S., termites may still be found feeding on centrally heated structures that are protected from the cold.
- Termites have one of the longest life spans of any insect – some termite queens can live up to several decades.
All new construction should have a termite pre-treat done to protect your biggest asset and investment. Before pouring any concrete on your next project call the professionals at Sho-Me Pest, LLC for more information and pricing. Don’t wait to protect your home or business from termites, do it right from the start call today!
Don’t let termites turn your house into their next buffet. Call Sho-Me Pest Control your professional exterminators for termite control in Mid-Missouri. Sho-Me Pest Control services St. Robert, Waynesville, Lebanon, Rolla, St. James, Dixon, Richland, Newburg, Crocker, Stoutland, Laquey, Plato, Houston, Licking, Salem, Ft. Leonard Wood, Falcon, and all surrounding areas.