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Subterranean Termites pest control
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 Subterranean Termites Information :
Subterranean Termites are social insects. They live in colonies and feed on dead plant cell wall material such as wood. Subterranean Termites belong to the insect order Isoptera and they have a strict caste system consisting of workers, soldiers, reproductives, a queen, and a king.
The two most common types of Subterranean Termites are Subterranean Subterranean Termites and subterranean Subterranean Termites. Both types feed on cellulose found in wood and wood products, but there are differences between the two species.
Subterranean Subterranean Termites do not need ground contact or moisture. They can live their entire life cycle inside a piece of structural timber or a piece of furniture. Their numbers are less than that of subterranean Subterranean Termites and they tend to be a bit larger in size. Subterranean Subterranean Termites generally swarm after sunset or at night, from May until November. However, they can swarm at other times. Their swarmers are generally pale brown in color.
ubterranean Subterranean Termites must have ground contact or a secondary moisture source in order to live above ground. Most are small and black in the swarmer phase. Subterranean Subterranean Termites generally swarm during the spring and summer months in the daytime (especially after a heavy rain). However, they can swarm at other times.
Worldwide, Subterranean Termites and mice spread over 35 diseases. Rodent-borne diseases are spread directly to humans through bite wounds, contaminated food or water, and through breathing in germs that may have been stirred into the air.
Diseases from rodents are also spread indirectly to humans by way of ticks, mites, and fleas that transmit the infection to humans after feeding on infected rodents.
Subterranean Termites are also known for causing damage to homes and structures. They often chew on electrical wires creating the potential for a structure fire. Subterranean Termites can also cause insulation damage thereby decreasing the thermal efficiency of your home, and water damage from chewing on roof shingles, water pipes, and fascia boards.
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Appearance:
Workers are cream colored and wingless. Soldiers have elongated brown heads with mandibles. Supplementary reproductives are light-colored, while primary reproductives are dark brown or black.
Size:
Range from 1/8 to 1-inch in length.
Behavior:
Subterranean termites usually swarm in spring, but swarms can occur at any time of the year. The primary reproductives swarm and start new colonies. Supplementary reproductives can only reproduce in their own colony. They assist with population growth of the colony. Subterranean termites have a worker caste, while drywood termites do not.
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Habitat: |
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| Subterranean termites live in colonies underground, but are able to reach food above ground by building tunnels called mud tubes. They are dependent on moisture for survival, unlike drywood termites that only need low moisture. Subterranean termites can invade homes through cracks in concrete, so slab homes are not safe from this pest. |
| Economic Significance : |
| Termites cause over a billion dollars in damage to homes each year, and subterranean termites are responsible for the majority of that damage. Their colonies can contain up to a million termites and are much larger than drywood termite colonies.
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Subterranean Termites Pictures : |
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Treatment Type for Dry wood Termites
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Termite Control:
About Termite:
Termites are insects that can cause serious damage to wood structures & wood products. It is one of few animals that can actually eat wood as food. Like ants, termites live together in organized colonies.
Types & Habits:
There are 3 types of termites, the subterranean, the damp wood & the dry wood termite. These live in colonies similar to those described above, & are all capable of damaging wooden structures & products. There are significant differences in habits between the 3 types.
a) Dry wood termites: Dry wood termites are often found living in desert areas; they do not need in wood, but unlike the Damp wood termites, they can nest in dry seasoned wood, they can nest in a pile of lumber or wooden furniture & they need not leave these wood in order to feed & nest. Even Furniture that is moved from place to place can feed & nest dry wood termite. The dry wood termite is about the same size as the subterranean termite, the main difference between them is the color; the dry wood termite swarmer is lighter brown than the subterranean termites & may have a red brown head.
Dry wood termite swarms at night in the spring or fall (autumn) depending on the species.
Treatment Type for Subterranean Termites
b) Subterranean Termite: has a small, soft & pale body. It requires considerable dampness to stay alive & the ground provides the necessary dampness. The 1st choice of wood by termites is that which in contact with in ground or soil; this contact makes entry into the wood easier. It also happens that non of the wood in a house may be in contact with the ground but
subterranean termites can still get at it by building mud tunnels to the wood. The mud tube enables the subterranean termite to get at wood without going out into the open. Subterranean termites may build tubes on outer side of walls also.
However there are often open spaces inside walls & foundation; large cinder blocks are usually made with air spaces in them & termites build their tubes
up the inside of a cinder block wall; therefore; sometimes there are tubes visible on wall but termites may be constructing mud tubes inside the wall itself.
Some tubes of houses are built on concrete slabs instead of basements, these slabs have openings in them to allow pipes through & termites normally enter a slab house by building tubes through these openings. Subterranean termites can also go through cracks in concrete slabs as small as
1/64” wide. When a termite enters a house the wood mat be dry. The termite can eat the wood, but it must return to the ground or nest of it will dry up. If the wood is wet, the termites need return to the ground less frequently, so termites prefer wet wood. So, you have to check the quality of wood; wood gets wet through contact with soil,
a leaky roof or leaky plumbing; all these encourage termite activity. Subterranean termites tend to swarm when conditions are damp; this is usually after the monsoons in India. In dry regions, subterranean termites would tend to swarm when the 1st rains come, it must be remembered that subterranean termite live in the ground & is
not in direct touch with the weather, therefore they may swam anytime if the particular conditions are night termites usually swam during the day.
Subterranean termites can also live in a variety of temperature ranges.
Soil Treatment
1) Stage 1: Treat the bottom surface & sides (upto 30 cm. Height) of the excavations made for column pits, wall trenches & basements @ 5 liter per sq.m of surface area.
2) Stage 2: Treat the refill earth on both sides of all built-up walls (approximate width 30 cm & depth 45 cm.) @ 7.5 liter per sq.m of vertical surface of substructure.
3) Stage 3: Treat the entire level surface (before laying the floor) @ 5 liter per sq.m.
In case of RCC framed Structures with columns & plinth beams & RC basements, the treatment can start at a depth of 50 cm., below ground level. Whenever pipes, waste &conduits enter the soil, loosen the soil for a distance of 15 cm, & 7.5 cm. Deep, & thoroughly drench with Chlorpyrifos 50%EC emulsion.
Note: Application should be done when the surface is dry to facilitate better absorption.
Treatment of Existing Buildings:
a) External Treatment (Masonry Foundations): i) Dig shovel width trenches along the external wall of the building exposing the foundation wall surfaces upto a depth of 50 cm & make 30 – 50 cm deep rod holes 15 cm apart all along this trench & pour Chlorpyrifos 50%EC emulsion @ 1.75 liters running meter.
ii) Treat the back fill earth with Chlorpyrifos 50%EC emulsion @ 0.5 liter per running meter as it is returned to the trench directing the spray towards the wall surface.
PS:-
It there is a concrete or masonry apron around the building, drill 12 mm holes are close as possible to the plinth wall 30 cm apart & pump Chlorpyrifos 50%Ec emulsion to soak the soil @ 2.25 liter per linear meter.
RCC Framed Structure:
Excavate Shovel width trenches exposing the side of the column & plinth beams upto 30 cm (or bottom of the plinth beam) & treat the backfill earth with Chlorpyrifos 50%EC emulsion as it is returned to the trench @ 7.5 per sq.m of the vertical surface of the structure.
b) Internal Treatment: (Soil under Floors): Soil below any opening of the floor is to be charged with the chemical so as to daily access to termites.
i) Drill 12 mm holes at the junction of floor & wall along the cracks on the floor & along constructional joint at 30 meters. Interval to reach the soil below. Squirt the emulsion @ 1 liter per hole or till refusal & seal the hole properly.
ii) Drill hole into the masonry wall at about 45 angles preferably from both side of the plinth wall at 30 cm. Intervals & soak the masonry with Chlorpyrifos 50%EC emulsion as above.
Upper Floor:
Termite damages on upper floors / flats occur as termites travel from ground to through lift wells or casings of electric wiring telephone cables, utility pipes, etc. Wood paneling infested woodwork can be described. However to prevent recurrence of attack, treat ground floor of existing building in above section.
c) Dampwood termites: Dampwood termites, like the subterranean termites, need a lot of moisture but unlike the subterranean termites that need to return periodically to the ground, they can nest in wood that is damp or wet; therefore the Dampwood termites requires wood that is in contact like the ground (as a source of moisture only) & is exposed to a leak in a roof or wall.
The Dampwood termites are larger than the subterranean termites, & they swarm at dusk in the summer or early autumn, they also may swarm at anytime, when particular conditions in the nest are right.
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