What’s the difference between subterranean termites in Florida vs drywood termites? Both are terrible news for any home, but there are important differences that help us in combating the damage each can do:
Do They Look Different?
Subterranean termites have a single vein that runs down the length of the wing. It’s dark and thick. Drywood termites have at least a few veins per wing. If you ever find wings unattached to an animal, don’t just shrug this off. Termites will often drop their wings upon landing. Wings that are left behind by the creature don’t mean the termite’s gone. They mean the termite’s there to stay.
Where Do They Nest?
Thankfully, each kind of termite has an apt name. Subterranean termites nest underground. They’ll build tubes of mud up from the ground. These help them stay hydrated and subterranean termites use them as highways to attack your home. Drywood termites have no need for building tubes. They nest right there in the wood itself. Each nesting method presents different challenges. Termites underground can be burrowed in such a way that makes accessing them difficult. Termites in the walls can be more or less accessible depending on how your home’s built.
How Will Each Destroy Your House?
Make no mistake, the difference between the two gives them very different patterns of demolishing your home. Subterranean termites will target the softest woods first, following the wood grain as they eat. Drywood termites are hardier and eat where they please, crossing the grain of the wood.
This is important because these patterns of destruction indicate what kind of termite you have. Neater lines of feeding will indicate subterranean termites in Florida. More haphazard feeding patterns are the work of drywood termites.
How Do You Stop Termites?
Subterranean termites in Florida are particularly destructive. You need a subterranean termite treatment. Eradicating termites can be very difficult. In order to combat termites, our pest control specialists use knowledge not just of pest control, but also of construction. Spot treatments aren’t effective. Subterranean termites live in the earth underneath your home. Treating them only where you see them won’t change anything – you’ll waste time treating a symptom while the disease keeps on growing.
Instead, we target the source: the nest itself. We introduce an ingredient that termites will bring back to their colonies and queen. It’s both child-safe and pet-safe. The goal is to break down the termite colony and destroy it, to treat the disease itself.
Slug-A-Bug will provide a free inspection of your home. We’ll sit down and work out a plan with you and walk you through each step. This helps you understand what we need to do and feel comfortable with our form of counter-attack. Never wait to deal with a termite problem. The longer you wait, the more damage they can do. An extra month can be the difference between having a house and its structure being irreparably damaged. Call Slug-A-Bug today so we can help you preserve your home.