Termites and Brick/Slab Homes
Q. Do termites infest brick/slab homes?
A. Yes, even brick and slab homes have wooden frames, studs, headers and other wood products.
Swarming Termites
Q. Will swarming termites eat my home?
A. No; however for every swarming termite you see, there are many workers that will eat your home.
Landscaping and Termites
Q. Can landscaping cause termite problems?
A. Yes. You need to make sure that you don’t put the mulch above the slab. Remember, wood chips are termite food and it will attract termites.
Termite Infestation
Q. How could termites infest my slab home and not be coming up the outside slab, visible for me to see?
A. Termites can come through a 1/64 inch crack in a slab, so a cracked slab or an expansion crack is big enough for a termite to come through and infest the wood above the slab. They can also come up any plumbing pipes on electrical conduits that penetrate the slab.
What Termites Eat
Q. Do termites only eat dead wood?
A. No. Formosan termites have been known to attack 47 species of live plants and trees, including citrus, wild cherry, cherry laurel, sweet gum, cedar, willow, wax myrtle, Chinese elm and oak to name a few. Formosan termites feed on both spring growth and summer growth wood. They have also been known to eat through non-cellulose material such as thin sheets of soft metal (lead or copper), asphalt, creosote, rubber and plastic, searching for food and moisture.
Termite Colony
Q. How many termites are in a termite colony?
A. A native subterranean termite colony can have from 250,000 to a million termites in it. A Formosan colony can have upwards of 10,000,000 termites in it.
How Many Termites
Q. How many termite colonies could be on my property?
A. They say you can have from 7 to 10 colonies per acre of land.
The Nature of Termites
Q. Why do we have termites? What good are they?
A. Termites were here many years before we built all these big subdivisions. When a dead tree falls in the forest, termites eat the cellulose and return it to the soil for other plant life to grow.
Termites:
There are several types of termites that can harm your house, including Native Subterranean, Ground, Drywood and Formosan termites. They are shaped like small ants and are white in color and eat cellulose that is found in wood. The most common types of termites are Ground and Drywood and are often found in damp and rotting wood. Termites are social insects and live in large organized caste system. To protect your home from termite damage, have your house treated with a termiticide. McGinnis Termite & Pest Control uses Termidor Termiticide and offer a complete customer satisfaction guarantee. Contact us for a free estimate.
Ants:
There are several types of ants to look out for, including pharaoh, carpenter, pavement and odorous house ants. Ants are very social insects and live in a three tier caste system. Colonies are large and can quickly move. They are the most frequent pests encountered. Ants can produce structural damage and contaminate food. Baits are often a very effective way to treat ant problems. Each ant feeds on different sources, so it is necessary to identify the type of ant prior to using bait. At McGinnis, we are experienced in identifying and exterminating ants. We know that treating the nest directly is your best defense.
