Types of Termites

There are five types of termites which can wreak havoc on your home depending on the area where you live. The five types of termites are Eastern Subterranean termites, Formosan Subterranean termites, Western Subterranean termites, Dessert Subterranean termites and Drywood termites. Each of the five types of termites is more prevalent in specific regions where the outside temperature and climate is cohesive to their requirements. 

Eastern subterranean termites are the most common type of termite located in North America. You may also here this species of termite referred to as the soil feeding termite; although, this type of termite can in fact weed on trees, paper, cotton, rotted wood or even the roots of bushes or trees. These termites often form colonies which are up to 5 million in size. To find signs of Easter termites you can look for the wings which have been discarded by the queens or kings or by locating the mid tubes within the soil which they have created. These colonies typically swarm in the spring months, and a colony can last up to thirty years because they tend to act as one unit and move and act as a single unit.

Formosan subterranean termites are the most prevalent in the Southern part of the United States where the climate is warm and moist. Another name for this type of termite is the super termite because they are known to have the ability to eat through large amounts of wood very quickly. A colony of adult Formosan termites has the ability to consume up to a pound of wood each day. Although these termites prefer wood, they are also able to ear through other materials as well. Out of all of the species of termites the Formosan termite is known to do the most damage to homes in the United States and will need to be quickly dealt with if an infestation occurs.

Western subterranean termites are most commonly found within the western side of the continent and are thought to be the sneakiest of all of the termite species. These termites are able to locate small cracks within the foundation of a home and then squeeze up within these cracks where they then can begin feeding on the wood within a home. The preferred wood of the western termite is the cellulose part of the wood which means that they will eat floors, walls, and even dressers and other wood furniture within a home. In order to tell if you have a problem with western termites it is best to look for signs within the basement and lower levels as a home as this is typically where the infestation will begin.

Desert subterranean termites are native to areas which have a dry, hot desert like climate such as the southwestern United States such as Texas, Arizona and New Mexico as well as parts of Mexico as well. What makes desert subterranean termites different is that they are able to thrive in hot dry climates and will create huts which hand from areas such as overhangs, cleanings and other high places.  This species of termite is typically much smaller than the other types and therefore are able to penetrate a home easier due to their small body size. The worker termites are able to penetrate very small cracks and make a way in for colonies to be formed.

The final species of termites is the drywood termites which thrive in dry wood. Because of their preference for dry wood they are known to feed on a variety of objects such as the frame of your home, furniture and even hardwood floors. There are many different species within the drywood termite category; of these species only a few types of common within the United States. These species of termites are able to form more than one colony within a home and also have the ability to tunnel within the wood grain without forming huts or tubes for the colony. Spotting these types of termites is fairly easy because they tend to leave behind a trail of very fine sawdust powder where they have formed tunnels within the wood.