Bugs That Look Like Termites
If you are looking for hiring a pest control inspector to properly identify the bugs that look like termites, then go ahead and do it before these tiny pests cause further damage.
Termites have been branded as the “most economically important wood-destroying organism” in the United States and, presumably, around the world.
This is not only because of the devastation it causes on people’s homes but also because approximately two billion dollars every year is being spent on the prevention and treatment of such devastation.
This huge amount can be reduced significantly if only homeowners would take the time to implement some measures to prevent termites from invading their homes.
After investing so much time, effort, and money to make your house look as good as it does now, wouldn’t it be such a waste to lose it all to termites?
Identifying Termites
It is one thing to know that termites can cause a lot of damage to your home, but it is another thing to be able to recognize them. Termites are often confused with other insects – particularly ants. Here are some ways you can identify termites.
There are several features that make it easy to identify termites. For one thing, termites do not have the very slender waist that an ant will have.
Termites are rather thick in the mid-section and really have no waist to speak of. Another unique feature is their antennae. A termite’s antennae are beaded, and are straight, whereas an ant’s antennae are bent and smooth.
The bodies of termites are generally light in color. Some workers have almost transparent abdomens. Soldiers are usually a little darker in color and also will have larger heads and jaws.
The jaws of some types of termite soldiers make it impossible for them to feed themselves, but workers must feed them, too, as well as the queen. When it comes to wings, there is again a difference.
A termite’s four wings will be equal in length, whereas this is not true of an ant. Their wings are not equal. Both termites and ants will fly at certain seasons. When a colony of termites becomes large, potential kings and queens will leave the colony and create termite swarms.
They will then quickly form a nest, mate, and lay eggs. Neither kings nor queens eat wood, however, but the workers that will be born will.
Termites quickly lose their wings and you may find them lying around the house. This is sure evidence that you have termites.
Unfortunately, you will not know whether they are leaving the nest in your house, or if they are just now coming to your house and starting the first colony. A termite inspector will be glad to come and help determine if you have termites or not. He knows what to look for and where to look.
Even better, though, is that once the particular type of termites is identified, then the right poisons can be used for termite extermination.
