What are Termites?

Termites are the pest that literally will eat your home and other buildings. The termite eats cellulose materials or the wood in your house and trees on your property. You will not usually see termites as they prefer to live in complete darkness with the exception of mating and when they are building their colony.

Many people believe that the termite is a type of ant but in reality they are closer to the cockroach. The ant belongs to the Hymenoptera family of insects along with bees and wasp. The termite belongs to the Isoptera an order of social insects that live in colonies. The Isoptera family of insects is made up primarily of termites and besides the being social and living in colonies they are further characterized by a diet of cellulose rich vegetable mater like wood and a slow gradual metamorphosis. The word Isoptera is a Greek word describing the two pair of equal sized wings found on the reproductive caste of while the word termite itself comes from the Latin word meaning woodworm.

Termites are easy to recognize however you will usually notice them only after some damage has be done. If you live in an area where termites are a concern you should consider termite inspections a good investment. The reason you rarely notice them is that they live in the dark and often in tunnels or burrows in the wood that is used in home construction.

The first that you will likely notice is a buildup of debris or mud on wood surfaces and damaged boards that may start to sag or break outright. Termites may also damage other buildings like workshops and sheds as well as plants and gardens on your property. Without regular inspection you will likely only find the infestation after its too late.

Even a large infestation of termites may take a few years to cause any serious damage but the damage is always permanent and cumulative. Often it is very expensive to repair a home with serious damages from termites. Usually repairs will include removing old board that are used to hold up your floor or roof and replacing them.

Be sure to check out our other articles dealing with preventative measures that protect your home and what to do if you see evidence of termites. Your home is one of the largest investments most people will make and protecting your home from termites and other things that can destroy it is your responsibility.

Termite Survey
An organization that has tracked termite populations across the US.

Termite - from Wikipedia.org
A thorough discussion of the termite.