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• Subterranean Termite

Family Rhinotermitidae

Subterranean termites originated in Asia and are now found in many areas of the United States, including the Pacific Northwest. This species of termite is one of the most destructive worldwide, partly due to its enormous colony size which can be hundreds of thousands of workers. They do not damage healthy wood over a period of days or weeks but rather several months to years. Colonies are generally located underground and feed on buried wood. When that initial wood supply is depleted, they tend to build shelter tubing (also referred to as mud tubing) to use as a highway moving from one area to another in order to find a new wood source above ground. This tubing is built on foundation walls, posts, pilings, or any other area spanning from soil to wood. Moist soil is vital to their existence and they prefer to feed from the soft grains of the wood.

Subterranean termite workers are a creamy white with a darker head. They are soft bodied and gel-like. The gel-like body will dry up and the termite will die if exposed to light or air, and for this reason these termites must remain within the tubing or soil, unexposed. This tubing is created by the subterranean termite to control humidity with a combination of soil particles, water, saliva and fecal matter. They may be branched like a tree with the main trunk emerging from the soil. Older tubing has a dry, light brownish or graying color, while fresher tubing is a moist, darker brown similar to the color of coffee grounds.

Swarmers (those with wings) are able to leave the soil or tubing by covering their body with a waxy, dark brown to black tinted coating. This protects them from the exposure to air and light. Swarming usually occurs in early morning or evening, usually following rainfall and they are attracted to lights in large numbers.

Because these insects tend to remain unexposed, infestation can sometimes be difficult to determine. Tubing is an indication of a past or present infestation. Another way to check for termites is to probe on any wood near the foundation or soil with a sharp object such as a screwdriver (paying close attention to sill plates, header joists, floor joists ends, bases of wall studs and flooring). Damaged wood offers little resistance to the probe. The presence of swarmers inside of a structure is also a good indication of infestation.

Prevention starts early.

1. Eliminating wood debris during construction removes the potential food source. This includes removing grade stakes, form boards and any other scrap wood before the backfill is pushed against the foundation.
2. Downspouts should be directed away from the foundation walls to minimize pockets of moisture along the foundation.
3. Crawlspaces under a structure should have sufficient ventilation outlets for air movement and a ground vapor barrier installed in order to keep soil dry underneath the home.

Once established, subterranean termites can not only be extremely destructive, but also extremely difficult to control. A call to Long Pest Control can develop an Integrated Pest Control program to eliminate the sightings and provide an environment free of unwanted pests year round.