How To Protect Your Lawrenceville Home From Termites

There are many misconceptions about termites in Lawrenceville. These misconceptions present the greatest threat to your property. They can cause you to make mistakes that attract termites or make you complacent about the threat that termites pose. Can termites destroy your home in a day, a month, or a year? No. But that doesn't mean you should shrug them off. Join us as we examine the facts you should know about termites and talk about how termite pest control in Lawrenceville can guard your property against potential damage long before you see a termite problem.

About The Subterranean Termite Caste System

Will you see termites long before they damage your home? Maybe. But not likely. It is a misconception that you will see termites or termite damage before it is extensive. The best way to explain this point is to discuss the different termites in the termite caste system. We'll focus on subterranean termites since they are the termites that destroy Lawrenceville properties.

Swarmers: When you see dozens of white-winged, black insects appear in your home, you know you're in trouble. Most Lawrenceville residents know what swarmers are. Unfortunately, termite swarmers rarely emerge on the inside of homes. They prefer to exist on the outside of structures. Finding a termite swarm in your house is a sign that you have a severe infestation. It isn't a great way to find out you have active termites in the walls of your home.

Workers: These are the termites that damage your home. You might think that you would see them doing this, but you would be wrong. A worker termite avoids being out in the air because it dries out quickly and dies. It also has an aversion to light. These two characteristics cause worker termites to stay hidden. You won't see them crawling around on the wood in your home. They'll hide inside the wood. You may see them in your yard as you pick up dead branches or move objects from one location to another. But even this activity can go undetected as you look for signs of termites in your yard. Worker termites are only 1/8 of an inch long and look like fat ants. It is easy to mistake termites for ants or some other bug, or miss seeing them entirely.

Soldiers: When you uncover worker termites, you are more likely to notice the soldiers that protect them. Soldiers are larger and have orange heads and black pincers. But, like worker termites, they stay hidden most of the time.

The Queen And King: These two termites, which are swarmer termites that have established a nest, are found in the heart of their nest. You're not likely to ever see them unless you excavate soil in your yard, remove a stump, or take on a construction project in your home.

If you think you'll see termites before they destroy your home, termites are likely to disappoint you. Let's look at a few more misconceptions that could lead to property damage.