Nashville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville and Chattanooga TN
Whether you own a home or a business, you want to protect it. That includes protection from pest infestations and, when it comes to pests, a subterranean termite infestation is one of the worst-case scenarios. While termites do not pose a health hazard, they present a major threat to the structural integrity of your building. Termites do billions of dollars in property damage every year. To learn more about these destructive pests, your pest control experts at Ameri Care Services have compiled this guide to termites in Murfreesboro.
Here’s what you need to know about subterranean termites
The subterranean termite is the most common termite species in the United States. Subterranean termites live in a well-ordered system consisting of three castes: swarmers (the reproductive termites), soldier termites, and worker termites. The caste of swarmers consists primarily of alates—young winged termites—and the king and queen, which are responsible for all the colony’s reproduction. Eventually, the alates, similar to flying ants, leave the colony, where they mate and become the king and queen of a new colony. Soldier termites are smaller than alates, with milky white bodies and slightly darker big and blocky heads in shape, with large mandibles (jaws). Their job is to protect the colony. Worker termites are similar to the soldiers, except their entire body and head are pale, creamy in color. These workers are the termites that usually infest buildings. Termites prefer to spend their lives hidden in the colony underground or in a building they have infested. They prefer dark, moist areas, meaning that even if they have invaded your home or business, you may never actually see a termite because they typically are not seen out in the open.
A termite colony starts with just the king and queen but quickly grows. A queen termite can lay as many as 10,000 eggs in a single year. Some colonies have millions of termites. Even a small colony can do tremendous damage to a building or structure. Worker termites’ sole task is to eat and gather food, and they do it every day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Left undiscovered and untreated, termites chew tunnels through a structure, weakening it more and more as time passes.
Know the signs of a termite infestation
As mentioned above, your home or business may be fully infested by termites, and you never see one of the bugs. Actually, if you do see a termite, then it’s too late; your home likely has sustained serious damage. This is why you need to identify the signs of termite damage so that you can address the problem promptly.
One of the major indicators of termite presence is mud tubes. These are small brown cylinders of dirt about as wide as a pencil that usually can be found on the sides of a foundation or the interior or exterior of basement walls.
Warning Signs of Termites
- Wallpaper or paint on the walls starting to bubble
- Hollow-sounding noises coming from wood in your home or business
- Small holes in the wood, usually accompanied by piles of what looks to be sawdust but is termite waste, known as frass
- Any signs of warping wood: bulging walls, bowed ceilings, or floors that are buckling
Protecting your property from subterranean termites
You can take certain measures to make your home or business less attractive to termites, mainly by limiting their access to the things they love best: wood and moisture. Make sure the drainage systems on your property are working well and divert water away from any structure. Keep shrubs, bushes, and tree branches trimmed to avoid areas of excess shade. Keep any wood piles or firewood in a sealed receptacle. Also, refrain from placing mulch around the foundation of any building.
Your best means of protecting your property from termites is to obtain the services of a pest control company that is licensed, bonded, insured and has special services pertaining to termite control. Without active preventative measures in place, termites can infiltrate your home or business.
Termite Control in Murfreesboro, Nashville, and Mt. Juliet
Living in middle Tennessee, termites can begin swarming in March and may continue to do so through September and October until the weather starts cooling. That means you can’t afford not to invest in professional termite prevention services provided by an expert company like Ameri Care Services. We will provide a comprehensive termite inspection on your entire property, identifying any signs of infestation or potential threats. Next, we come up with a treatment plan to deal with any present termite problem and then use preventive measures to reduce your risk of future infestations.
Make your appointment today for an inspection by calling (615) 893-7111 or contacting us online if you’re located in the areas of Nashville and Murfreesboro in Tennessee.