General Information

Termites are small insects.
Termites are social and live in colonies.
Colors are generally white, tan, or black.
They can cause severe destruction to wooden structures.
Termites have two sets of wings.
Termites belong to the insect order Isopteran (Latin term).
Isoptera means "equal wing".
The front set of wings on a reproductive termite is similar in size and shape to the hind set.

Species of Termites

Drywood termites may infest dry, undecayed wood, including structural lumber, as well as dead utility poles, posts, and lumber in storage.
Winged reproductives generally migrate to nearby buildings and other structures.
Migration usually occurs on sunny days during fall months.
They do not require contact with moisture or soil.
They remain entirely above ground and do not connect their nests to the soil.
They leave piles of fecal pellets which are elongate (about 3/100 inch long) with rounded ends and have six flattened or roundly depressed surfaces separated by six longitudinal ridges.
Pellets appear granular and are generally salt and pepper like in color and appearance.
Drywood termites are most prevalent in southern California (including the desert areas), but also occur along most coastal regions and in the Central Valley.
Drywoods are generally dark brown with smoky black wings and have a reddish brown head and thorax; wing veins are black.
Drywood termites are noticeably larger than subterranean termites.

They derive their name from the fact that they live and feed in very moist wood, often in stumps and fallen trees in the forest.
Dampwood termites are fairly common in central and northern coastal areas in California.
They nest in wood buried in the ground, although contact with the ground is not necessary when infested wood is high in moisture.
Because of their high moisture requirements, dampwood termites most often are found in cool, humid areas along the coast and are typical pests of beach houses.
Winged reproductives typically swarm between July and October, but it is not unusual to see them at other times of the year.
Dampwood termite winged reproductives (sometimes called swarmers) are attracted to lights.
Dampwood termites produce distinctive fecal pellets that are rounded at both ends, elongate, and lack the clear longitudinal ridges common to drywood termite pellets.
Winged reproductives are dark brown with brown wings.
Soldiers have a flattened brown or yellowish brown head with elongated black or dark brown mandibles.
Nymphs are cream colored with a characteristic spotted abdominal pattern caused by food in their intestines.

They live and breed in soil, sometimes many feet deep.
Subterranean termites require moist environments.
They usually nest in or near the soil and maintain some connection with the soil through tunnels in wood or through shelter tubes they construct.
These shelter tubes are made of soil with bits of wood or even plasterboard (drywall).
Much of the damage they cause occurs in foundation and structural support wood.
Because of the moisture requirements of subterranean termites, they are often found in wood that has wood rot.
The western subterranean termite, Reticulitermes hesperus, is the most destructive termite found in California.
Reproductive winged forms of subterranean termites are dark brown to brownish black, with brownish gray wings.
Swarming often occurs on sunny days following fall or sometimes spring rains.
Soldiers are wingless with white bodies and pale yellow heads. Their long, narrow heads have no eyes.
Workers are slightly smaller than reproductives, wingless, and have a shorter head than soldiers; their color is similar to that of soldiers.

Termite infestations are most likely to occur in the spring in the fall and spring.
Signs of infestations include swarming of winged insects and evidence of tunneling in wood.
Darkening or blistering of wood in another indication of infestations.
Wood often becomes thin and easily punctured with any sharp metal object.

Most termite species swarm in late summer or fall, although spring swarms are not uncommon for subterranean and drywood termites.
New kings and queens are winged during their early adult life but lose their wings after dispersing from their original colony.
An infestation begins when a mated pair finds a suitable nesting site near or in wood and constructs a small chamber, which they enter and seal.
Soon afterward, the female begins egg laying, and both the king and queen feed the young on predigested food until they are able to feed themselves.
Most species of termites have microscopic, one-celled animals called protozoa within their intestines that help in converting wood (cellulose) into food for the colony.
Once workers and nymphs are produced, the king and queen are fed by the workers and cease feeding on wood.
Termites go through incomplete metamorphosis with egg, nymph, and adult stages.
Nymphs resemble adults but are smaller and are the most numerous stage in the colony.
They also groom and feed one another and other colony members.

Treatment and control techniques vary depending on the species causing an infestation.
Multiple colonies of the same species of termite or more than one species of termite can infest a building.
Subterranean, and less frequently, dampwood termites can have nests at or near ground level, so control methods for these can be similar.
Drywood termites nest above ground and require different treatment methods than dampwood and subterranean termites.
Control methods include: Excluding termites from the building by physical and chemical means; Using mechanical and chemical methods to destroy existing colonies.

Building design may contribute to termite invasion.
Keep all sub-structural wood at least 12 inches above the soil beneath the building.
Identify and correct other structural deficiencies that attract or promote termite infestations.
Stucco siding that reaches the ground promotes termite infestations.
Keep attic and foundation areas well ventilated and dry.
Use screening over attic vents and seal other openings, such as knotholes and cracks, to discourage the entry of winged drywood termites.
Look for and remove tree stumps, stored lumber, untreated fence posts, and buried scrap wood near the structure that may attract termites.
Construct sand barriers for subterranean termite control.
Sand with particle sizes in the range of 10 to 16 mesh is used to replace soil around the foundation of a building and sometimes in the crawl space.
Subterranean termites are unable to construct their tunnels through the sand and therefore cannot invade wooden structures resting on the foundation.
Stainless steel screening may also be available soon as a physical barrier for subterranean termites.