Drywood Termites

Drywood termites are species of termite that nest and feed on dry wood members within your home. This is what makes this species of termite the most threatening to your home. They can go undetected for years within the walls of your home. Therefore the type of treatments can vary from treating the infested area locally, to whole house fumigation.

Biology

Drywood Termite
Queen

The Drywood Termites like ants live in colonies. The colonies have kings, queens and soldiers; there is not a true worker caste. Work is performed by immature termites within the wood members.

Meet the Caste Members:

Kings and Queen: Light to Dark brown and abound one inch in length

Soldiers: White and wingless with large brownish heads and jaws

Nymphs: White and wingless and are the most numberous

Termite Food

Drywood Termite food consists of cellulose; substance that is found in wood and wood-based products. Termites use their digestive system (protozoa) to convert the cellulose into usable food. Partly digested wood is then excreted as pellets, small tan to reddish-brown or black droppings. These droppings are what Termite Inspectors look for during an Inspection.

Flying Termites

Certain times of the year, on warm days from the months as early as late February to as late as August in California the king and queen termites emerge from the colonies for the purpose of flights to establish new colonies. Winged termites (as pictured above) swarm out of infested areas from behind walls, in attics or basements, and fly toward a light source. Shortly after their wings break off, they look for a crack or crevice to start a new colony.

Local Treatments

Treating for drywood termites locally involves injecting the wood with foam and liquid insecticides. Wood injections requires a hole to be drilled into termite galleries so insecticide can be injected into the infested wood. Spray or foam applications then can aid to prevent drywood termites from entering any wood which may not be currently infested, depending on the situation.

Total Control

When the infestation is extensive, or in cases where local treatment in impractical due to construction conditions, it will be necessary to tent and fumigate the entire building. Fumigation will eliminate visible infestations and any other infestations that are not visible. Fumigation can be expensive, but it is the only way to gain control of drywood termite infestation in every part of your home at once, and gives your home a “fresh start”.