Learn More About Termites And Their Strange Habits

Our mother nature in all her wisdom has created many different little creatures. Some of them are very useful, because they help the environment one way or another, and some are just pests, which harm our homes. The existence of all these different creatures proves the statement, that the good and the bad is all around us and can coexist in harmony. One of the most dreadful pests in the world are the termites. They are very small and seem insignificant, but they can cause a lot of damage to our homes. If you don’t believe, check this introduction, which will change your mind.

What are Termites

The termites are little insects, which feed entirely on wood. They can be a very useful member of the animal kingdom, because they feed on dead trees and turn them into organic matter, which is great, because otherwise this process takes long years. But, unfortunately, they feed on every kind of wood they can find, including our wooden furniture and flooring. This is why they are considered to be dangerous pests, and we want to keep them away from our homes as hard as possible. Otherwise the damage to our property can be severe.

Biology

The termites are subterranean creatures, which live in colonies about 20 feet under the ground. Living so low under the soil surface protects these creatures from extreme and unpleasant weather conditions. A colony can reach it’s maximum size in four to five years, when it includes up to 200 000 species. Every grown termite colony has three castes – the reproductives, which are always the queen and king, soldiers, which protect the integrity of the colony, and the workers, who gather food for the entire colony. Everyone in the colony has his own responsibilities and everyone works hard for the colony’s good, and this makes them very dangerous for our homes and property.

Feeding Habits

Termite’s favourite and only food is wood and wood products, which contain cellulose. Termites may look like very small, insignificant and soft creatures, but their teeth are like saws. They are designed to bite very small pieces of wood at a time. One termite probably can’t do much damage, but there are usually thousands of them, which makes them a real danger. Termites usually infest buildings and damage everything wooden in them – wallpapers, wood panels, any kind of wooden flooring, paper and everything else they can get to. This is why getting rid of them should be a top priority for every affected home owner. Fortunately, I found Melbourne pest control company which offers professional services in my town and successfully rid my home of all kind of insects. So, if I have that kind of bugs in future, I’ll call them again. That way I’ll be sure that termites will be gone in couple of hours.

Means of Communication

Like every creature in our world, termites also communicate with each other. Since they are almost blind, they use sounds and chemical traces to tell the others in the colony what they have found. Each colony develops a specific kind of pheromones, which helps them recognise each other. They use this characteristic odour to warn the others, if there is danger approaching, or when they find a new food source. When they feel threatened, they also start banging their heads against the walls of the tunnels, to warn the others about the dangers.

How to Recognise an Infestation

Recognising a termite infestation is quite simple – it’s enough to look at the wood. If you can find small wood tunnels or galleries, or mud particles on your floor or furniture, it’s a certain sign that you have termites in your home. Another way to be certain if you have termites, is to listen carefully at night. If you hear annoying squeaky sounds coming from somewhere, you’re probably hearing the termites eating your property.