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Pacific Dampwood Termites
What is a Pacific Dampwood Termite?
They are the largest termite on the west coast. This termite does not bring water up from the ground, but they do have high moisture requirements and are often associated with wood decay.
There is no true caste system within dampwood termites. Both immature and mature soldiers perform all work and reproduction. Workers are cream to tan in color. Measuring 3/8 to 3/4 inches long, they are in charge of gathering food, colony expansion, caring for the queen and all immature stages.
Soldiers are the defenders of the colony. They are 3/4 inches long and have a flattened brown or yellowish brown head with elongated black mandibles. Their primary enemy is ants, usually carpenter ants. Due to the size of their mandibles soldiers are unable to feed themselves.
Swarmers are reddish brown with brown wings. They have small swarms periodically throughout the year. Dampwood termite swarmers are attracted to light and it is common to find them caught in spider webs near exterior lights. The swarmer is up to 1 inch long, including wings. The antennae usually have more than 22 segments. They are not hairy and have 1 or more large spines along the length of the tibia and the apex. The coloration of the body is amber. The soldier between 3/8-3/4 inches long. The mandibles have an unequal number of teeth on each member of a pair. Antennae are the same as the swarmer, as well as the spines and coloration. If the wood is sound, they will eat only the springwood, however, if the wood is decayed, they will eat across the grain, consuming both spring and summerwood. By doing this, they make a series of chambers connected by tunnels whose walls are smooth as if finely sandpapered.
Dampwood termites are usually found in tree stumps and fallen tree branches. On structures they can be found in leaky roofs, leaky windows, leaky tubs or showers, sub areas with inadequate ventilation or plumbing leaks, or even old wood decking.
Why Should I Care?
Dampwood termites do not usually infest structures because of the low moisture content of wood in structures. However, care must be taken to avoid attracting dampwood termites to a structure.
What Would A&A Pest Control Do?
Our pest control team will have special baits used to eliminate termite colonies, including the queen, without disturbing the nest. Eliminating the high moisture from the structure is the key to control the dampwood termites. The best thing to do if you discover Pacific dampwood termites is contact A&A ASAP.
Western Subterranean Termites
Termites are a home’s worst enemy, as any specialist can attest. One of the most prevalent and destructive species of termite in the Pacific Northwest is the Western subterranean termite, particularly in urban areas.
Western subterranean termites love to eat Douglas fir and similar types of lumber used for the construction of buildings. They eat the internal sections of timber, preferring the spring wood, and leave the summer wood sections of lumber behind. The result is thin, hollowed-out sections of wood that resemble a honeycomb. Because of the destructive and vindictive nature of these pests, it’s best to leave termite pest control to the pros.
Western subterranean termites are secretive and rely on stealth to enter buildings through unrepaired or unnoticed cracks as small as a 1/8 inch in walls, patios, concrete slab, expansion joints, fire hearths and so on. In addition to wood, these termites can eat through the rubber compound in concrete, and they can travel under tough types of flooring in order to get to the timber in a building. Because these wood eaters are so stealthy, many homeowners do not realize they have a termite pest control problem until the infestation is well-established.
Swarmers are about 3/8 inches long, including wings. The body is dark brown to almost black. The soldier’s head is rectangular in shape, not narrowed toward the front. The length is fully 2 times the width. The mandibles lack teeth. They only eat the springwood and leave the lignin-containing summer wood which they cannot effectively digest. Hence, damaged wood appears to be layered. The colonies are usually located in the ground. Location is usually below the frost line, but above the water table and rock formations. Mud tubes are built to cross areas of adverse cracks less than 1/16 inches wide. If a constant source of moisture is available, colonies can exist above ground and without ground contact.
These pesky termites have a well-ordered social system, as well as acute survival instincts that allow them to communicate with pheromone signals. If you discover the insects and attempt to practice termite pest control on your own, the disturbance may prompt the pests to secretly cause new damage to different areas of the building as a form of revenge.
If you need help with a termite situation contact A&A today!