Eastern Subterranean Termite

Eastern Subterranean Termite Information

Appearance:

A colony of Subterranean termites will have three distinct castes of termites.

• The workers are the smallest, about 1/8” in length.  They are white and have no wings.
• The soldiers are a little bigger than the workers.  They are light brown and have a large head and strong mandibles.  They also have no wings.
• The reproductives are the largest termite in the colony.  They are about ½”-1” long, and they do have wings.  They are dark brown in color.

Location and Behavior Patterns:

Subterranean termites live in the ground.  They need contact with the soil, in order to survive.  They create vertical mud tunnels into a building, which are located in wooden structures.  They can even move through cracks in concrete, in order to get to the wooden parts of your home, so houses built on a slab may still have an infestation of subterranean termites. 

This termite will typically swarm in the Spring but will remain active all throughout the year.  Only the reproductive caste termites can swarm, in order to create new colonies.

Treatment: 

Subterranean termites can create massive damage to a home or to a commercial building, because they will destroy any wood structures.  Regular inspections are highly recommended by pest control specialists.  Termites Preventative measures, as well as direct treatment, once the termites have been identified, is vital for keeping this pest under control.