What To Do About the Drywood Termites On My Chandler Property

Drywood termites can cause significant damage to your Chandler property before you even know you have a problem. Proactive prevention and proper identification of these pests are the best way to keep them out of your home.

Understanding Drywood Termites

Drywood termites come in a range of colors depending on their maturity and role within the colony. You will generally find a worker drywood termite that appears cream or almost white when on wood, a more brownish-colored soldier termite, and a darker brown colored reproductive termite.

Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites don't require moisture or contact with soil to make their colonies. Drywood termites are likely to infest your walls or pieces of furniture around your home and prefer to create their nests entirely inside these wooden areas. They can hollow out the inside of any wooden item they are infesting, something which can put the internal structures of your home in serious jeopardy if these termites are able to spend a long time chewing their way through the wood in your walls or support structures.

Another difference between drywood and subterranean termites is that drywood termites will kick feces and debris out of their nest. This action results in piles of 'frass' under the holes they make in the wood. These piles of frass are a major indicator and one of the first signs usually encountered when looking for termites on your property. 

Other signs of drywood termites may include:

• Termite swarms – These swarms only take place once or twice a year and can easily be missed if you are not in the right place at the right time. A termite swarm involves termites moving from hidden areas of their colonies out into the open for a brief period.
• Discarded wings or bodies – Termite wings and dead bodies may often be kicked out of the hidden colonies around your home with piles of frass. You are likely to find these items on the floor close to walls or baseboards.
• Sinking floors, peeling paint, or hollow walls – These structural and cosmetic damages can all be major signs of termite damage around your home and typically don't start to show until a termite infestation has become incredibly widespread.

Drywood Termite Prevention

There are several tactics you can engage in to stop drywood termites from entering your property in the first place, preventing a future infestation.

• Keep your yard clear of debris such as lumber, tree stumps, and loose wood, as these attract drywood termites. You should also store firewood as far away from your home as possible and consider keeping it on a raised-up platform to stop termites from infesting it.
• Trim back any shrubs, bushes, or overhanging branches that touch your home to stop termites from crossing over from the wood into your house and starting an infestation.
• Evaluate potential entry points around your house and seal up as many cracks and gaps in your home's windows, doors, and foundation as possible.

Effective Termite Elimination

Because drywood termites can settle so far into the wooden structures of your home, it can be virtually impossible to get rid of the problem all by yourself. If you are experiencing signs of a termite infestation, the best thing you can do is call the professionals at Ozone Pest Control for effective, expert termite removal.