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Training Guide for Subterranean Termites in Homes & Appartments

This specific type of termite can be very expensive to eliminate. Their nest are located in the ground which you may encounter seeing the mud tubes they build on exterior wood timbers to travel and feed on the wood timbers in your home. The mud tubes provide a certain amount of moisture to keep the nest fully functional. If you notice these western subterranean termites or mud tubes in or around your home, you are recommend to call the professionals at Eagle Pest Eliminators to get an expert opinion on what it will take and cost to eradicate these pest from your home.

Western subterranean termites regularly infest homes in South Western Washington State.

Some areas known to have Subterranean Termites in Washington State and Puget Sound areas include but are not limited to: Seattle, Tacoma, Covington and areas south of these cities.

The queen termite is an egg laying machine; her body is enormous compared to her off-spring; she can live more than 25 years and produce more than 2,000 eggs a day.

The king and queen live in a central chamber and are tended by the workers.

The workers are by far the largest caste in the western subterranean termite colony and

the one that does the damage; they are a creamy translucent color, soft bodied and carry out all work in the nest, including gathering food (timber and other cellulose); constructing tunnels; repairing and enlarging the colony nest; grooming each other and feeding the soldiers, the king, queen and also caring for the young nymphs until mature.

Western subterranean worker termites are small in size, about half the size of match-head or 1/8″ long and are soft bodied insects. They have no wings, are sterile, blind and work 24 hours a day for their entire 2 year life span.

The soldiers are the defenders of the colony, particularly against marauding ants – with whom they have engaged in a relentless war lasting 250 million years.

IDENTIFICATION: the soldiers have an orange colored rectangular armored head with mandibulate pinchers which they use to crush the ants. On their forehead is a fontanelle (frontal gland pore) used to emit a sticky latex to ensnare the ants.

The soldier termite is usually the first to be seen in large numbers when any active termite workings (mud shelter tubes or damaged timber) are opened. Soldier termites will rush out to guard the opening whilst worker termites repair the breach.

The swarmers (reproductives) are called “alates”

and are commonly seen when they swarm during daylight; they have eyes; are poor fliers but are swept along by the wind; they land, drop their wings, find a mate to become king and queen of a new termite colony.

IDENTIFICATION: The western subterranean termite swarmers are about 3/8″ long (including wings) with a dark brown body and a small fontanelle (frontal gland pore) on its head. Their wings are brownish grey with two dark solid veins along the forefront of the front wings. The front wing is distinctly larger than hind wing.

In the southern part of their range, swarming takes place in the spring, but without rain. In the southern areas, swarming usually follows rain. The swarmers are emitted in their thousands when a mature termite nest is large and well established.

Western subterranean termites swarm in large numbers over a wide area to find a mate from another colony nest to start up a new colony. A suitable location for nesting should provide moisture and a readily available timber food source close by.

Colony nest development is slow in the first few months, with the egg-laying capacity of the new queen termite peaking after a few years. The swarmers are emitted in their thousands when a mature termite nest is large and well established. Swarmers are usually produced after this period and are an indication a large termite nest is in the vicinity, a sure danger sign and a warning that professional protection is required.

The colony nests of Western subterranean termites are usually located in the ground below the frost line, but above the water table. Mud galleries or “shelter tubes” are constructed across hard objects in order to gain access to timber food sources.

Western subterranean termites constantly search for new food sources. They are known to enter buildings through cracks in concrete flooring or to travel under parquetry or tile flooring through gaps of less than 1/16″ wide.

Where moisture regularly collects inside the wall or other cavities of a building, say from faulty plumbing or broken roof tiles, the Western subterranean termite can develop a subsidiary colony nest which may not require contact with the ground to ensure it’s survival.

They build a central colony nest from which they construct underground tunnels that radiate within a 100 yard radius from a central colony nest in search of a timber (cellulose) food source.

Termites often build such nests if moisture is allowed to regularly collects inside the wall cavity, say from leaking pipes, shower recess, faulty plumbing, guttering, broken roof tiles, etc.

Termites travel in humidified mud-shelter tubes or galleries
The picture on the left shows a mud shelter tube that subterranean termites have constructed over a solid object, in this case, a brick foundation wall in the sub-floor of a cottage.

Subterranean termites travel in these mud shelter tubes as protection from predators, sun-burn, dehydration and to maintain a high humidity environment which is essential for their survival.

Western subterranean termites are highly secretive, preferring to enter a building through areas inaccessible to inspection, such as, through in-fill patios, fire heaths, expansion joints and cracks in concrete slab (on-ground) flooring.

Western subterranean termites can pass through a 1/8″ crack or an expansion joint (eating through the rubber compound) between adjoining concrete on ground flooring. They can also travel under parquetry and floor tiles to get to the wall framing timbers.

Only the worker termite caste can digest timber by the use of symbiotic protozoa in their gut. Worker termites feed their partly digested semi-liquid food, regurgitated from their mouth or passing from their anus, to the other termites, a process known as trophallaxis.

Only the worker termite caste can digest timber by the use of symbiotic protozoa in their gut. Worker termites feed their partly digested semi-liquid food, regurgitated from their mouth or passing from their anus, to the other termites, a process known as trophallaxis.

Western subterranean termites have a well ordered social system with amazing engineering capabilities and an acute survival instinct; they obtain moisture from the soil and moist decaying timber, and communicate using pheromone signals.

The mutual feeding, constant grooming and close social habits of termites are used to advantage in modern termite control baiting systems.

Certain hi-tech termite baits are now on the market that have a delayed lethal effect on termites which readily pass on the bait to other termites in the central colony nest during the mutual grooming and feeding.

Western subterranean termites need to maintain a high level of humidity and temperature (75 to 95F) in their central colony nest.

Western subterranean termites eat through the centre of susceptible timbers leaving nothing but a thin veneer of timber and/or paint. They will pack mud in cracks and joints in timber to prevent loss of humidity and resultant dehydration.

As noted above, termites constantly groom and feed each other. A valuable technique for the termite controller is to install and monitor a termite baiting system next to any live activity found in and around the premises where termite foraging is most likely to occur. Subsequent inspections (preferably monthly) may reveal dead or sick worker termites, they change color to a mottle look, and spread of the termite bait to other termites leading to elimination of the colony.

The termite baits are designed to be non-repellant to the termites and has a unique delayed effect. Time enough to be passed onto the other termites in the colony including the queen, with a sufficient dosage leading to the elimination of the entire colony.

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