Termite season in Elizabeth City runs through spring into summer. It’s the time when termite colonies are most active, and termite swarmers, or alates, emerge to start new colonies. It’s also a great time for Elizabeth City pest control company Albemarle Termite & Pest Control to come to your home for an annual termite inspection.
We recommend annual inspections because termite infestations are costly – to the tune of about $5 billion in property damage every year in the United States, the majority of which is uncovered by homeowners insurance.
The Types Of Termites Found In Elizabeth City
While there are several kinds of termites, including Formosan termites, drywood termites, damp wood termites, and conehead termites, only one species is active in North Carolina: subterranean termites. Unfortunately, subterranean termites are the group that is the most destructive of all.
They’re called subterranean termites because their bodies dehydrate so easily that they have to live underground in damp dirt. If they have to travel, for example, up the side of your foundation to your wooden siding, they build mud tubes so they can move around safely. Because of their need for moisture, they’re initially attracted to water-damaged wood but will move into dry wood easily enough.
Subterranean termites are divided up into three groups called castes: reproductive, workers, and soldiers. The reproductive include the alates, the king, and the queen. The queen is the largest termite in the colony. Alates are long, dark brown or black, and have see-through milky white wings. They’re generally ¼ to ½ inch long. Reproductive are the only termites to have wings.
Workers measure ¼ inch or less in length and are cream-colored. Their jaws are small but powerful, letting them bite into wood and carry it around. Soldiers’ jaws are much larger than workers’ jaws. Their heads are rectangular and brown, while they still have cream-colored bodies like workers.
Since a small colony of 60,000 termites can eat 2 ? feet of a 2x4 in one year, you need to get annual termite inspections to make sure you don’t have anything literally eating you out of house and home. Colonies of two to three million termites are not uncommon. A colony of two million termites could eat more than 76 feet of 2x4s – enough to eventually cause walls or floors to collapse.
If you have any suspicions about having termites in your Elizabeth City home, you need to call a professional termite control company like Albemarle Termite & Pest Control immediately.
Why Do I Have Termite Infestation In My Home?
To boil it down into the simplest terms, you have a termite problem because they live in this area, and your house has wood in it. It can happen to anybody. It’s not a sign of a dirty house or an unkempt yard. It’s just that termites eat wood, and your home is chock full of it.
Now, your house may be more conducive to termites than your next-door neighbor’s home. You might have a damp crawl space that provides subterranean termites the moisture they need to survive. You may have wood mulch right up against the foundation of your home, giving termites new territory to explore for food. You could have a pile of firewood right up against your house where termites can eat to their hearts’ content.
It’s okay if you don’t know how to get rid of termites. Having subterranean termites eating your house is not a DIY problem – you need to call in the Elizabeth City termite control professionals from Albemarle Termite & Pest Control to take care of the problem for you.
Natural Termite Prevention Tips For Around The Home
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent termites from picking your house in the first place. Here are a few examples:
- Make sure your crawlspace, basement, and attic are all well-ventilated to deprive termites of the moisture they need.
- Move your firewood stack as far away from your house as you can.
- Eliminate tree stumps, dead trees, and yard debris that might be the current food source for termites.
- Prevent water damage to your home by inspecting your gutters for clogs, properly using downspout extenders or splash stones, and installing weatherstripping around all your doors and windows.
- Use non-organic mulch substitutes such as crushed gravel or rubber mulch.
- Create a rock barrier between wood mulch and your home’s foundation.
Of course, the best way to safeguard your Elizabeth City home from termites is by partnering with Albemarle Termite & Pest Control for annual inspections and subterranean termite treatment in Elizabeth City.
Professional Termite Control Is The Best Termite Control Solution
Albemarle Termite & Pest Control is the best termite company near you, right here in Elizabeth City. We’re family-owned and operated, with three generations working in the business right now. Many of our customers have been with us right from the start because we’re making a difference. Contact us today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Elizabeth City.