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ABOUT TERMITES
Termites are one of the most serious and destructive pests of wood structures and wood products in the Uganda Termites live within soil or wood. They require wood or wood products for food. Colonies often live in stumps and decaying logs, but are capable of invading buildings and feeding on structural wood as well. In nature, termites are.
In general, there are four castes of termites. These include:
- Workers – Creamy white and wingless insects. Workers gather food, maintain the galleries, tend the young and groom the other termites.
- Soldiers – Wingless insects with enlarged heads and sword like mandibles (jaws). Soldiers guard the colony against predators.
- Primary Reproductives – Dark colored insects with wings and large eyes. Primary reproductives are the future kings and queens of new termite colonies. In the spring, these “swarmers” fly out of their colonies to start new colonies of their own. beneficial because they break down dead and dying plant material. In wooden structures, however, termites become pests..
Control drywood termites by eliminating the colony. You can accomplish this by treating the infested furniture or wood through vault fumigation or by drilling and injecting chemicals into the galleries. Fumigation of a whole structure is usually the only practical and effective method in areas of high infestation.
SIGNS OF TERMITES
Papery or hollow sounding timber – When termites consume timber, they eat from the inside out, leaving a thin veneer of timber or paint. When you knock or tap on an area that has termite damage, it will sound hollow or papery due to parts (or all) of the timber having been eaten away.
Your vacuum goes through the skirting board! – …or your finger presses through a door jam. These are some of the most common things we hear from customers as the first sign of termites. As termites have eaten away the structural integrity of the timber, such as a skirting board, door frame or architrave, bumps or pressure against them will easily cause damage.
Tight fitting door or hard to open window – As termites devour timber, their excrement or ‘mud’ creates a protective environment that traps heat and moisture. This causes timber to swell, making it harder to open a window or close a door.
Cracks in the cornice or door jams – As termites eat away the timber in your walls or door jams, it causes a loss in structural integrity and cracks form. Be careful jumping to conclusions, though; cracks could also be caused by movements in your home unrelated to termites.
Termite mud – Termites construct ‘mud’ tunnels to provide a safe environment in which to travel, or protect their food sources. This mudding is often hard to see as it will be behind your walls or underground, but can sometimes be seen in your home’s brick foundations or in architraves.
FAQs
Subterranean termites (those most commonly seen in homes) are a similar size to a black ant except they are pale in colour. That’s why they are often called “white ants”. If you look closely, termites have two sections to their body while ants have three.
Soldier termites have a slightly darkened, or brown, head. You will also see termites with wings, called alates. Sometimes confused for moths, the alates fly out from the colony in search of a new environment in which to reproduce and develop a new colony. Subterranean termites are only one of the termite families found in Uganda.
Yes, termites are sometimes known as white ants, although the term “termites” is more accurate. Our white ant treatment services are therefore exactly the same as our termite treatments.
No, they do not, but they can use treated logs and footings as a bridge into your house.
No. Most home insurance policies do not cover damage done by termites. As many homes are affected by termites in their lifetime, it pays for you to be vigilant. Our professional termite treatments for your home or business can control an existing problem and prevent future infestations.
There are simple and very practical steps you can take to greatly reduce the risk of an infestation. Changes can be put in place easily, with possibly no cost to you.
If you discover termites in your home, you should not attempt to get rid of them yourself. If termites are disturbed, they will simply re-route their activity to another area of the house.
DIY termite control or DIY termite treatment is a bad idea, as identifying the termites is a very important step towards successfully treating termites. DIY termite traps are not effective, as disrupting termites could mean that they re-route to attack another area of your home. Our specialists have the experience and expertise to advise whether the termites are a threat or not and recommend the optimum treatment for your individual situation.
Look for a well-established company which has the ability to support you and your home for years to come, continuously researches the latest technology, and has experienced and regularly-trained termite control technicians who know your local area.
All of our termite bait is non-toxic and not harmful to children, pets or adults.
A treatment for termites can be proactive or reactive. Treatments are generally indicated whenever you notice termite activity; however our termite treatment is a two-pronged approach to termite control.
Termites are always looking for new sources of food, so if they discover a large amount of wood in or around your house which isn’t properly treated, they could move in the same day. Termites can even infest a house structure before it’s completed so if you’re moving into a new home, do pre-purchase inspection.
Termites can squeeze through very small cracks and holes. They do however need a very controlled environment: the nest and all pathways to it are usually at a much higher temperature than the surrounding air. This means that termites will either enter your home using timber in contact with the ground or via “mud tunnels” from the ground through cracks in concrete or pipe penetrations through the slab or foundation walls.
Termites aren’t easy to spot. There are sometimes tell-tale signs like mud tunnels, but termites can be very clever at hiding their tracks. If you suspect that you have termites, you should invest in a termite inspection as soon as possible by one of our Termite Control Technicians.