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Dover Termites   arrow

There are few pests as intimidating to get an infestation of as termites. Sure, they’re not a direct threat to your body. They won’t swarm you intensely like fire ants. They won’t drink your blood like bed bugs. Instead, they’ll destroy your home and leave you footing the bill. That’s why today we’re going to cover Dover termites, what they look like, and what you should do if infested.

Dover Termites: Overview

When it comes to termites, it’s a little bit more complicated than regular ants. There are over two thousand species of termite, with forty of them found in the United States alone. And just about every last one looks similar. They usually range between a fourth and half an inch long, with soft bodies and straight antennae. The queens and kings are large, capable of reaching over a full inch in length. Their coloration is limited, with most falling between a dull brown and pale white. Workers tend to have lighter skin while swarming termites are darker. The reproductive termites have two pairs of long, prominent wings.

A termite infestation can damage your property severely. Unchecked infestations can bring entire buildings down if given enough time. They’re known as the silent destroyer because they can hide and thrive in your home and yard with no signs of immediate danger. All termites consume woody, cellulose rich material. The thing is, every single home in America can provide enough cellulose for a termite colony to infest.

Termites invade homes by crossing from colonies in the properties around the house into the foundation. Cracks or gaps around pipes and wires are ideal entryways for these insects. Homeowners can also get termites from wooden structures like porches and decks that are in direct contact with the ground. Firewood stacks leaned up against the house. Damp soil near foundations from leaking faucets, gutters, and downspouts are also attractive to termites. And like many ant species, trees and shrubs that are right up against your home lead to an easy path indoors.

Infestation Prevention

Now, a true infestation of Dover termites can spell doom for out sheds, barns, and even the sturdiest homes. So to begin with, let’s start with a few common sense ways to prevent an infestation. One of the biggest invitations to a termite colony is runaway moisture. For example, make sure to repair any leaking faucets, pipes, or A/C units around the home. Divert water away from your foundation and keep gutters and downspouts clean.

Remove excessive amounts of plant cover and wood mulch from around your foundation, and keep all vents around your home clear and open. Do not allow standing water to accumulate on your roof, and seal entry points around water and utility lines and pipes.

Obviously, the step after that would be to remove as many of their food sources as you can. Keep firewood piles, old lumber, and paper such as newspaper away from foundations and crawl spaces. Don’t let old stumps rot too close to your home, and check decks and wooden fences for damage. In fact, wood on your home shouldn’t ever contact the soil.

Dover Termites: The Various Species

And now we’ll cover a few different species of termites, and what you should look out for with each infestation.

Drywood Termites

Drywood termites are far less common than Subterranean Termites. But in Florida, they’re not uncommon. You’ll find these termites in coastal, southern states, and also the Southwestern states. The damage caused by Dover termites is substantial. One of the first signs that you can see to identify them is piles of fecal pellets. Normally, they’re on windowsills before they’re anywhere else. So if you see piles of tiny pellets around your home it could be an infestation sign.

Discarded wings are another easily spotted sign. After a termite colony swarms, you may find discarded termite wings marking the location of their nest. Termites lose their wings quickly after a swarm. And finding many wings of the same size, especially near window sills and light sources, can show that termites have entered your home.

Subterranean Termites

And now we reach the most common type of termite in the nation. Subterranean termites cause literal billions of dollars in damage each year. Not only for buildings, but they have a fondness for paper. This can include books, pictures, and other important papers. Subterranean termites can have more than one egg laying female, meaning that the nest can grow quickly and contain hundreds, even thousands, of members. And among the silent killers, these are the worst. They can infest homes for years undetected, damaging them to the point where habitability is questionable. That’s why it’s so important to look out for early warning signs of these Dover termites.

Subterranean termites build large colonies underground, composed of elaborate systems of tunnels and chambers. Worker termites construct protective tunnels made of mud and spit in order to reach wood above ground. When eating wood, these termites fill it with soil to maintain humidity levels. If mud tunnels are visible on the walls or foundation of your home, it’s likely already heavily infested.

Dampwood Termites

Dampwood termites do not usually make contact with the soil. They don’t make tunnels like subterranean termites either. Wood damage by these termites usually looks clean and smooth on the inside. They eat across the grain, especially in decaying wood. Dampwood termites are much larger than the more common subterranean termites. The soldiers can reach up to twenty millimeters in length, with large heads sporting strong mandibles.

Dampwood termites get their name from the damp wood that they prefer to locate their colonies Dampwood termites don’t nest in soils usually, they will invade wood that is on the ground- especially if it’s rotting. And while they’re not typically common in central Florida, they’re well known in Southern Florida- which unfortunately means it’s only a matter of time before they become more common up here. That’s why repairing and replacing damaged and rotted wood is so important, as it’s vital for this species to thrive.