Different Types of Termite Species that Can Infiltrate Your Home

Posted by Michael Griffin on June 26th, 2019

Perhaps, a single termite looks harmless, but a whole colony of them can be menacing and dangerous. Also known as silent destroyers, they can wreck your home in just a few months. Regardless of how tight your security at home is, they will infiltrate your house and attack things like wood, flooring, and furniture.

There are many types of termites from South to North and they send their explorers popularly known as swarmers for hospitable habitats. Winters and monsoon are the best seasons for them to invade your home. Termites look like winged or flying ant, and many home-owners misunderstand their appearance which is their biggest mistake.

Signs of Termite Infestation

• Mud tubes on the exterior of the house
• Blistering of wooden structures
• Uneven or bubbling paint walls
• Small piles of feces or wings of dead termites near a termite nest
• Discarded wings near doors

There are approximately 2000 termite species but we have mentioned the most common types that can infiltrate your home without giving you any hint.

Formosan termites

Their roots are from China and they are the most aggressive termites among all. These type of termites travel with huge and organized colonies. They have an aggressive and destructive nature and hence it becomes very difficult for termite control service in Palm Beach to control them. Places like Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida suffer the most from Formosan termites.

Subterranean termites

Except for Alaska, these kinds of termites are found everywhere. They have colonies going up to 2 million members and live underground, especially in moist places. If you want to know that they are residing in your home, then look for the mud tubes. These mud tubes are like food storage and a shield to protect themselves from air and rain.

Dry wood termites

They do not require soil to survive. All they need is dry wood. You can see nests in your wooden walls or roofs if they have infested your home. They can even feed on dead wood if there is any in your home. Moisture is important for their survival and hence they make their homes where there is a regular source of water like a water heater or a leaky pipe. North Carolina and the coastal areas of California are the most common areas where they can be found.

Conehead termites

These types of termites are native to the Caribbean and come under the category of invasive species. They were discovered in 2001 by the US and were known as tree termites in the initial days. Due to its name, people had a misconception that they only feed on trees and hence the name was changed to Conehead termites.

They have different living habitats like the rest of the termite species as they do not rely on underground tunneling for traveling. The US government was supposed to eradicate this termite species by the end of 2003 but failed. They have a tendency to damage the property in a very short duration.

Dampwood termites

These types of termites damage wood which has high moisture content. They are bigger in size as compared to other termite species. Due to the low moisture content in wood, these types of termites usually do not infest your house easily. But, that doesn't mean that you become careless about them. The desert or semi-arid south-west, North Carolina, and Florida are the most common areas where these termites can be found.