Drywood Termites

Characteristics, Habits, and Geography

Drywood termites have rounded bodies approximately 1/5 to 1/2 inches in length, and are typically light brown in color. They have three distinct castes: immatures, soldiers, and reproductives, also known as alates. The alates are the only drywood termites that have wings. Their wings range from clear to smoky gray, and have distinctly visible wings. However, alates  are not powerful fliers, and can only travel long distances by allowing themselves to be carried along by air currents. Drywood termite colonies tend to be small, including fewer than 1,000 insects.

As their name suggests, drywood termites are able to survive with very little access to water. They feed on the cellulose found in wood, and are also able to metabolize moisture from the water within wood. Unlike subterranean termites, which make their homes in the soil, drywood termites nest within wood, drilling caverns and clean connecting tunnels throughout dry wood, frequently causing extensive damage. The entrance to these nests can be as small as 1/8 inch in diameter.

Drywood termites can be found in furniture, wood frames, beams, dead wood around houses and outbuildings, and other wooden objects. They prefer hot, dry habitats, and can be found in the far Southern United States.

Damage Signs

The most obvious sign of drywood termite infestation is the presence of fecal pellets approximately 1/25 inch long. Drywood termites keep their tunnels and galleries clean, and will create “kick holes” to remove feces. The feces will then collect in a pile beneath the hole. Drywood termite feces have rounded ends and six concave sides, and are tan or black. Additional signs of infestation include shed termite wings and damaged wood, which will sound hollow when tapped.

Control

To prevent drywood termite infestation, remove firewood, scrap wood, and dead trees from the yard. Make sure that attic and basement vents are screened, to prevent alates from entering the home through these channels. Drywood termites are also less likely to infest wood that has been painted.

Once an infestation is in progress, it is generally recommended that homeowners contact a licensed exterminator in order to remove the termites, as extermination is difficult and often involves fumigation.

Sourced from: mypestprevention.com