Drywood Termites Chapter 4 Section III – Termite Control Basics of the Pest Bear & Affiliates Service Personnel Development Program , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Non-Subterranean Termites There are three groups of termites, other than subterranean termites. They are drywood, dampwood, and powderpost termites. The drywood termite is the most common of these groups, but damp-wood termites may be found in limited areas , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Dry-wood Termites: Family Kalotermitidae The drywood termite can generally be found living in undecayed wood which has a very low moisture content. Drywood termites do not require contact with the soil to live. Drywood termites bore directly into wood and make their nests in the wood itself , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Drywood Termites (cont.) They can cause serious damage to movable wooden objects such as furniture, because they do not require contact with the ground Drywood termites are social insects that live in colonies. The colonies contain kings, queens and soldiers. There is no worker caste in the colony. Work on the colony is performed by immature termites (nymphs) before they become adults. King and queen termites perform the reproductive functions of the colony , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Drywood Termites (cont.) Physical Appearance Soldiers JOB: Guard the colony against invaders such as ants. COLOR: white and wingless with large brownish heads and jaws Kings and Queens JOB: Perform reproductive functions COLOR: light to dark brown SIZE: 1/3” to 1” in length Nymphs (immatures) JOB: Perform the work on the colony COLOR: white and wingless NOTE: Nymphs are the most numerous caste. Soldiers and nymphs remain inside the wood at all times , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Drywood VS. Subterranean Termites Cut across the grain of the wood Excavate large chambers which are connected by small tunnels Used chambers and tunnels are kept clean. Excreta and other debris are stored in unused chambers or cast out through small openings in the wood. Excretal pellets are hard and have six distinct concave surfaces on the sides, only the ends are rounded feed along the grain in the soft portion of the wood Create galleries lined with a muddy fecal material. Excretal pellets are usually incorporated into carton tubes. They are usually moist and contain lignin, the relatively indigestible portion on the wood. Drywood Termite Subterranean Termite , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Drywood termites How do they get in? Drywood termites usually enter the wood from a crack or crevice before boring into the wood. Entry may occur at a crack in the wood itself or may be the joint between two pieces of wood or maybe the space underneath the roofing paper or sheathing paper. Because of their ability to live without contact with soil, dry-wood termites may be carried into a geographical location where they are not usually found. All pest control operators should be acquainted with their habits for that reason , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Eating and Living Habits of Drywood Termites Termites eat the cellulose obtained from wood. Protozoa in the termites’ digestive tract convert the cellulose to usable food. Drywood termites are most commonly found infesting woodwork in buildings and furniture. Drywood and other non-subterranean termites stay within the wood or other material on which they are feeding. Those that are actually feeding are hardly ever seen. Galleries or tunnels in the wood made by drywood termites cut across the grain of the wood and destroy both soft spring wood and the harder summer growth , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

SIGNS of INFESTATION of DRYWOOD TERMITES King and queens emerge during evening hours at certain times of the year to establish new colonies. The appearance of winged termites in the home is an indication of probable infestation; however, they may be coming in from the outside. Wings break off shortly after the termites swarm and because they are attracted to light at this stage, their wings are often found on window sills. Drywood termites excrete pellets of partly digested wood. These can be found on surfaces beneath the infested wood , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

A sign of advanced infestation is surface blisters. Drywood termites sometimes tunnel close to the surface giving the wood a blistered appearance. Infestations may be detected by tapping the wood every few inches with the handle of a screwdriver. Damaged wood sounds hollow - a papery rustle sound indicates tunnels just beneath the surface. SIGNS of INFESTATION of DRYWOOD TERMITES , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Preventive Measures against Drywood Termites Carefully inspect used lumber, furniture and other wooden articles, especially from coastal areas in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Drywood termites may enter a building through the attic or foundation vents, under or directly through shingles or under eaves. All windows, doors and vents, especially those in the attic, should be screened with 20-mesh screen. Paint gives exposed wood protection. Before painting all cracks and crevices should be filled with putty or plastic wood. This should protect for about 5 years. Commercial pressure treated wood will give protection for a much longer period and will prevent drywood termite attack. Heart wood of redwood, bald-cypress, mahogany and Spanish cedar are naturally resistant to termite. They do become more susceptible after several years of weathering , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Drywood Termite Control If found and detected in the early stages and damage is localized, a drywood termite colony may be controlled by removing and replacing the damaged wood or by the application of an insecticide. Be sure to carefully inspect the entire building, including furniture. If the infestation is too extensive and advanced for local treatment, it will be necessary to tent and fumigate the entire building. Tenting is expensive and leaves no residual protection, it is usually the only alternative when many termite colonies are present. Fumigation can only be performed by a licensed pest control operator , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved