Eastern Termites (Subterranean)
Subterranean termites are the most destructive insect pests of wood in the United States. They cause more than $2 billion in damages each year, more property damage than that caused by fire and wind storms combined. Dead trees and brush are the original food source of subterranean termites. When land is cleared of this material and houses are built on these sites, termites attack the structures. Termites can enter buildings through wood in direct contact with the soil by building shelter tubes over or through foundations, or by entering directly through cracks or joints, in and under foundations.
Formosen Termites (Subterranean)
Formosan termites cause the same type of damage as the other subterranean termites. They cause more rapid damage than native subterranean termites. They have been known to attack more than 47 plant species, including citrus, wild cherry, cherry laurel, sweet gum, cedar, willow, wax myrtle, Chinese elm, and white oak. Formosan termites feed on both the spring growth and the summer growth wood. They have also been known to eat through non-cellulose material such as: thin sheets of soft metal (lead or copper), asphalt, plaster, creosote, rubber, and plastic, searching for food and moisture.
Drywood Termites (Non-Subterranean)
Drywood termites are social insects that form colonies in sound, dry wood. The colony is composed by three castes of termites: reproductives, soldiers, and workers (pseudergates). The termite passes through three growth stages: egg, worker, and adult. They vary in color from dark brown to light yellowish, initially winged but lose their wings a few minutes after swarming. Damage to wood, though seldom apparent, definitely indicates a past or present infestation of drywood termites. These termites consume both the harder summerwood and the soft springwood of timbers. This leaves a sculptured appearance to their galleries. Fecal pellets will be present in the galleries.
