Subterranean termites are the
most destructive insect pests of wood in the United States. They cause more than
$2 billion in damage each year, more property damage than that caused by fire
and windstorm combined.
Facts on Subterranean Termites you might not know
Subterranean termites are the
most destructive insect pests of wood in the United States. They cause more than
$2 billion in damage each year, more property damage than that caused by fire
and windstorm combined.
Subterranean termites are by far the
most common type of termite, and have been estimated to cause over 90% of all
termite damage in the US. In addition to buildings, termites also consume
valuable books, documents and photographs.
Subterranean termites are social
insects. This means that they live in family groups called colonies.
A mature colony can range from a low
of 20,000 workers to a high of five million, with an average of 300,000. The
average colony can consume a one foot length of 2x4 in 118 days.
Subterranean termites can enter a
home through a crack or void as small as 1/16" in the slab or wall, any lumber
in contact with the soil, an earth filled stoop, expansion joints, behind brick
veneer, and through rigid foam insulation in contact with the soil.
While subterranean termites are often
found in homes, they actually live in the soil, and return to the soil every 24
hours. Subterranean termites require moisture to live and will always return to
their colonies in the soil.
Pound for pound, the weight of all
the termites in the world is greater than the total weight of humans.