Termites are often referred to as “white ants” as they resemble an ant. Unlike ants, termites cause extensive structural damage to properties if they are not controlled by qualified pest control specialists. They are white, as the name “white ant” implies, with soft bodies and hard powerful jaws which allow them to chew through all wooden materials. In Gauteng, our climate promotes termite infestation, thus, we have two prevalent termite species namely subterranean and harvester termites. Harvester termites attack lawns leaving behind round patches of stripped grass whereas subterranean termites attack all wood within structures.
How to Identify Whether You Require Termite Control
Termites live within the soil and need to maintain contact with the ground or other moisture source to survive.
The little white ants are not found out in the open, rather, the damage they cause is more easily traced.
Therefore, most clients contact pest control companies like ourselves for a professional opinion!
However, there are several tell tail signs which indicate the presence of termites, namely:
- Hollow sounding wooden structures such as skirting’s, door frames or cupboards. These structures become very soft and easily damaged by pressing against them with your finger or a tool
- Flying ants seen after the first summer rains with or without wings. Including heaps of broken off wings. Unlike the typical white ants these are much darker in color
- Wooden structures have mud tubes attached to them with various tunnels within the wood
- Small heaps of loose soil next to skirting’s, door frames or around the external perimeter of the house
- Bare round patches of cut grass – generally healthy grass
Why is Termite Control Required?
Termites feed on any wood product which contains cellulose including cupboards, skirting’s, doors, frames, lawns and even your roof rafters. When feeding, termites eat from the inside out, leaving only a thin layer of timber or paint with NO structural integrity.
Swift termite control is extremely important as insurance companies usually do not cover the damage caused.
How to Control Termites
This is where we as the Pest Control Pros come in! Our pest control services extend to providing free quotations with recommendations and a termite control plan. Where a subterranean termite infestation is prevalent we would need to treat the nests. This is done by drilling through your foundations under the floor and injecting a termiticide to prevent future infestations. If harvester termites are found on your lawn, we use high pressure pumps to inject the nests with termiticide.