Do you know the difference between Subterranean Termites and Drywood Termites? National Pest Management Association (NPMA) states that “both drywood and subterranean termites cause millions of dollars in damage annually across the United States, despite a limited distribution. In the years before a colony can produce alates, detection is difficult and infestations often persist for many years unnoticed”.
Main Difference
Subterranean termites reside in the ground, while drywood termites nest inside the wood they are infesting. This leads to varying points of attack on your property. Subterranean termites make mud tubes to tunnel through the ground and invade your home. It can spell disaster if you have either in your home or on your property.
Drywood Termites
“Termites are known to be cryptic but drywood termites take that lifestyle to the extreme. They live completely within dry, sound wood, which functions as a colony site and food source. Drywood termites do not need to maintain a soil contact as they are able to extract all the moisture they need from the wood they consume and metabolic processes. Living within their food source provides drywood termites great protection from the environment and predators and also makes them very difficult to detect. Drywood colonies are smaller than native subterranean termite colonies and consume much less wood per colony,” reports National Pest Management Association (NPMA).
Drywood termites live in dry wood out of the ground as they need very little moisture. Drywood termites infest dry wood and do not require contact with the soil. The subterranean species must nest in the soil or near a water source in order to survive.
They build their living arrangements in window frames, trim, wooden frames and other wooden elements. Look for them in attics too. They eat wood, leaving only the thin outer layer of healthy wood.
Subterranean Termites
These termites build their colonies in raw land and nest in the ground and form huge termites. They build closed tunnels between food and their nests. They need moist soil and darkness in order to survive. Subterranean termites are much more dangerous because they cause more significant damage than drywood termites. Their colonies can develop up to 1 million strong. Subterranean termites have a soft white body with no eyes. They are typically no longer than a centimeter.
Subterranean termites have a large society with a king and queen and subordinates (soldiers, workers and alates). The soldiers guard the royal couple. The queen is up to 10 centimeters in length and the king slightly exceeds her size. Her lifespan is about fifteen years. A few millions of termites appear during their reign.
It is important to make sure your home is termite free. Schedule an inspection TODAY!
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