Thursday, February 26, 2009

Like we need something right now to take another “bite” out of our wallets: Termites reportedly are swarming earlier this year than usual.
Jim Pond, manager of the Terminix pest control company in Port St. Lucie, said he started getting reports of termite swarms “a couple of weeks ago, and they’ve been coming in pretty consistently since then from as far north as Vero Beach down to Stuart.”
Anita Neal, director of the St. Lucie County Extension Service office in Fort Pierce, said no termites have been brought into her office so far this year, but that’s no reason to think Pond is just trying to drum up business.
“It’s a little early and the conditions aren’t quite right,” Neal said, “but it’s possible people are seeing swarms. Termites tend to swarm, or go into their reproductive stage, in the spring when the weather gets warmer and more humid. April and May are the peak months, but it can be as early as January.”

Just in case you’re swarmed, this information should help.
Know thine enemy.
There are three types of termites on the Treasure Coast:
Subterranean. The most destructive and most frequently encountered, they nest in soil and attack buildings through tubes that connect their nests to wood in structures.
Damp-wood. They require high humidity, regular contact with water and, unlike subterraneans, don’t forage in the soil.
Dry-wood. They don’t require contact with the soil but remain hidden in the wood or other material on which they feed, so that they are seldom seen.
What’s the buzz?
If you see swarming bugs flying around your windows or doors, Neal said, “the first thing you need to figure out is whether they’re termites or winged ants.”
Here’s how:
Wings. Both termites and flying ants have four wings, but termites’ are all the same length; ants have two long wings, two short wings.
Bodies: Termites are pretty much the same size from end to end; ants have distinctively slim waistlines.
Antennae: Termites’ are straight, ants’ are bent.
If they’re termites, a professional can determine which type. Your local county extension office can inspect them in-house or send them to the University of Florida; or contact a commercial exterminator.
A couple of rules of thumb:
Subterraneans swarm in the daylight; dry-wood and moist-wood termites swarm at dawn.
Subterranean termites tend to swarm earlier in the year. “So if you’re seeing a swarm now,” Neal said, “they’re probably subterraneans.”
We must protect this house!
Homeowners can take these steps to make their houses less appetizing to termites:
Make your gutters, downspouts and air-conditioner drains discharge water 18 to 24 inches away from the foundation of your house.
Keep the roof in good repair; stop leaks immediately.
Keep mulch and landscaping away from siding.
Don’t let sprinklers wet your house’s siding and foundation.
Don’t pile wood against the house or in the garage.
Remove boards, cardboard and paper from around or, if you have a crawl space, under the house.

By Tyler Treadway, TCPalm.com

Tags: extension, exterminator, Florida, housing, informant, repair, termites, trend, Weather

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