Termites can enter your home through various entry points such as windows, plumbing, cracks in the slab and wood to ground contact and other conducive conditions. Listed below are a few of the most common termites in the Tampa Bay area.

VIP Pest Control offers K-9 inspections. A good reason for a K-9 inspection is that our K-9 can detect the termites through the wall from their scent, whereas humans cannot. K-9s were evaluated by the University of Florida and were found to be 98% accurate. Although K-9 inspections tend to be more expensive, they are more accurate than traditional human inspections.

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean Termites are one of the most destructive wood destroying pests in Florida. They cause more than $2 billion in damage each year in the United State. That is more than the cost of damage by fire and windstorm combined. Subterranean Termites generally swarm the end of February to the beginning of May.

Some of the locations that Subterranean Termites build mud tubes are around the base of your home, in bathroom traps, in your garage, and around hot water heaters. Anywhere that there is wood to ground contact is conducive to Subterranean Termites. Wood chip mulch is perfect example of wood to ground contact. When the mulch touches your home, the Subterranean Termites then gain entry into your home via the cracks in the foundation. They thrive on wood to ground contact and conducive moisture conditions.

If you suspect any problems, it is imperative that you contact VIP Pest Control immediately for a free termite evaluation.

Drywood Termites

Most people associate Drywood Termites with tent fumigation. Tent fumigation involves placing a tent over the entire building and then pumping a poisonous gas into the structure. There is a great deal of preparation involved in the fumigation of a structure. This preparation must be discussed with you by a licensed professional, such as VIP Pest Control.

Drywood Termites are difficult to detect. They can leave behind wings and pellet-like droppings. If you suspect that you have Drywood Termites, you need to have your home inspected immediately. Drywood Termite swarm season is usually from May-August. Swarms generally occur at night. Drywood Termites are attracted to light, therefore you should put your outside lights on a motion detector during these months. Drywood Termites can swarm from your neighbor’s house to yours simply because you leave your outside lights on.

Drywood Termites can be carried from one place to another in furniture.

As a precaution, it is a good idea to turn off exterior lights so that if your neighbor has Drywood Termites, they don’t swarm over to your home.

Formosan Termites

The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) is one of the most destructive termites. It’s originally from Asia but due to worldwide trade it can be found in Africa, Hawaii and the United States. The Formosan termite colony can be 10 times the size of other subterranean species and can forage up to 300 feet. A mature Formosan colony can consume as much as 13 ounces of wood a day can severely damage a structure in as little as three months time.

Treatment for these termites can be very difficult due to their ability to live above ground in cartons. Cartons are made of saliva, mud, and fecal matter that have an outside shell like a coconut. Many times to complete treatment one must fumigate, complete a soil treatment, and remove the carton to gain control of this nasty termite.