Termites in Arizona

Termites in Arizona can be both destructive and costly to homeowners and business owners. Approximately one in three homes in Arizona are infested with termites. The pests often go undetected until noticeable damage is done to the home.

Types of Termites in Arizona

Termites are among the most destructive pests found in Arizona. Before treating your home for termites, it's crucial to understand which kind you have. There are four different termite species that may infest both homes and businesses in Arizona: arid subterranean, drywood, dampwood, and desert subterranean termites are most frequently seen.

Arid subterranean termites are the most prevalent termites in Arizona due to their ability to exist in many environments such as deserts, canyons, sand dunes, and near rivers. They like to feed on wood, as well as desert trees and cacti. These termites live in colonies in the dirt and are capable of causing significant damage to homes and wooden structures. They can be dark brown or black in color and have veiny wings and a straight antennae.

Drywood termites reside in dry, sound wood and do not need direct contact with the soil for survival. They are generally dark brown and amber (orangish-brown) in color with dark veined front wings. It is common for drywood termites to build mud tubes (typically made of fecal matter) to connect their food source to their colony in the soil. Unfortunately, drywood termites account for much of the wood-destroying damage in Arizona.

Dampwood termites (which have large heads with pincers) thrive in moist conditions, making them adept at infesting timbers in direct contact with the ground or structures built upon pilings, such as utility poles and fence posts made of wood. Dampwood termites have also been known to spread wood-decaying fungi through their skin, gut and mouth to infect other nearby timbers or spread infection throughout a structure built upon pilings.

Desert subterranean termites are generally identified by their paleness in color (almost like a cream-like color) and almost colorless wing. The presence of drop tubes (mud tubes built from the ceiling), as well as honeycomb-shaped damage left in wood, may indicate an infestation of desert subterranean termites.

Flying termites (or swarmers) swarm for mating and reproduction purposes, which lasts for about a couple of weeks. All four types of termites swarm leaving behind shed wings and excreta behind.

What Do Termites Eat?

Arizona is an active subterranean termite "belt." It also hosts drywood and dampwood termites. No matter which species is present, all termites seek out one thing in common: cellulose. Cellulose is a plant fiber and primary building block of wood that is also found in daily uses like paper and cardboard products. Consuming wood and plant material, termites can cause extensive structural damage by feeding on foundations, support beams, walls, decks, flooring, and insulation materials. Should they become hungry enough, termites could devour paper and cardboard in search of the cellulose they contain.

Most termite species prefer eating wood-based material for sustenance. However, they'll eat virtually any cellulose-containing material including drywall, foam and even thin sheets of lead. But these insects cannot obtain all their nourishment from just eating cellulose alone and require special microbes in their digestive tract to break it down for them.

They get their nutrition from digesting cellulose using single-celled protozoans and bacteria found within their hindguts. Fungi and bacteria living within termite guts work to combine nitrogen from air with calories found in cellulose to create something more digestible for these pests. Once termites eat cellulose, their mandibles chew it down until smaller pieces are broken up before being passed back to their colony where worker termites, soldier termites, swarmers, and larvae consume them as meals.

How To Protect Your Home From Termites

If you suspect termite damage to your house, contact a pest control service immediately for professional inspection. Termites can eat through wood, paper and insulation and cause serious structural damage if allowed to invade homes and other buildings. Luckily, homeowners can take some measures to help safeguard their properties against termite infestations.

Termites pose an ongoing threat to Arizona homeowners but taking a few preventive steps can help minimize their risks of infestations. Regularly check for signs of termite activity such as mud tubes or shed wings. Then, call in professional pest control immediately if any are seen. Left untreated, an infestation could result in costly repairs to structural components of your home and around your home.

Cracked foundations are one of the easiest entry points for termites into homes, providing easy access to soft wood materials such as furniture and floors. To protect against this scenario, inspect and repair any foundation cracks regularly to stop this from occurring.

Termites often enter homes through mulch and wood debris. To stop this from happening, ensure all wood debris and mulch are located several feet from the foundation of your house and any firewood stacks are far enough away as well. In addition, homeowners must ensure their wood has an appropriate moisture content to prevent it from warping, molding and cracking over time. Any wood in contact with soil must be kept away from the house - this can be accomplished by keeping firewood off of the ground rather than stacking against walls, and making sure gutters and drains work as intended.

Building a new home requires numerous precautions against termite infestation, such as using treated wood and treating the ground under slab foundations before pouring. Homeowners can take preventive steps such as moving plants a minimum of two feet from foundation and turning off sprinkler heads around house to stop termites accessing through soil pathways.

Signs You Have a Termite Infestation

Termites can be hard to detect until it's too late, which is why regular home inspection with a pest control company is key to protecting your home from costly termite damage. Termite trails between their nest and food sources can be identified by signs such as droppings on the ground or covered runways on surfaces, drop tubes made of mud (resembling icicles) which makes reaching targets easier, small openings in walls, and a mass of wings on surfaces as indicators of infestation. Visible mud tubes, sagging floors and cracking door frames, clicking sounds in walls, and hollow wood also might indicate termites are at work in your house.

If you observe swarmers emerging from trees, stumps, firewood piles or any other source in your yard on warm summer nights, it could indicate the presence of termite nests nearby or the formation of new colonies. If they appear near the foundation of your house, it would be wise to call in professional inspectors for an inspection and report.

The foundation slab of your home should be regularly checked after heavy rainstorms for signs of subterranean termites escaping underground nests into wooden beams, where they feast. Checking regularly after heavy rainfall to look out for them may prove worthwhile.

If your home contains a garage or workshop, it is wise to keep an eye out for any signs of termites. Cardboard boxes in these areas may attract subterranean termites who use them as tunnels into your house, sometimes reaching even your attic where they could cause extensive damage.

How to Get Rid of Termite Infestations

When it comes to termite infestation, professional inspection is always recommended as a preventative measure. But for those looking for alternative ways of controlling termites themselves, there are also some simple measures they can take themselves. First and foremost, homeowners should identify the various species of termites found in their area. Knowing the difference will allow them to take immediate action when necessary.

One way of dealing with termites is by purchasing and releasing nematodes specifically designed to target and destroy termite colonies. You can find these online or at some specialty stores. The product should be released around any termite-infested structure to effectively eradicate them. Homeowners can also rid their home of termites by exposing the wood to sunlight, using boric acid baits, injecting the affected wood with pesticides, using a heat treatment, or contacting their pest control for fumigation treatment services.

‍