Moisture in the Air

It appears we are moving into monsoon season as the air yeilds more humidity and we are blessed with a thunder shower here and there. I am originally from Minnesota and no stranger to humidity or rain, but when it rains here, unlike back in Minnesota, I am at my happiest. I'm sure a number of you also welcome the rain due to the vicious heat that plagues us through the summer, but my happiness also involves a pest related aspect. All that moisture welcomes to the surface our little buddies, the termites. Well, likely not your buddies, but I don't mind them (wink, wink). This installment will touch on termite biology, some of their habits, and conditions that promote their population.

A termite colony is divided between three castes; workers, soldiers, and reproductives. The role of the workers is to nourish the remainder of the colony, care for the young, groom, construct tunnels, colony repairs, and will help defend the nest. The workers are the caste that eat the wood or any other material that contains cellulose, such as cardboard and newspaper. They then digest the wood, and break it down into nutrients that the soldiers and reproductives feed on by way of secretions from either the mouth or anus.

The soldiers are a relatively small group within the colony, not nearly as numerous as the workers. They are called soldiers because their duty is to defend the colony. Visually, they are much different than the workers, having a large head and large mandibles. They depend on the workers for food.

The last caste are the reproductives. They continually reproduce and directly promote colony population. They also rely on the workers for food. A termite colony will have a King and Queen, both are called primary reproductives. However, if one or the other dies, secondary reproductives can take his/her place. Secondary reproductives are also responsible for the high rate of population growth in a colony. When environmental conditions are right, a colony will populate itself with alates. Alates are primary reproductives that leave the colony to establish a new one. These are what create termite swarms. Once they leave the existing colony, survival is not likely. I have read that maybe 1% of the tens of thousands in the air live to attempt a new colony.

Keep in mind that termites are very soft bodied. That means they are affected by temperature and exposure. If it's too hot or too cold, it will destroy the insect. That is why in the summer here termite activity is relatively low. When it becomes cooler, termites come to the surface to feed more readily. Higher temperatures also mean less moisture, and moisture is absolutely essential to termites. Since the valley is so dry, termites have to stay further under the soil during the toasty months to retain adequate moisture.

So keep a keen eye on your homes from September through the end of the year and be sure to look for the mud shelter tubes that subterranean termites create. Often times you'll find them on the stem wall of your home just beneath the lip of stucco. Other problem areas are any expansion joints in your garage. Also, look at your interior walls, behind paintings and any large furniture that you keep against the wall like an entertainment center or armoire.

I'll touch more on termites and indentification of activity in the next posting. And yes, I am well aware that I was late with this one...tsk, tsk. To make up for it, I'll try to squeeze one in even before this month is over. Thanks for stopping by, I'll speak with you soon.

Yours in Small Business

Nathan