3 Ways To Identify Termites With Santa Clarita Pest Control Company Unipest
Residents interested in identifying potential termite infestations at their homes themselves can learn from the Santa Clarita pest control experts at Unipest.
“Right now it is the termite season,” said Owner Cardon Ellis. “When you get 77 or above degree nighttime temperatures followed by moisture, even from sprinklers or rain or whatever, boom, they just come out by the thousands.”
There are two different types of termites in Santa Clarita, with drywood termites being the most common and subterranean termites being less common, according to Ellis.
#1 – Are there termite droppings?
Drywood termites alone leave droppings behind, which resemble a “salt and pepper discharge” and are “sawdust-looking pellets that come out of the wood,” Ellis noted.
Once drywood termites chew through wood and process the cellulose in that wood, they release these droppings, according to Ellis.
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# 2 – Are there mud tubes?
If there are no termite droppings visible, Ellis recommended looking for mud tubes at the base of side or garage walls, which are only made by subterranean termites.
“They actually take the soil up with them and create these mud tubes to protect that moisture content of the colony from the air outside,” Ellis said.
# 3 – Examine the termite swarmers.
If a resident doesn’t see mud tubes or termite droppings, the remaining way to identify termites is to examine the termites themselves by looking at what Ellis described as “swarmers.”
“Termites will actually swarm out,” he said. “Subterranean and drywood termite colonies have swarmers and that’s how they reproduce.”
Once swarmers are located, Ellis pointed out that drywood termites are larger in size and have big “veiny” wings and a dark red or brown color. In contrast, subterranean termites are smaller in size and have dark black bodies with lighter wings.
“I confess step three is pretty hard unless you’re experienced and know what you’re doing,” Ellis said. “So if you have any questions regarding subterranean or drywood termites, give us a call.”
The Santa Clarita pest and termite control company Unipest is the premiere residential and commercial pest control company for Los Angeles County. If you’re looking for pest or termite control in Santa Clarita or surrounding areas, Unipest prides itself on being your one-stop solution, and offer orange oil treatments, bee hive removal, fumigation, escrow inspections, removal of bed bugs, organic pest control and more. Residents and business owners are encouraged to call Unipest for immediate assistance!
