Termite Identification & Prevention

The most important thing to understand about termites is that they are insects you never want to allow into your Maryland home. They are destructive pests that are difficult to eliminate and control.

Termites are unique insects because they are one of the few organisms able to convert the cellulose found in wood and other organic materials into a usable food source. They can convert cellulose into a nutrition source thanks to the help of microorganisms living in their digestive tract.

Several different kinds of termites live in the United States, but subterranean termites are the most widespread here in Maryland. These termites live together in large colonies; they have high moisture needs and build their underground nests in damp soil. Subterranean termites feed on wood that is wet or decaying.

Unlike other types of insects that regularly invade our Maryland properties, you won't have to worry about being stung by termites or worry about them contaminating your family's food, or spreading diseases that make you and your family ill.

What you need to worry about is the structural damage termites and their voracious feeding habits can cause to your property. Termites are destructive pests, and while out foraging for food, they often wind up in our homes, usually after being attracted to the damp soil found around the perimeter of our homes. Once they get inside, any structural wood in your home damaged by moisture becomes a potential source of nutrition for termites.

When it comes to a termite infestation, you not only have to worry about the damage the termites cause but why they were attracted to your home. Subterranean termites usually indicate a moisture problem within your home that you need to find the root cause of and repair.

Every year, usually sometime in the spring, after heavy rainfall, winged reproductive termites (swarmers) swarm from mature termite nests. They search for a mate and a suitable nesting spot to create a new colony.

If you spot winged termites, piles of their wings, or termites crawling on your home's surfaces, a nest is likely nearby or soon will be.

When termites are nesting and foraging for food near our homes, it is common for them to enter inside through small cracks in the foundation or wood on your home, making contact with the ground. Once they discover your house is a foraging site, they will return daily.

Subterranean termites nest underground and travel through the soil or above the ground through mud tubes that they create. Their high moisture needs mean they must have constant contact with the damp soil to survive.

The subterranean termite's underground lifestyle means they are not an insect you will see out and about regularly. Their ability to remain in our homes unnoticed is why these pests can cause more than five billion dollars in damages across the United States each year.

In your house, termites feed on structural wood behind walls, under the floors, and above ceilings. Wood located near drains, water pipes, windows, doors, and other moisture sources is most likely to become a termite's colony foraging grounds.