Drywood termites can go undetected for a long period of time and can be difficult to spot. These termites will create considerable structural damage to your Orlando home, so it’s important to understand drywood termite characteristics and how you can prevent them from entering your home.
What Are Drywood Termites?
Drywood termites are commonly found in Florida, including the Winter Springs area. These termites do not need to live in soil to survive, unlike the subterranean termite. Instead, they seek out dry wood to excavate to create their drywood termite colony and live in it. Adult drywood termites have an oval-shaped waist, short legs, and straight antennae with equal length wings with a cream-white to light brown color body. These termites do swarm, and you can usually spot these termite swarmers on a sunny, warm day after temperatures rise. Swarmer season in Florida can begin as early as late February and continue until June!
Drywood termite colonies can number up to 2,500 members, chewing through almost anything made of cellulose, including support beams, attic framings, floors, and walls! These termites can enter your home and hitchhike through infested pieces of furniture and even picture frames.
How to Prevent Termites
There are several ways you can prevent drywood termites naturally through do-it-yourself preventative measures placed around your Florida property. Let’s review some easy tips and tricks to prevent drywood termites:
- Store wood materials: If you have any lumber, wood, or mulch in your yard, it’s important to place it away from your foundation. For firewood, look to store it at least 20 feet away and elevated off the ground.
- Keep your yard maintained: Trim all shrubs, bushes, and other dense vegetation so it does not touch the sides of your home, avoiding termites from easily gaining access.
- Keep lights off: Swarming termites are attracted to light, so consider turning your outside lights off and closing your curtains to avoid termite swarms at night.
- Inspect used furniture: Before bringing in any second-hand furniture inside your home, inspect it thoroughly for drywood termite signs.
- Prevent their access: Check your home’s exterior for any openings leading inside, sealing, and repairing them as soon as possible.
If you’ve noticed termite swarms in your Florida neighborhood or would like to get ahead of drywood termite prevention, call your nearest pest control company. These professionals will provide you with a drywood termite control plan and recommendations on preventing future infestations.
