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Termites
Termites strike fear in the hearts of homeowners. Live termites can literally eat you out of house and home, silently damaging its structure and requiring expensive repairs. They cause an estimated $5 billion in damage each year, but most homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover it. As they silently devour the wood in your home, you may be clueless that there’s a hostile takeover going on. Learning the signs of an active or potential invasion is very important. When termites threaten your home, Bug Ivey can get rid of them and prevent future attacks.
About Termites
The Eastern Subterranean Termite is the most common species in the Carolinas. They live underground in efficient, well-organized colonies, feeding on the cellulose in wood, nonstop, 24/7. The members of the colony have assigned roles?reproductives, soldiers and workers. The soldiers and workers tend to the nest and protect it. The soldiers provide food to the colony. The queen’s role is to produce eggs, laying up to 30,000 per day! The numbers can get exponential quickly. Swarmers, called alates, fly out of the nest to create new colonies, where the breeding cycle continues. Measuring only .25 to .5 inch in length, adult termites may be active in your home for years before being detected.
Termites vs Ants
Termites are often confused with flying ants but you can tell them apart. Ants have a narrow waist, curved antennae, and two sets of wings that are different in length. Termites have a thick waist, straight antennae, and two sets of wings that are the same length. If you see any winged insects in your home, we can help you accurately identify them.
Signs of Termite Infestation
Most of the time, termites go undetected as they continuously consume the wood in your home. If you see any of these signs, contact us right away so we can help you prevent further damage and prevent impending attacks.
- Flying swarmers around exterior lighting or wood around your home
- Damaged wood with honeycomb-shaped channeling
- Mud tubes, used by termites to travel from their colonies to your home
- Live termites, anywhere near or in your home
Bug Ivey is considered the go-to company in the Charlotte metro area for termite control and prevention.
Even our competitors have been known to refer their “termite problems” to us.
Keep Scrolling to Learn MoreIDENTIFICATION
Ant Vs. Termite
Myths vs facts
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Myth
Only one type of termites exists in the United States. -
Fact
While it sounds completely ridiculous to PMPs, many people believe this.
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Myth
Termites are white ants. -
Fact
Termites are one species of insect; ants are a different species of insect.
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Myth
Surround your home with wood, and that will keep termites out of your home. -
Fact
On the contrary: this will attract more termites that will breed faster and ultimately cause more damage. The more wood available, the faster they build their colonies.
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Myth
Purchasing mulch for your home’s exterior will attract termites. -
Fact
Most mulch is pretreated before being sold. As such, the probability of this occurring is extremely low. This was a popular rumor after Hurricane Katrina.
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Myth
My neighbor had a termite treatment, and now I have termites. The termite treatment they had pushed termites onto my property. -
Fact
Termite colonies can be enormous, stretching across numerous properties. Modern termite treatments are nonrepellent, so they don’t cause termites to avoid the treatment.
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Myth
Formosan subterranean termites eat only wood and no other form of construction material. -
Fact
While Coptotermesformosanusprefer to eat wood, there have been documented accounts of them chewing through copper piping, foam insulation boards, plaster and some plastics
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Myth
Termites only attack structures in decay. New construction is safe from termites. -
Fact
Termites will attach older structures just as they would newer structures. In fact, there have been documented accounts of termite activity in new construction as early as a week old.
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Myth
Steel-framed homes are safe from termite damage. It’s the best way to build. -
Fact
Steel-framed homes are no more exempt from or resistant to termite damage than other structures, mainly because these homes are built on slabs and other building materials that can attract termites.