Termite Extermination FOR BEGINNERS

Termite Delicacy

2011-08-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

More than half the time we consider termites as pests. Considering the gargantuan damage they cause humanity every time, it is of no doubt that they will be considered as pests. Although, we are aware that they are vital in the entire ecological balance, we are still inclined to think that they do more damage and nuisance to us rather than being helpful of a species. But did you know that in some parts of the world, they have a different value system towards termites? Yes they do, and you will be surprised to know that they contribute a lot in the aesthetics of their food culture. Believe it or not, they are actually considered as delectable delicacy in a country.

In Africa, the queen termite (mother of a termite colony and usually relatively larger in size) is actually a crucial ingredient of a very popular delicacy. In layman, it is called the queen termite dish. And truthfully speaking, it is dubbed as quite a favorite delicacy in their place and it does have nutritional value. However, it's not something you would plan to eat for your entire life unless of course if it is in your culture not to consider such delicacy as exotic but rather native and common. But then of course, you would want to try out new exciting things every once in a while especially when it comes viands and dishes and this might just be the thing for you to try. It may be quite possible even that after you have tasted this African delicacy, you won't dare try it again, yet of course, that completely depends on your sense of taste as there are always some people who would find the relativity of the idea of what is delicious and what's not. You may be able improvise the dish to your preferences, but in the African way, the dish is as straightforward as it goes. Here are some guidelines on how to prepare this African termite dish just in case you find the heart to try it out.

Just a disclaimer though, the idea here is that the food is an exotic dish and it doesn't necessarily warrant a universal appreciation to anyone. Essentially the point here is for you to try it out by your own free will.

Instructions on How to Make Your Own Termite Dish:

1. The first step is actually the most difficult part of the process wherein you will have to harvest the queen termites from their colony. You have to make sure as well that you are able to identify a queen termite from the rest of the member of the colony. Another difficult part of this task is that you would really have to scour over a colony of termites, which could probably be comprised of hundreds of thousands of termites, in order to find their queen. If it helps though, here's a tip: Queen Termites are usually in the deepest chambers as a termite colony would instinctively place their queen on those areas to conceal and protect them from any foreign entity that might prey on it. You have to be aware as well the termite mounds or mud castles are also home to many of the world's most poisonous and venomous creatures such as snakes, and bugs and they could bite you off when you begin to place your hand inside the mound. It would be wise to seek professional assistance first or have them do the job for you. If possible, just make sure that they are already extracted from the mound and don't dare do things all by yourself. To some point, the mounds may even have to be destroyed first to extract the queen and most likely you may not be gauged up with that kind of challenge.

2. Ask for assistance from African villagers and make sure they have the necessary tools with them. Most likely, after you have gone through or at least witnessed the experience of taking down a termite hill, you may never ever think of doing the same thing again ever in your life. The entire experience may be quite revolting and therefore you must really prepare yourself for it, physically and mentally.

3. Oh, was it mentioned that they do fight back as well. Yes, they do fight back and they can be deadly serious about stopping you from destroying their home. And we're not talking about small fry termites that you see a lot in the wooden parts of your home but their might large termites than the ordinary ones. You may have to expect an entire horde of termites dashing towards you and chew on your flesh until you sore out from bleeding. Like what was said earlier, they are dead serious about keeping that colony intact.

4. Continue hacking and pounding through the mud/rock hill of termites until you reach the bottom of it. From there you will then find your pot of gold, a pulsing queen termite. You can identify her by noticing her big abdomen which is about the size of two fists put together (you can probably visualize now how big they are). Immediately take her out while her entire army is still at you.

5. After you have extracted their precious queen, go and cook right away on a pan of scalding oil and wait until it turns golden brown. By then you will know that the fruit of your labor is already good to eat. Of course you can always choose to eat this all by yourself granted that the villagers you employed to take the down the bug-a-bug hill won't turn sour and hack you as well for not sharing "your" fruit of labor. If you decided to share your blessings, you may have to prepare yourself of the eventual small amount of ration as the main dish would have to be minced into 20 different parts. Just think of it as a noteworthy experience that you won't dare experience all over again.

Termites: A Biology Article

2011-07-20T02:25:00.000-07:00

Termites are perhaps one of the most numerous species of creatures on the planet. There are about over 500,000 species of them and most of them are left undiscovered just yet. Termites are actually pretty fascinating creatures, apart from the given fact that they can also be very destructive. If termites don't destroy human properties, then they might just be worth ever appreciation of every human being in the planet in the kind metamorphic evolution they go through. It's time that we take a closer look at termites and learn how to appreciate them. The question now is how do we do that? When every time we think about termites, all that ever pops into our head is the devastating outputs of termites once they start on their feeding spree? If you think about it, it is actually quite difficult to shift the paradigms of our minds into thinking that termites are actually great creatures. There's almost nothing to see that is good in them. We could almost condone their existence and find them pretty negligible. If nothing else comes good in their presence on earth, we could just practically wipe them off the planet and bring their species into extinction.

However, that's not necessarily so. Termites they may be, they also server a crucial role to our planetary balance. Their absence would prove to be fatal to the intermeshed web of life and the entire balance of every creature's existence. Imagine how many species of creatures on earth will be deprived of food source if we take out termites off the big picture. Then we would really have serious problems in our hands. It is worth the time to take a look at these amazing creatures so that once and for all we could learn to appreciate them. If we don't do it now, we might end up in the same scenario as predicted if we don't learn to give value or importance to such small creatures. Just because their destructive to our properties, doesn't necessarily mean their absolutely pests and that they do us no good at all.

It's about time we take a look at the biological backdrop of termites in the world and see through the salient points that is truly worth appreciating for when it comes to termites. You'll be surprised how much your perspectives have changed after you have read through this article and understood the very fascinating nature about termites.

The Biological Backdrop

Let us first talk about the most prominent species of termite in the planet and hope we could change our perception towards them by learning what they are and how their magnificent existence works. The Macrotermes bellicosus is the most widely distributed species of termites in the planet. They are also close relatives to the notorious subterranean Formosan termites which are usually the cause why we complain a lot about sudden property damages in our houses or any property. This species of termites are also among the largest of the termites species. They are quite large enough to become noticeably conspicuous. Termites do live in colonies. This one in particular, could actually have colony as large as hundreds of thousands in population and they could grow as much only within a span of few years. Probably 3-5 years of healthy thriving colony. These termites are also known for their other name "white ants" which is quite ironically, not true at all because of the obvious fact that they are termites and not ants. What's even more farfetched is that termites are not at all related to ants in any way possible.

Nests

Did you know that termites build nests? You may have only thought that birds are the only ones capable of building such a dwelling. However, termites do build nests as well. Well at least some species of termites are able to build nests and like birds, they also build their nests in wood materials. It's quite a wonder to imagine how termites could possibly relocate pieces of wood or twigs and construct them or assemble such that they will be to form a nest dwelling. And like birds, they also build their nests in trees and or sometimes in posts. The bellicosus species build their nests inside the ground, burrowed deep down underneath. Theoretically, they do this to prevent any harmful interference from their predators and careless humans. The nest is often constructed using sand and clay.

To answer your question as to how they are able to do it, it kind of works likes this: Worker termites would first go out in search of materials to be used in the building of the nests. Usually, the materials are sand, clay and some wood twigs, if ever there are any. They gather these materials by carrying them through their mouth. They would usually carry a mouthful of these materials back to the burrows they have created on the ground where they would build their nests. The sand and clay that they carry in their mouse would consequentially be moistened by their saliva. This would them make the materials sufficiently malleable during the process of moulding the materials into nest dwellings. Usually, the building activities for termites would be the busiest during the beginning of the wet seasons, wherein most of the materials are already wet and would naturally be easier to maneuver in order to build their nests.

All termites in the world would feed on cellulose materials or vegetations and this has been their primary source of diet ever since time immemorial. Their evolution perhaps has taken place a long time before since we have always known termites to eat wood materials. Some scientists have theorized that the ancestral termites or the first termites in the world didn't consume wood materials but only cellulose materials from plants that are relatively softer than wood. At some point, they have developed their diet on feeding on wood materials when the inclusion of the parasites within their system took place.

Subterranean Termites: Ecological Behavior Study

2011-07-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Subterranean Formosan termites are actually the major pest of any human structures throughout the globe. Contrary to what most people believe, not all termite species are capable of destroying households. There are those termite species that only dwell in rainforests and never anywhere near residential households. The only termite species that are known to destroy houses are the subterranean Formosan termites. They alone are the ones capable of destroying a house within a matter of one week in its strongest assault. Believe it or not, the destruction brought about these species of termites is so considerable that if monetarily converted would amount to as much as billions of dollars of damages per year worldwide. In the endeavors to control these termite species from destroying more human properties, certain control methods were employed, like massive chemical treatments to ensure the elimination of an entire colony infesting a house. Throughout the years, these kinds of treatments are known to be quite effective in dealing with problems, incurring only negligible setbacks, this method of termite control is indeed the most efficient one. However, reports regarding severe side-effects to human health were growing over the years in employing chemical-oriented treatments that it lead to the banning of certain products. It is of no surprise that many of the chemical treatments that were popularly used before are no long in circulation as of today. Still, there are others that smuggle the products and continue to do so in marketing and using them even with prior precedence of chemical intoxication detriments.

Because of this fact, the dawn of a new scientific challenge is at hand. The challenge now is to find more environmentally friendly treatments that are sure not to harm any human beings in any level and in any way, as well as the environment safe from any harmful after effects while still being able to treat and control infestations that take place in the house. But that in itself entails a greater challenge to the scientists as the quest doesn't only begin with synthesizing the new formula in itself, but it will also entail the considerable amount of research in an effort to understand first the natural habitation of the termites. It is imperative that there should be a full comprehension first about the termites, sense of living, natural habitats, common environments when in transition, reproduction, methods in dividing labor, foraging, social interactions, and of course, the environmental influences of the creatures. When there is full comprehension of this matter, the possibilities of developing a highly efficient and effective, environmentally friendly termite control methods will be just within reach. It will also open the opportunity of tripartite discussions regarding the pros and cons of certain approaches as well a full value assessment of efficacy. It will also serve as a way to highlight certain grey areas of the study and identifying certain aspects that are still in need of further research and or development. This article aims to enlighten not only specific readers but all.

Introduction

According to recent statistical findings, there is an estimated amount of 3 billion dollars of damages being incurred every year in wooden structures all over the United States with 80% of the total damage can be attributed to the subterranean termites. In Hawaii alone, a cost of 60 million dollars of property damage can be attributed to the Formosan termites. These figures only depict how economically significant termites are in the human economy. The previous application of the termite control methods were mostly failures because of the obvious lack of considerations to certain pertinent factors that crucially defines an effective means of dealing with the termites. Considerations like natural behaviors and habitation of these insects should be paid attention to in order to further improve the approaches in dealing with them. In the following years later, the trend has dramatically changed because of the reported side-effects of chemical treatments to human beings. This alone has been a crucial determinant for scientists to evolve their developing approaches of dealing with termite infestations in the US. Subsequently, the direction of the following researches is leading towards the development of biologically friendly and non toxic chemical treatment for termite control. The newer methods would include barriers variations, extreme temperature exposures, asphyxiant gases, other variations of biological control methods. All of the said fields are still in need of further development and research in their own respects. Another point of consideration for further researches is the consideration of the feasibility of colonial eradication in contrast to mere control methods alone, in context of the assumption that there will be much more considerable output if the approach is hinged solely on eradication alone rather than just controlling termites in entering human territories. However, it has been found out that the method of eradicating population is quite unfeasible under the context of using biological and non-toxic treatments in dealing with termites. Thus, further developments in counteracting termite infestations were unearthed, and more formulas, methods, techniques and strategies are being used to fully relinquish the destruction brought about the by the subterranean Formosan termites.

Under the subterranean Formosan termites is another genera of the species that still provide economical significance to humans. This genera is the Coptotermes and Reticulitermes. These species of termites are even considered economical equivalents to the general genera of termites. This species somehow originated in the Orient areas and were transported across the globe through infested wooden hulls and crates in ships. Now the rest of the world serves home to one of the most economically destructive creatures on earth. United States is also being infested by the same species and has economically suffered as well from the destruction they bring about. Statistically speaking, the catastrophe damage brought about by Formosan termites to human property, if accumulated would exceed the damage costs of any hurricane, earthquake, and fire damages combined. This is how damaging these species of termites can be and thus, the urgency of discovering newer and more effective methods are absolutely imperative.

The Positive Aspects of Termites

2011-06-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

Making it a Point to Save Termite Race

Every time you see termites around in your house doesn't always necessary mean imminent ultimate destruction. There are other few positive things to it. You just have to creatively work your mind in deducing what are those things that make termites positive in households. One way to do that is to know that since termites feed on wood, if there are any scrap woods in the house, you might as well feed it to them. Just still make sure though that the termites are just around the house and not "inside" the house. Otherwise, it wouldn't be scrap food that they will be feeding on but your entire household. In order to somehow domesticate termites, you have to make sure that they are just nearby. Probably around your crop areas if you happen to have one.

Another advantage of having termites is that they do a lot in cultivating and nourishing the soil such that it will become highly susceptible for crop and vegetation. Termites aerate the soil causing an easy flow of oxygen right in to the vegetations' roots. Termites also make sure that organic materials that lay on the ground, i.e. animal corpse, wood parcels, withered leaves, etc. are easily degraded. Once they are broken down, they will in become minerals in the soil and of course, nourishment to your plants. That's truly better off than leaving animal corpse to rot and stink around your house or leave pile of wood logs around which will eventually become home to serpents and other poisonous bugs. That's truly not a good thing by then.

You see, there are actually a lot of invaluable contributions that termites do to us humans and to the entire ecological system than we readily know. Had we taken the time to research about them, we would have known these advantages and would have probably made a good use of them. Since only a few people know about their advantages, only people have truly benefited from them and at the same time became true friends with termites, while the rest of us, continue on killing and destroying the apparently vermin of the house. There is actually a clear and present danger when it comes to indifferently and nonchalantly destroying termite colonies.

Of course there is an indubitable immediate need to get rid of them when they are inside, but it's absolutely a different story if they are just outside, living peacefully in their colonies and far from the possibility of ever invading your home. If they are just sitting there and if you know that your house is very well treated with anti-termite treatments, you don't really have to go the extra mile of delivering Armageddon to the poor peacefully living termites. You have to be kind to them instead and probably even make use of them like what was mentioned earlier in this article. That way, it is a win-win situation for the both of you, where you and the termites have benefited from each other.

Why Preserve Termites

There are two major things actually why a person shouldn't just go on killing termite colonies and becoming trigger happy about it. One major reason it would destroy the natural order of things, relative to the role of termites in the ecosystem. Second is that the cultivation of a trigger happy attitude will possibly result to the destruction of their species to the brink of extinction. Either of the two things is not good at all. If the termites are eliminated in the system, who knows what sort of disaster will befall upon us when the imbalance will take place.

There are also other minor reasons why one should preserve termites and one of the reasons is because of their advantages to vegetation soil. If you miss that opportunity to use them, you may not be able to benefit from their incentives at all and it would be a sad loss on your part. Another reason is not doing what you really don't have to do. Not only do you exert a wasteful amount of effort, you also strike havoc to peacefully living creatures. God wouldn't want you to do that kind of stuff. Really!

The Amazing Termites

Despite from the fact that they do well in properly cultivating vegetation soils, there are also other things that you should be amazed of when it comes to talking about termites. One of those things that you should be amazed is the fact on how they strive in existence and how they naturally behave in their society.

Yes believe it or not, a termite colony is actually formally called a society. The reason why scientists have considered termite groups as society is because of their behaviors in accordance to their group. Termites infallibly conform to their roles which make them a highly stratified, systematic and organized being, thus making a highly uniformed society. Termites are by far considered eusocial creatures, along with ants, bees, and wasps which all exhibit a very similar organization behavior with termites. Eusocial creatures are actually higher creatures of the entire animal species strata in terms of organization and system. In fact, termites come in first than humans in terms of harmoniously living with each other in a group or society. Human beings really have to learn a thing or two with termites on how to properly organize societies and communities.

Another very amazing termite fact is that despite the common understanding of people to them as destructive creatures, in the contrary, when they are in their natural habitat, they are actually highly constructive creatures. Ironic it may seem but termites are very efficient and effective engineers of their own mound; using only saliva and other bodily liquids, they can create an entire city inside their mound, fully equipped with very specific tunnels and passages that lead to designated areas. A passage would lead to the queen for the reproduction purposes of the colony; another would lead right back into the tunnels of colony construction, while other passage would lead to their food resources.

Two-Faced Termites

2011-06-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

Termites are two faced creatures on earth. They can be both constructive and destructive at the same time. But they can be more of the other characteristic depending on the given situation or location. But one thing is for certain about termites are that they are indeed endowed with superior survival instincts that have enabled them to live all throughout time. Termites have existed long before the dinosaurs have lived and up to until their species have remained strong, even stronger to the extent that they have virtually outnumbered humans to a thousand to one. Imagine this: The combined weight of all the termites in the world will exceed the combined weights of all the human beings in the world. This is how great their numbers and how overpowering they have become over humans. There are even some cultures in this world to address termite existence with reverence acknowledging them as superior creatures among all the other creatures on earth. Come to think about it, if the entire termite race would take drastic measures to overpower humans, they could very well do so and we'll be swarmed with termites to our deaths. A termite colony alone can destroy a household within only a span of one week, how much more if there will be more than just one colony that will attack? Imagine the entire termite colonies in the world staging an attack to human race. The plague and famine we will have to undergo is just unconscionable.

However, that theory is still highly fictitious and until that time it becomes reality, humans are still the most superior beings on earth and termites are just one of our bug subordinates. Still we have to keep them checked in order ensure the safety of our own household. As we all very well know, they are quite harbingers of destruction and havoc to any residential household. There is still more reason for us to be careful in the presence of termites and when they infest.

Nevertheless, when we talk about termites, there should be two sides we should take into consideration of since there are two sides to a termite’s existence as what was mentioned at the first part. Let us first discuss the negative side of termites in this world and how they detrimentally affect human beings in the process.

Negative Side

Well, this part is a no brainer to us since we all already know how destructive termites can be. But for the sake of a thorough discussion and comprehensive understanding to the nature of termites, it is best that we talk about their negative impact to human habitation and society.

The negative side to termites is that they destroy a lot of things especially if there's a lot of wood in it. Since termites feed mainly on wood, they would naturally devour anything that has wood. Say for example your house. The house in itself contains enough wood to sustain an entire termite colony. That’s why termite infestations could always occur within a residential household.

The property damage that a termite infestation could incur could be quite unimaginable and considerable. If you happen to have mansion for a home, then you might just lose a lot of monetary investments over a termite infestation.

At sometimes, they don't only devour commercial residential households; they also destroy natural habitats like trees and consequentially forests. A massive termite habitation within a forest area could eventually devour the entire place until there's nothing left. You must consider as well that termites don't only feed on wood but as well as many organic materials such as soft parts of plants which are prevalent in forests. This is how damaging termites can get.

According to statistics, the quantitative amount of damage that termites cause every year is greater than all the earthquake, storm, and fire damages combined. Every year, termites incur millions of dollars in losses that if summed all up could potentially be a considerable amount enough to defray a huge portion of national debts.

As of today, there are many innovative ways that are used to deal with termite infestations efficiently; to ensure that every household is safeguarded from any potential termite attacks and to prevent the possible losses to be incurred. It is greatly imperative to use preventative measures like wood treatments before the house is constructed and established. This way, termites will no longer be enabled to penetrate the premises of the household for a very long time. However, treatments will expire and eventually and you would have to renew them. Make it a point to assess the treatment's efficacy after some time since the initial treatment to know whether you would have to apply treatment again or not.

Positive Side

No matter how destructive termites can be, they also have positive sides in them. It's just that we are not normally acquainted with it. However, if we take a closer look at termites, we will uncover as well as unravel the wonders of termite existence. Termites are actually amazing creatures.

Termites are actually highly constructive creatures even if they do destroy tons of wood every time. In terms of building their community they are very amazing constructors. They can build mounds that can reach as much 6 meters high from the ground. And the height isn't the only thing amazing in the termites' mound; the interiors can also be quite an eye-candy to a truly appreciating eye. The passages and tunnels within termite mounds are highly designated that each entry would lead to chambers of particular purpose to a termite colony. And to think that they're only made out of their own saliva. Termites are just simply amazing.

According to recent researches as well, termites are send to be sources of organic biological fuels. Their guts are said to produce compounds that can be used as renewable fuel resource.

The most amazing part with termites is the fact that they are highly organized. They are termed as eusocial creatures of their highly systematic structured system that even surpasses humans.

Termite Statistics

2011-06-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

Accurate and up-to-date data on termite behavior, control products and property damages is vital to the industry that provides services and manufactures goods for termite control. The industry works hand in hand with entomologists that specialize on termites in order to produce the best services and products available. These data are often presented through statistics that embody the facts and figures gathered through a series of laboratory and field experiments. This article will talk about these statistics in order to help those who suffer from termite infestation problems understand their situation better.

Statistics on the Damages Caused by Termites

Damages to Residences and Business Establishments

Although termites are supposed to be harmless creatures to humans, the "accidental" crossing for its road to human civilization has resulted to the destruction of a lot of properties. Statistically speaking, termites damage about 600 thousand US homes each year. Multiply that to just ten year and you get a shocking 1 000 000 homes already! It is worth noting too that termites have already been causing property damage for so long that in some countries (like in Australia), termite infestation problems are considered to be as old as their civilization. Imagine that amount of damage.

Because of the vastness of the damage that termites cause, roughly $5B is spent for termite eradication and control on a yearly basis in the USA. This much money is enough to feed the marginalized sectors of Africa for almost a decade! However, because of the termite infestation problems, this money is spent on termite repellent products, termite control services and repair of properties being damaged by termites. Moreover, according to the statistics released by the USDA or the US Department of Agriculture, about $1B to $2B is spent on repairs alone.

Damage to Farms

Termite problems are more prevalent in farms and other agricultural lands. Even though termites feed on dead plants for cellulose, when this food source become scarce, termites will begin to feed on living plants and in the case of farm lands, these are the crops that they grow. Termite control in farms is more expensive because two factors: (1) the area to monitor is very vast and (2) chemical control in difficult to use because crops also respond negatively to some chemicals. According to the USDA, about $30B is spent on termite control and eradication in farmlands throughout the country.

Statistics on the Different Termite Treatments and Control Products

Termites indirectly damage nature and compromise human health too. Apart from the actual and immediate damage that they can cause to properties, because of their presence, humans are forced to use toxic chemicals throughout their properties just so they can be eradicated.

These chemicals can greatly compromised human health and at the same time destroy the ecology of nature. Approximately 2 million US residences are subjected to termite treatments that make use of chemicals yearly. Most of these usages happen before the construction of the house or the building.

Termite control companies or contractors treat the very soil that will become the foundation of the house (this method is known as repelling because by treating the soil, you make it unattractive to termites thus "repelling" them from coming any closer). The alarming fact about this process is that the house or building being constructed will be literally sitting on a "toxic waste land". Many problems have risen because of this practice (see my article on the banned termiticide called Chlordane), but people are forced to do it still in order to avoid future damages caused by termite attacks.

On Treatment Costs

It should be noted that termite treatments vary from each other depending on the type of treatment used, the area that is to be treated, the materials used in the construction of the property and of course, the reputation of the company rendering the service.

The "reputation" factor is a tricky thing. It can be compared to how certain consumer electronic gadgets are priced: Apple, Sony, LG, Samsung, etc. The price of the product is greatly affected by the reputation of the company because in the world of services and manufacturing of goods, companies often gain good reputation after years of establishing the quality of service or products that they can provide. The same is true with termite control.

Reputable companies would definitely advertise about their advanced equipments and well-trained personnel. These things affect the pricing of the treatment so much. However, it does not mean that the other not-so-popular companies cannot compete with the quality of service that the high-end companies can provide. But statistically speaking, it was found out that these popular companies offer get the greater bulk of the market.

The type of treatment and the kind of termiticide used are also key elements in the pricing system of the services. For example, common termiticide products that have already gained the approval of the public will most likely be more patronize. Termidor, a very popular US termiticide brand proves this assertion. According to statistics, this termiticide is applied to about 3.75 million residences in the United States since the day that it was released in the market.

On Termite Inspection Costs

The statistics related to the cash spent on termites are not only limited to the damage and the actual treatment used, termite inspection also share a good amount of income for the termite control industry. This is because not all homes might be really infested by termites, but all homeowner's are most likely anxious about having termites in their houses. So, these homeowners tend to hire inspectors (who they pay) just to see if their homes are termites free. This adds up to the entire income that the termite control business gets. In short, the fear of a possible termite infestation is also making money apart from actual presence of termites.

According to statistics, only 3 of 5 houses inspected for termites need professional treatment. This means that 2 homeowners pay for termite inspection although they do not necessarily have to. Overall, this is the main reason why termite control companies offer termite inspection services apart from their actual termite extermination service.

Wishing you a termite infestation free summer in 2011,
Your favorite exterminator,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Treatment Options for Termite Control

2011-06-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

Both subterranean and dry-wood termites are extremely destructive. Waiting for these pests to leave your home is just a waste of time. There is only one reason for a termite to leave the colony; to create a new one.

To deal with these pests, consider the following suggestive measures as treatment. Commonly these measures include Fumigation of Structures, Introduction of heat, Direct Chemical Treatment, Electronic Induction Method.

Termite treatment tips before going further

The mating and pairing of Alates as king and queen is just the beginning of future infestation. To prevent further infestation problems do these simple preventive measures:

- Find those cracks and open crevices in your homes and seal it.

- When your paint bubbles and begins to peel off, repaint and add new paint coats.

- Use screens for your foundation vents and even on your attic.

- Clean any suitable food materials for termites away from your home like dead trees, rotten lumber or firewood.

Fumigation of Structures

This method is mostly preferred because most infestations occur unnoticeable and hidden especially when termites build more than one nest and created large colonies in your house. Even if you find it difficult to locate the termite nest, structural fumigation is very effective.

The process of fumigation includes the envelopment of your home with a tent followed by the introduction of a fumigant containing an active ingredient like sulfuric fluoride. In a form of gas, fumigant reaches even the most inaccessible part and smallest crevices of the house that termite might be nesting.

Other known fumigant is the methyl bromide but banned nowadays because studies shows that it contributes ozone depletion. Sulfuric Fluoride becomes now the primary gas fumigant for dry-wood termites in the United States.

Here are known sample of fumigant brands containing Sulfuric Fluoride with approval for residential use; Master Fume by Target in 2009, Zythor was introduce in the market in 2005 by Ensystex II and Vikane of Dow AgroSciences since 1961. On the other hand, food facilities, commodities and mills use other fumigant with sulfuric fluoride content under the brand of ProFume from Dow AgroSciences also.

The innermost part and the inaccessible portions of the house serve as possible escape route for the termites. In this case, fumigants proved to be very effective because fumigant in a form of gas will be evenly disperse to reach and penetrate even the most tightly concealed crevices that are possible nesting place of termites.

The gas when inhaled by the termite break down in a form of fluoride and sulfate that disrupts the metabolism of termites causing death. Normally its takes about three days before all of the termites will die and it's not alarming to see living termites after fumigation.

The Sulfuric fluoride as a termite fumigant is nonflammable and will penetrate your walls and reach the termites within. Once the tent is removed, the fumigant disperses rapidly and leaves no residue therefore it doesn't damage household electronic devices.

With considerable drawbacks, sulfuric fluoride at high temperature decomposes rapidly forming a corrosive acid. But not to worry about that because professional fumigant handlers knows it very well and ensures that all your heating devices and sources are turn off before the fumigation process begins.

Introduction of heat as Treatment for Termites

The process is almost the same as gas fumigation; the house will be covered with tent but instead of using fumigant, the introduction of propane heaters will be used. By doing so, expert will blow hot air at considerable temperature reaching up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Termites have no ability to control its body temperature which is suitable only to moderate temperature. Definitely termite cannot survive the sudden change of extreme temperature killing its eggs and the termite itself. But similar to fumigation, the process leaves no residual protection which protects your home against future and new termite attacks. Both treatments are meant to control present and active infestation of termites.

Direct chemical treatment

This is to ensure that your structure will be more resistant to any termite attacks by applying chemicals directly to the wooden fixture or by simply putting chemicals on ground that will serve as a barrier. Chemical treatment will be costly due to the chemical compounds and large quantity being used.

The chemical barriers will be applied around the house to prevent termites from entering the protected vicinity while direct application of chemical on woods discourages the termite attack on the poisoned wood.

Direct chemical treatment on the other hand is not that costly if available resources will be utilized. For example, used engine oil from our cars and motorcycles can be used instead of buying factory made chemicals. This used-oil is after all a waste but in the process, we are helping nature by recycling.

Just apply the used-oil directly on the wooden surfaces like your fences and other wooden fixtures. The oil will penetrate the wood and in this way preserving it. The three benefits of using used-oil for wood treatment are the following:

- Color of wooden fixtures and surfaces applied with used-oil will be preserved and gives it a darker tone effect creating an impression of a hard wood quality.

- Used-oil treated woods will be more water resistant due to its oily properties protecting wood from possible weakening and breakage.

- Recycling of used-oil is not just cost-effective but also a nature-friendly attitude.

Electronic Induction Method

Electronic Induction is limited when termite controlling is involved. Experts must administer the electronic treatment correctly and identify accurately the exact location of termite nest for the reason that electromagnetic and electrical energy poses limited reach.

The use of handheld electronic devices and powerful electromagnets will be administered accordingly. Magnetic interference disrupts the termites' correct identification of earth's magnetic fields that causes confusion of direction causing the termite to leave the specific area with disturbed magnetic fields. This method can only be effective if the nest is identified correctly and visible.

Placing electronic magnets exactly on the nest will force the termite to abandon the specific area and prevent further building of new mounds.

Termite treatment tips before going further

The mating and pairing of Alates as king and queen is just the beginning of future infestation. To prevent further infestation problems do these simple preventive measures:

- Find those cracks and open crevices in your homes and seal it.

- When your paint bubbles and begins to peel off, repaint and add new paint coats.

- Use screens for your foundation vents and even on your attic.

- Clean any suitable food materials for termites away from your home like dead trees, rotten lumber or firewood.

Michael Rozatoru :)

Termite Home Attack Styles

2011-05-31T00:57:00.000-07:00

Very industrious by nature, termites defy working hours by being active the whole year round. Most known pests like locust follow a pattern of feeding through mating cycles and black bugs known in Asian regions of rice producing countries swarms the farm during full moons.

Definitely, it's hard to say that termites are dormant at some point of time while active in its seasonal call. Tropically adapted termites are dynamically active for the rest of their lives, whilst in cooler climatic conditions they are less active. No known holidays for these destructive pests, instead that they are just slowing down. This means that termites choose no time for rest, thus their silence is not a sign of their absence.

Food resources is one of the factors affecting the termites visibility while considering climatic conditions that directly affects the food source and shelter. Every home shelters not only the owners but the termites itself. Climatic variation of temperature doesn't directly affect the dry-wood termites lurking inside your house. Ground termites in return, build their nests even up to 18 inches below to avoid the cooler temperature above ground.

Pests in focused

Efficiently adapted to its own way of survival, like living inside tunnels with glimpse of light or nothing at all, termite generally appeared to be translucent in color and in most species of termites they are completely blind.

Normally, warming of weather signaled the activity of many household and outdoor pests. Good weather condition prepares the area for swarmers known as the termite Alate. This typical termite has well-developed eyes, black pigmentation on its wings and a task to reproduce and mate. Both Alate of opposite sex must find a partner and settled down on a new acceptable home or location to mate until finally the female lays eggs in numbers to establish and populate its new colony.

Warmer period of spring to autumn accompanied by right rainy conditions brings you up-close to a swarming that is taking part in a peaceful horizon, then blocking your sight by the sheer density of a termite swarmer. Alates are quite fortunate compared to other termites in the colony but even the lightest blow of wind can break its wings and totally loose it.

Simple steps to do when swarming occurs

Swarming will only last for a while, thereafter, piles of dead insects are visible. When this happens don't panic and immediately apply chemical pesticides but follow these simple steps:

- Take a keen observation of the swarming insects to determine the right procedures to be done. Maybe you're thinking of termites but after all its just ants.

- You need to identify and collect samples. Swarming ants and termites are completely different but very alike and look confusing. The antennae of ants are shorter compared to termite Alates. The wings of Alates are straight, similar in size and shape.

- If you have history of pest inspection due to past termite infestation, review your contract and agreement for your warranty. Under your agreement and aligned to the existing warranty limits and coverage you can claim for a follow up work from them. Take note that your Home Insurance doesn't cover the extent of termite damage being done.

- Your collected samples of termites will be of a great use by presenting it to the new Professional Pest Control Contractor. This happens if the previous Pest Controller doesn't offer warranties. In this case, be sure to choose a licensed contractor and insure the quality of their work.

Termite's Question and Answer Review

Question: Are all termites the same?

Answer: Practically when we talk about termites, the only similar things we can see are its destructive attitude and our painstaking strategies to fight termite invasion. Studies shows that scientists named over a thousand species but only two of these worry the homeowners the most: dry-wood and subterranean termites.

Question: My house is newly constructed and therefore termite-free?

Answer: Structures made of wood are potential food source for termites, so even as early as two days from the date of building completion you can notice the termite presence. The best thing to do is to apply mechanical and chemical barriers to isolate your home from possible termite infestation.

Question: Like any other pests, what is the season for termite attacks?

Answer: No possible season for termite swarming and attacks, they are active the whole year round mostly on warmer climatic condition. Termites continue their activities as long as the condition warrants; moisture and food source.

Question: My neighbor just recently fumigated their home from termites, is it possible that termites will transfer to my house unknowingly?

Answer: The chance of infestation transfer is higher. But always remember that prevention is better than being sorry. Preventive measures include barriers of mechanical or chemical and even natural. Control the level of moisture in your house by drying and securing proper drainage, air-conditioning units must be keep dry and leaks on water piping must be repaired immediately.

Question: How will I know if termite infestation occurs in my home? What are the possible signs?

Answer: Often, termites can be detected when swarming occurs. Alates often leave their colonies to "start" a new colony of their own. These winged termites are bound to lose their wings once they start making. Moreover, the most visible sign of termite presence is the occurrence of mud tubes and tunnel-like structures on the wall surfaces, chimneys and all other house portions even your fixtures. Your weak and broken fixture made of wood maybe a sign and evidence of termites. The most noticeable is the piles of sawdust-like wastes on window jams and floors.

Question: I don’t see such things and signs, does this means that my house is free from termite infestation?

Answer: No guarantee about that. We know that termites are hard to detect because they usually spend most of their lives hidden inside your walls and roofs. For your assurance, let the professional pest control contractors check and inspect your home.

Michael Rozatoru :)

Termites – The Unsung Heroes of Serengeti National Park

2011-05-31T00:45:00.000-07:00

You should have probably known already that termites aren't all that bad. They do certainly wreak havoc to your homes due to their incessant feeding time 24/7, but that's not all there is to them. There's more to termites than what meets the eye and more than just monster munching all the wood on earth. Termites have a greater purpose in the entire ecological system balance, that without them certain species will be compromised and would eventually lead to the imbalance of the web of life. This is probably the reason why no matter how much you would hate them having been destroying properties, you can't just simply take them out of the equation on a whim. Yes, you can take them out of your house, but you can't take them out of the world. Fortunately, there are just too many of them, that no matter how many termite colonies you eradicate within the urban premises of your subdivision, you are still not half of a single percent in taking out the entire species in the world. Termites, are so many that if you gather them all in this world and weigh them, they would weigh more than the weight of all human beings combined. However, an offsetting interesting fact also exists. It is that termites have done more damages than all hurricanes, tornadoes and fires have destroyed. Nevertheless, they are still important species in the planet.

But still, the importance of termites is still quite difficult to grasp in everyone's minds and hearts. You can't blame everyone though how they see termites, because of what can be readily and evidently seen in them when they start taking it on your properties. Therefore it would be best to give you a better demonstrative example as to how important termites are really in this world and hopefully it would take away that prejudice that has long been there against these insects. And there's no better way to take a more comprehensive perspective than to look at how they interact in their natural habitat.

The Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti national park is one of the most renowned national parks in this world and perhaps even one of the largest, serving as home to many species of the wild, including those that are already endangered. Serengeti National Park is located in the northern part of Tanzania, and southwest of Kenya in Africa. The establishment of the park was sometime around 1941, covering 14,800 square kms, or about 5,700 square miles of land area. The entire place is comprised of flat open grasslands, some rocky small hills called "kopjes" and certain woodlands and savannas in the western side of the national park. For some time, Serengeti has been the only park in Africa where seasonal migrations of many different animal species occur.

The park has been a home to more than 200 bird species and over 35 species of plain mammals, including zebras, lions, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes and wildebeests. There are also gazelles and elephants inhabiting the area but they weren't that much prevalent until 1960's. The increasing number of human population residing in the surrounding areas and along with urbanization that deprived the animals of their natural resources, has eventually forced much of the gazelles and elephants into the protected park. At present there are now 200,000 zebras, 2 million wildebeest, 1 million gazelles, and some thousands of elephants inhabit the park. The wide plains of Serengeti have also been a home to the greatly endangered species of black rhinoceroses. On rainy seasons, usually between November and December, millions of animal species from across the continent will come into the park to graze. The grazing often takes place in the south-eastern plains. This part of Serengeti has only a very few bodies of waterand thus becoming excessively upon the end of the rainy season. This will practically force all the wildebeest, gazelles and as well as zebras to migrate to the western part of the park.

Role of Termites in Serengeti

Of course, along with the mammals that inhabit Serengeti, are also species of insects in different sorts that includes species of termites. As all of the other animals that live in the Serengeti plains play their role in harmonizing the ecosystem in Serengeti so does the termites that live in the area. The role of termites is quite important as they serve as decomposers of wood and other plant materials which in turn become the nourishment to the soil. Termites also aerate the soil which in turn making it more fertile to grow various forms of plants and trees.

Termites are known to build mounds that are several feet high off the ground. Inside these termite mounds are colonies of termites that harmoniously coexist with each other on a higher level of structural system and stratification. Also, inside the mounds are deep tunnels and vertical shafts that can be as deep as several meters into the earth. These holes provide sufficient ventilation for the colony. But the benefits of these holes don't only serve their creators, but also they serve as home to a variety of animal species. Animals like mongoose, snakes and wild mice are amongst the cohabiters of a termite mound. If you are a sane person, you would not put your hands inside a termite mound.

If you are in Serengeti, you would be able to notice that certain mammals like gnus (wildebeest) and or some predators like cheetahs or lions, often use termite mounds as posts for look-outs especially when they are out for the hunt. Of course, it could also be used for the other hand to look for any possibility of imminent danger and avoid it. A few feet of ground elevation can already be a crucial leverage in the wild, being able to spot detriments or food. Termite mounds also increase the propensity of habitat diversity by providing susceptible living grounds for certain specific types of animals.

Michael Rozatoru :)

Different Termite Products You Can Use at Home

2011-05-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

Termites are those tiny wood-eating insects that make a living for thousands termite exterminators and factory workers employed by large termite control products manufacturing companies. Although termites are relatively very small to cause serious household trouble, because termites live in colonies composed of hundreds of thousands if not millions of members these insects have become capable of destroying properties reaching to hundreds of millions in value.

However, professional termite extermination and control can be really costly. This is the main reason why many homeowners prefer to exterminate termites on their own. They do this by using termite control products which are readily available both in pest control shops and in online stores. Here are some of the products which homeowners normally buy:

1. Termite Killing Foam Aerosols

Aerosols are quite popular to housewives because they are very easy to dispense. In the case of termite killing foam aerosols, the user just have to spray the cracks and crevices found along the walls and on the floor and the job are complete. The user can also spray termite tube and mounds with the aerosol for an instant kill. Most termite killing foam aerosols do not leave odor or stain so they can be used by anyone without having to worry about anything else. Of course, aerosol mists are also toxic once ingested. But compared to other methods of dispensing chemical, aerosol cans provide the safest method.

The most popular termite killing foam aerosol is manufactured by Spectrum Corporation bearing the brand name Spectracide Terminate. Other termite killing foam aerosols in the market are CB D-Foam manufactured by Waterbury, Termite Kill Foam by United Industries and Ant & Termite Killer by Terro. The active ingredient used in all these products is Deltamethrin. The price of each aerosol can range from $15 to $75 depending on the brand and the size of the aerosol can.

2. Termite Killing Stakes

Termite stakes are used as baiting systems. In plain words, the stakes are not so different with all the other stakes that we place around our house, only that these stakes are poisoned. When you "fence" your house with these stakes, termites will confuse them with regular and "safe" wood and feed on it. Since the termite workers also feed the soldier and the larvae in the colony, they also poison these other members with the poison that they got from the stakes. The poison found in these stakes is slow-acting thus giving the termites more time to spread throughout their colony and kill as many termites with them. Results may not be seen in weeks but the use of stakes in one of the most effective way to keep the poison out of your house.

The most popular termite killing stake product sold in the market is from Spectracide costing about $50 per 15 counts. Another popular termite stake product is from United Industries Corporation costing $20 per 5 counts.

3. Termite Killing Sprays

Termite sprays dispense liquid termiticides which are proven to be effective in killing termites on the spot. These products are especially useful when the goal is to simply exterminate termites that can be seen in plain sight. However, the major disadvantage with termiticide sprays is that these can only kill a very few members of the entire termite colony. If the infestation is already severe, all that termiticide sprays can do is repel termites from going into areas that can be readily seen, this means that they can still continue to damage the house structure by feeding on the wood materials of your house where you cannot see.

These termite control products are relatively cheap because of their limited effectiveness. Amongst the most popular termiticide sprays are Terro, Spectracide, Bonide, Orange Guard and Bayer. All of these sprays cost less than $10 each.

4. Termiticide Concentrates

Professional termite exterminators also use termiticide concentrates but in most cases they use termiticide concentrates that are not readily available to the general public. These professional exterminators use their licenses to operate and provide services in making their termiticide purchases, so if ever you are offered a termiticide concentrate that is not supposed to be sold to an ordinary person, you better back off because you might be just harming yourself. Termiticide concentrates that are available for the general public are usually manufactured to have lesser toxicity in order to avoid fatal accidents from happening. Nonetheless, these products have to be handled with extra care in order to really make sure that nothing unwanted happens.

Termiticide concentrates are often mixed with either oil or water. In most cases, termiticide concentrates mixed with water are less toxic than those mixed with oil. The containers of these chemicals bear three kinds of warnings depending on the poison scheduling level of the chemical. The cost of termiticide concentrates vary so much depending on their brands and the active ingredient used by its manufacturer. The price range is anywhere between $0.9 and $5.9 per gallon. Among the more popular termiticide concentrate brands are: Dominion, Termidor, Tengard, Cyper TC, Altriset, Phantom and Bayer.

There are so many termite control products sold in the market these days. Most of these products are marketed to make an average homeowner think that the product will be sufficient to solve the termite infestation problems that he or she is already experiencing at home. There are many instances when these products do not satisfy their users of their effectively but still get away with it because of good marketing strategies. It is still more advantageous for any consumer to take the time to find out more about the product rather than make the purchase without knowing anything.

When using termite control products it is also very useful to keep in mind that you are dealing and handling poisonous chemicals which can harm you as much as they can harm the termites. Proper care must be practiced all the time. It is also most advised if the user follows the instruction indicated in the label of the product being used.

Have a nice day,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Keeping Termites Away With Sand

2011-05-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

Issues concerning termite extermination may definitely cost you quite a lot especially. It gets especially costly when you have decided to take things on your own, without expert counsel or guidance because you would have to go through the lengthy trial and error process before you can ever get the ultimate solution to your problem. One thing is for certain though; you are looking for a potent and effective deterrent to keep those termites away from coming into your house. But what could be when all things buyable in the market would definitely hurt your pocket considerably, even if some of them relatively cheap in different respects of application? You would have to pursue the ones that would almost not cost you anything at all. The question now is what is that termite deterrent method?

If you are out looking for the cheapest yet very effective pest termite deterrent, you need not to look further as the answer can be readily seen before you if you try to understand its nature better. This effective termite deterrent is sand. Yes, believe it or not, sand can provide your household the protection it needs against any termite infestation. If used properly, its effects in garrisoning your house from termites can par even effective commercial termiticides. And the upside is that, it is utterly cheap compare to any termite control and extermination methods available in the market. The reason why sand is a very effective termite deterrent is because termites cannot tunnel through sand. Sand then became quite popular to many household owners whom were acquainted to the effects and effectiveness the method. Since termites use their mandibles to create tunnels through the ground, they could only accommodate certain sizes of grain to lift thus they couldn't create termite colonies with sand.

But will the sand method work every time?

Actually, there are a number of individuals whom have found the sand method ineffective. The reason it is so is this.

Size Matters

Size is a very important consideration when applying the sand termite control method. Size dictates the method to work or not. You have to make sure that the sand grains aren't too small, otherwise, they might just be a perfect fit to the termites' mandibles and will be able to lift them over and tunnel their way through anyway. Make it a point to find sand that has bigger grains so that the termites wouldn't be able to move them along as they pummel their way through. An expert will be able to help you in distinguishing the sand you are about to purchase. He or she will be able to tell which sands have larger or smaller grains; hence, you will now know which type of sand to purchase.

Sometimes, sand may look to have large granules, however they are apparently riddles with smaller ones and this could become a setback in your termite deterrence approach. Termites will be able to break the riddle and reduce the granules to smaller ones and this could definitely compromise everything that you have worked for so far. Also, if your sand grains are riddles with smaller granules, it would leave openings that could become passages for termites to penetrate through the sand barrier and still make their way into your house. This would also mean, even if you have spent quite less on purchasing the sand you had for termite barrier, you would still end up wasting your investment by nullifying the sense of having the sand at the first place. Make sure that you acquire sand that has definitely larger granules so that termites will never be able to make it through any possible seams or cracks within the sand that you may not be aware of.

Seek Help If Deemed Necessary

If you think your personal attempts haven't been working out too well for you, it may not be such a bad idea to seek professional or experts help to install the sand barrier into your house. Employing professional help basically means you eliminate flaws in installation as much as possible. It ensures that the sand barrier is properly placed in the appropriate locations so that the termites will not be able to get through in anyway. You have to understand that a single gap created by a flaw in the installation of the sand barrier is all it would take for the termites to penetrate into your household. Termites happen to have instinctive keen senses that would enable them to detect openings and grab opportunities to infiltrate just to get to their goal of finding food source. Your house just happens to be the next nearest available depot of food and they will do whatever it takes them to get to there.

Having professional help would also entail a package inclusive if regular routine inspection before, on and after the installation of the sand barrier. If you extend your purchase of professional service package, extermination routines can also be availed. Yearly fees often include prevention methods as well. If you purchase an entire year package of professional termite extermination services, you will be able to save up more money rather than spending on individual inspections. Individual inspections often have relatively higher rates compared to having an entire year package. This has been a common incentive to any termite extermination companies once you avail of their professional services.

So now when you happen to have termites threatening the peaceful and safe-living environment of your home, you now know what to do in order to deal with them. Knowing what you will have to do in case these problems arise, will ensure that you will no longer have to worry eventual property damage caused by feeding termite colonies. All you have to fully understand is that no amount of termite extermination expenses will outweigh what you will lose if there is an infestation going on inside your house. Repairs for a termite-destroyed property is just mad expensive and you really don't want to have this instead of hiring professional termite extermination services.

Michael Rozatoru :)

More About Salt Usage as Termite Control Method

2011-05-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

Many people in the world are looking for the most organic of ways to deal with most of the chore problems inside their house. Be it garbage disposal issues to pest control methods, people are always more often than not, finding the most conventional natural ways on dealing with the problem at hand. Well, you can't blame people for being like this considering the amount of damage the environment, the ecosystem has already suffered. Just a little more push and the system will fall right into the edge and life as we know it finally dawn to end. We humans would probably be history and that is if there will be anyone left to things into account anymore. Finding the best "green" methods in dealing with household chore and issue is not just becoming a trend these days but an arising necessity in response to the world's environmental issues. This is a way to encourage everyone, especially those who are indifferent about this huge planetary concern to take part and becoming proactive in saving our degenerating mother earth.

The same thing goes as well with dealing termite infestation problems as it is a household chore in itself. Any house would need to deal with termite problem at some point in time and it would be best to make it a point to use natural methods in addressing it. Of course there are a lot of commercialized termite control solutions out there and indeed they are very effective in executing solutions, however, the more effective and more commercialize they become, the more endangering they are as well to the environment. Toxic termiticides are often chemical based solutions that can definitely kill termites but could also dispirit your garden. Some brands could even produce greenhouse gas by-products that can detrimentally harm the ozone layer. This has been so dire that at some point even the government intervened and banned some of these brands that harm the atmosphere.

However, effectiveness isn't always contingent to how commercialized or potently toxic the material is. The alternative to such harmful approach is simply finding the solution that deals with a specific aspect. And when it comes to this part, if you are not critical and resourceful enough, it would be difficult for you to come up a creative solution. When you say creative solutions, is simply means at least not purchasing the direct products right away. Instead devising and improvising a solution of your own which will make things more cost efficient and environmentally friendly.

In the previous articles there have been tons of recommended methods offered to you delivered in a tip outline. In this page, you will be reading more about the usage of salt to address the termite infestation problem in your house. You would have probably already heard about borate solutions. Salt or brine solutions for termite treatments are somehow related to this methodology as they function in the same manner. They are even compounded to become more potent treatments against termites but at the same time still uphold the environmentally conscious essence.

The idea of using brine and borate solutions to deal with termites is probably derived from how salts can kill snails and slugs. The same process basically works with termites when salt is integrated to their system. But how does salt exactly work in killing termites and other animals alike.

The Process of Salt Fatality

The answer can all be summed into a single word - Osmosis

The process of osmosis is the process is simple the transference of liquid from one place to another. It can also be thought as the transition of concentration through a permeable boundary or membrane resulting to water equilibrium in both parts. Osmosis is the process that takes place in termites, slugs, snails and other animals that they die out just being in superficial contact with salt.

These types of animals normally have high percentage of water content in their body. Also, they have exoskeletons that are super permeable covering more than half of their entire form.

Since salt acts is a natural desiccant, once it comes in contact with animals or insects like termites, slugs and snails, the desiccant’s concentration increases in the exterior part of the insect. While this is happening in the exterior, the decrease of water concentration in the interior is also taking place. This is all taking place because the invasion of the natural desiccant has caused an imbalance in the liquid equilibrium of the subject's body. The natural response to this is to balance is back, which is why the concentration from the interior going outside. Since, this type of animals, have super permeable skins, the process of osmosis would be taking a straightforward pace.

The equilibrium may be eventually achieved, but losing that much water inside the subject system is indubitably naturally fatal. Of course, the insect would literally die out of dehydration.

Why Use Salt?

It's a no brainer to deduce that salt is highly cost efficient in any way it can be applied, salt solutions are also utterly environmentally friendly while being very effective at the same time. Salt doesn't produce when greenhouse gasses that can definitely harm the atmosphere neither will it by product any toxic wastes that would potentially harm the environment. There are also no known risks to the human system with salt. Whether in crystal or in solution state, salt remains to be completely harmless to anything apart from animals such as termites and alike. On top of that all is the sheer and utter convenience of accessing the substance anytime you want. Since salt is normally a food condiment, it can be easily found in your kitchen cupboard and use it at any time deemed necessary. Mass usage of salt due to severe termite infestation would require a different level of accessibility. However, nevertheless the question of accessibility is just simply out of the question. This should be more than enough to convince you why you should use salt in treating termite problems in your house.

Michael Rozatoru :)

Termites as Indicators of Climate Changes

2011-05-26T04:08:00.000-07:00

Throughout time, people have believed that animals have the ability or instinct to tell bad things that will happen. Often these instincts are related to weather alterations or climactic changes due to an incoming natural catastrophe. It has been observed that animals' behaviors often become erratic in response to the upcoming omen. Earlier people often even use animals to detect early signs of an earthquake arrival or a brewing storm up ahead. They can tell by the amount of discomfort animals in the barn or any domesticated animals manifest. There is still no conclusive empirical basis on this phenomenon and researchers are still finding facts to truly explain such things from happening.

The most common animals that manifest this kind of behaviors are those that are typically but not limited to domesticated dogs, cats, guinea pigs, or barn animals like owls, cows, and or goats. Throughout time people often see them manifest this kind of behavior when something is up. Some people even believer they are harbingers of bad omen and they would resort to certain ritualistic practices to counter that bad thing that is about to come i.e. host sacrificing, pagan worships and what not. However, there are only too few of such practices being accounted for at present time. In the light of scientific approaches that are further being developed progressively every day, there is no longer a need for such practices to exist. However, the truth remains about animals being able to foretell and researchers are still finding the key answers to unlock the mystery of animals' sage-like abilities. They may not be able to tell you in words what’s about to come, but they could certainly act it out to let you know about it.

But would you believe that even termites can also manifest that same characteristic of foretelling things in happening. You might have been wondering how such puny brainless critters can be able to execute such a complex instinct. On top of that question is that considering their sizes, of just millimetres in length be able to paint the slightest semblance of a message to communicate their gut feelings about what’s about to happen. It is quite mind boggling indeed to think that termites are able to manifest such behaviors. Nevertheless, that is still somehow true as there has been a report accounted that termites are able to foretell climate changes and the search for further scientific explanations are still at large as of this very moment.

It may have crossed your mind as to how termites exactly behave when they are about to foretell something like climate change from happening. You would have thought they would elicited certain tangible reactions like disorganized behaviors within the colony or them consuming more wood than they normally do, like they have become more destructive than ever when there is a climate change. However, that is not so with termites as they can tell climate changes in a completely new and different level. In other words, they have another way of telling things to us about what's happening around.

Termites, as eusocial organisms have managed to develop a different level of communicating indications of climate changes. This is through the topographical locations of their colonies that we humans are able to read the signs of climate changes around us. However, this termite indications of climate changes is not readily seen everywhere in the globe. They are only normally seen on natural habitats of termites in certain areas in the world where they are more prevalent. Say for example, in Africa, wherein most species of termites in existence inhabit.

According to recent research in Palo Alto, California, upon using the most sophisticated type of technology the scientists in CIDGE or Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Economy detected that they are more than over 40,000 – 50,000 mounds of termite covering almost 200 sq. miles in the African savannas. Initially, they found that their prevalent and massive habitation in the savanna places are solely linked to the vegetation and potential food sources nearby the place. However, the strategic locations of the termite mounds also indicate another thing. The patterns of the mound locations indicate a pattern greatly associated with the annual rainfall in Africa. The study’s result elaborates on how the African savanna areas have evolved through time and unravelled the fact that termite territories can significantly predict or pre-empt certain ecological shifts in the system resulting from particular climate changes. Upon the revelations of the study, the research was published in Sept. 7, 2010; an online edition entitled the Nature Communications.

Termite mound-building rationale relies on the certain area condition factors that provide a highly conducive environment for habitation. Mounds are built in areas that are not too wet and not too dry, however still well drained. These areas are also located in the African savanna hills demarcations called sleeplines. The sleeplines are where water flows via underground passing through the sandy and porous soils and banks right up in areas abundant with clay. In this way, wood trees would likely grow on the thoroughly drained upper slope parts and thus the mounds would most likely be found. The grasses however, prevail in the areas down the slope where it is wetter.

The relationship of the mound and the specific locations in the African Savannas indicate and excellent proof of aspects in hydrology, geology and certain soil conditions. These conditions then in return affect the plants that grow in the area, hence the entire local ecology. The density and the size of the mound, as well as the multitude are perfect indicators of the healthy ecosystem in the area. This is of course in respect to the vegetation patterns present.

The termite-mound indications further indicates that amount of precipitation in the area making the scientists empirically aware of which areas vegetations could possibly prosper more. Furthermore, the shifts in seasons don't affect the termite mounds in anyway. They remain rooted to the original conditions of the eco system prior the season shifts and they remain as they are despite the fluctuations.

Michael Rozatoru :)

A Study on Nematodes as Termite Control

2011-05-26T03:59:00.000-07:00

Termites are known to be symbiotic organisms to certain protists. This nature of termites helps them in their ingestion and digestion of wood in order for them to live. However, this also makes them highly susceptible to incorporating parasites into their system making them vulnerable to harmful microscopic organisms. Therefore, having parasites in termites' system can be used as a potent termite control method. It may not be one of the most of conventional ways to do about termite control but the fact that is effective outweighs the downside and will eventually eliminate the impracticality of its usage. Given the right cultivation, modulation and regulation, such methods will come to a point wherein it will be integrated in the market of termite control methods.

Among the most recent research and studies, the use of nematodes as a pest control method is establishing itself. Nematodes are among those microorganisms that once impregnated in another organism's system, can be fatal. This article will further discuss the nature of nematodes and how it will be applied as usable ingredients in controlling and exterminating termite infestations.

Disclaimer: As of this moment, researches are still ongoing and there are still no conclusive methodologies being devised in order to use them as usable pest control methods. This article's discussions are mainly hinged on delivering this interesting topic for the readers, in the hope of eventually utilizing the information into tangible applications. Amateur or DIY applications can be very detrimental. Nematodes as parasitic organisms can be potentially harmful to the human system.

Nematodes

Before moving on how nematodes can be used pest termite control methods, let us first know what they are.

Nematodes are more commonly known as roundworms belonging to the animal genera phyla. They are among the 37 animal phyla that exist in the planet and they are perhaps one of the most numerous, and perhaps the most diverse of the family. There are over 80,000 species of nematodes are scientifically named already. With respect to their numbers, they are amongst the most prevalent animals in the world in existence. Nematodes can be commonly found in three places: marine, terrestrial, and freshwater environments. They even significantly outnumber the animals coexisting around them, as well as insects. According to retrospective scientific findings, there are about 1018 or one quintillion to 1021 or one sextillion nematodes in the entire world.

Nematodes have long evolved into adapting in all sorts of environment in the planet. They thrive in consuming fungi, bacteria, and smaller protozoan. Some nematodes thrive in feeding on the contents of animal hosts. These types of nematodes are parasitic in nature. There are about 18,000 species of nematodes out of the 80,000 in existence are considered parasitic. Scientists that study nematodes believe that in actuality, there are more than 80,000 species of nematodes alive. Roughly 500,000 species of nematodes are believed to be roaming the earth, evolving and adapting into many varying and diverse environment. Parasitic nematodes have adapted to different types of hosts and have successfully evolved over time. As they grow inside their host, their length often increases. The length of parasitic nematodes varies from each other depending on the amount of benefit they get from their symbiote. As most people already know, nematodes or roundworms can be also be found in the human system as parasites ranging from a couple to several inches long depending on how long they have been inhabiting and how much nourishment they get from the human hosts. Of course, they could cause disease and are clinically deregulated from the human system. The largest sizes of roundworms were found inhabiting in the intestines of a sperm whale(s), with lengths ranging from 8.5m to 10m with 32 ovaries for mass reproduction. That is why in some cases, multiple roundworms are often found inside a host's system. Nematodes can reproduce themselves asexually; therefore there is little deterrence in them growing in alarming numbers.

Research has it that nematodes comprise 90% of the life forms in the sea. They often found even if in deep ocean trenches, where water pressure can be 100 times stronger than that of the pressure in the surface. Nematodes are also even found in the most uninhabitable environments such the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica where the temperature drop reaches as low as -60o Celsius or -76o Fahrenheit and wind speed exceeding 300km/h, making the place almost devoid of any level of moisture. Nematodes can still in such environments, settling with little moisture found in rocks consuming whatever little amount of bacteria that may thrive.

Harmful Nematodes

Apart from the parasitic types of Nematodes which are undeniably harmful to any organism's health (apart from those few that can foster mutualistic or commensalistic relationship with them), there are also other Nematodes that are not only clinically harmful but also economically destructive. Some nematodes can pester farmers like no other and could result to damage of crops amounting to billions of dollars annually. They typically inhabit the soil of the farm and from there they will attack the plant roots. The Root-know nematodes are amongst the most sinister nematodes found in farms. They attach themselves into the roots and inject hormones that can eventually lead to swollen nodules in the plant root. Eventually that will rapture and cause damage to the crop and would serve as an open invitation to various dangerous bacteria that will cause the plant or crop to die. Other farm destructive nematodes embed themselves and burrow their way through the crop and of course the damage they will cause along the way will cause the death of the plant. Tomatoes and peppers are among their most favorite crops.

Beneficial Nematodes

If there were harmful nematodes, there are also that are considered beneficial because they help provide human convenience to some level. Most of them naturally occur in the soil. These nematodes normally feed on grubs and even some other nematodes. There are certain species of nematodes that are cultured to use in pest control methods. Pests like Japanese beetle, Common Chafer, Weevils, and Termites. These nematodes are applied to suppress the development of grubs and or larvae of these pests.

Michael Rozatoru :)

The Evolution of Termite and Flagellate Mutualism: Answering The Question "Which Came First?"

2011-05-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

Termites would look typically hideous and gross on the surface. The gooey exoskeleton would tell you that it isn't worth any tactility at all. However, if you put these little pests under a microscope and attempt to examine its interiors you will find one of the most amazingly profound wonders of nature. Termites have a mutualistic relationship with a symbiotic type of protists inside its body that's doing all the metabolic works for the termite hosts.

Termites may be fond of eating wood. However, they are incapable of digesting the wood that they eat. The one responsible of digesting all the wood ingested by the termites are the protists that live inside their bodies. The reason why the relationship is mutualistic is that both organisms coexist harmoniously by benefiting each other in a metabolic level. Termites, while they eat wood are intolerant to the cellulose content of that they eat. Cellulose is a plant's (or in this case, wood) enveloping membrane. As they cannot munch their way to their intake's absolute ingestion, the protists, which likes all the cellulose membranes of the woods does the job for the termites. After the wood's cellulose is metabolized by the protists, the nutrients of the metabolized wood are then excreted to the termite's benefit and thus the mutualistic relationship between two organisms.

There are only a few living organisms on earth that thrive into existence with this kind of relationship which is utterly more than just a metaphoric symbiotic mutualism. The only sad thing about termites is that the general understanding of them is related to pests. When we talk about termites, we often relate ourselves with property destruction which is definitely a bad thing to any home owner. However, that's just true in some parts as there is only 5% of the overall species of termites that are considered pests and should be appropriately feared by any home owner. The rest of the species are natural habitat dwellers that are surreally found anywhere near a human residential area.

To some termites are even considered to be a blessing, especially with farmers. Farmers in some parts of the world have developed methods on how to cultivate and control the propagation of termites in their farms. This is because termites have the natural ability to aerate soil, breakdown organic matter which could later on turn into humus, a compose that could nurture the soil, improve soil fertility and could even provide a source of protein to some organisms that inhabit a farm. Not to mention the definite role it serves in the ecology's web of life.

Here's a question to Ponder:

Q: Now that you know that there is mutually symbiotic relationship between the protists and termites and that you know they need each other to live. The question now is which one of them evolved first?

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A: That is indeed quite in an interesting question. Granting that there is a symbiotic relationship, and that the mutualism between two organisms is so tight that it can become fatal for each one of them when separation occurs, there is then a gap in between the evolutionary understanding of these two organisms that needs filling; which could have come first when one could have died without the other?

The answer is that they have coevolved in time. Meaning, they have invariably evolved simultaneously, that neither one of them are left alone to exist ahead of time before the other. They're predecessors may have been able to exist before them though.

The protists inside a termite's body that breaks down all the wood's cellulose are flagellates that belong to certain genera - the genera Trichonympha and Personympha. These flagellates ancient lineages have evolved and existed long before any insects have inhabited earth. But protists species themselves have not evolved before the termites did. They have in fact evolved simultaneously, or "coevolved".

It's greatly possible that the ancestors of termites didn't just eat woods in their era. Just like any other insects of time that belonged to the same genera, before and present, they thrived as herbivores and would invariably eat edible plant parts. There might be times they eat wood but that is just probably in passing and not on a focus diet basis.

At some point the termite-like ancestors have ingested the protists along, probably upon consumption of their plant material diet considering that these protists also do feed on plant materials. If at some point some of the protists were found inclusively dieting on wood, over time they would have also paved the evolution of enzymes that could break down wood cellulose. It is then highly probable that the ancestral pre-termite insects have ingested them as well as they sparingly forage indiscriminately at times.

Protists are naturally symbiotic organisms; therefore it should not be a surprise that they could reside inside a larger organism's system. The type of relationship between the host and the protists could be classified into three. The relationship can be commensal, wherein the resident protists benefit themselves without putting the host in danger. It can also be parasitic, wherein they gain benefit in return harming the host's wellbeing. And lastly, mutualistic, where both parties benefit from each other and thus they coexist in a constant cycle of benefaction. The kind of relationship that would come out is contingent to the natural genetic developments that will transpire from one generation to another in the two organisms.

At present, termites have fostered the residence of protists inside their digestive tract without harming their system. When the protists have thrived in the termite's gut unharmed, it should be that the protists have provided metabolic incentives for their hosts, enabling them to gain natural leverage over the other termite ancestors that have not ingested the protists. The ancestral termite-like hosts should have gained an energy advantage which would likely have enabled them also to procreate more and thus leaving stronger genes to replicate in the following generations.

The present termites have the characteristic to pass on their own gut flora to their larva in an early stage. This is by transmitting their saliva that contains the protists, orally to their offspring. This genetically controlled trait of termites is also crucial in the concurrent evolution of both the flagellate and termite.

And in a full evolutionary cycle, that once optional feeding of wood became the termite's primary source of diet as they become naturally selective to focus on that specific food source and thus, tied the mutualism between the symbiotic organisms.

Michael Rozatoru :)

More Types of Termites

2011-05-26T03:21:00.000-07:00

Together with industrialization, human civilization has brought upon the need to face pest infestation in order for us to protect all our investments and one of those pests is the termite. The existence of termites could be traced way back to the prehistoric years and they are even much older than the species of cockroaches and ants. According to studies and scientific investigations, there are about 2750 species of termites living in the whole world. However, most of them have been pushed to co-exist with humans in order for them to continue living since their natural habitats have been compromised with rapid modernization. Like any of these insects, termites are also divided into different types depending on their habitat and modes of survival. The climate distinctions play a great role in the partitioning of termite kinds. Being able to identify the kind of termites that you are dealing with is very important for you to strategize the appropriate means of pest extermination. Thus, we would be tackling more types of termites including those that are not very common.

Most Common Types

I. Drywood Termites. This is the most common type of termites. They are also considered the original species since they are the ones basically feeding on wood. They devour on timbers, walls, floors or wooden frames of the roof. Moreover, they are very hard to detect that even professionals find it difficult to trace their entry points and find their colonies. These termites live above the soil and build their nests on woods or build their colonies within the house. There could be multiple colonies in just one building because they are relatively small and hidden between the partitions of walls or floors. They devour on different kinds of furniture as long as they are made of wood and they consume them from the inside. Therefore, you would not be able to detect the damage unless it has already been tremendous that signs are by now apparent. Since these termites devour from the inner part of the wood, they weaken the structure until it finally gives in and gets ruined beyond repair. They eat 24 hours a day and for this reason, the damage progresses so fast. Most of the time, repairing is no longer an option. The structure needs to be completely rebuilt. Drywood termites, however, are subdivided into smaller groups and two of the largest groups are the following;

a. Powderpost Termites. They are commonly called the furniture enemies and they inhabit in the southeast and middle parts of North America. These termite leave behind fine powdered wood that looks like sawdust.

b. Western Drywood Termites. Justifying their name, they inhabit the western parts of the United States. Their colonies are of the smallest size compared to the colonies of any other types.

Rare Types

I. Termopsidae - Rottenwood Termites. These termites compose the largest classification of termites and they greatly inhabit the western parts of the United States. They enter structural buildings through cracks; thus, being regarded as sneaky insects. They could even get through cracks that are as small as 1/16" wide and when they do, they could easily establish a settlement within the building. These particular termites are responsible with the damages in clothes, carpets, curtains and any fibrous materials, not limiting themselves with just the diet of woods. They create the most damages on basements and floors since they usually build their colonies underground just below the frost line and above the water table.

II. Hodotermitidae - Harvester termites. These termites are the most widely inhabited in North America. They are otherwise called the soil feeding termites and their diet includes any form of plant fibers such as leaves, fruits, bush roots and cotton. They build their colonies in any parts of the building but they could easily be traced upon sighting some wings lying about because they often shed their wings close to the colonies. Moreover, a certain colony could hold up to 5 million termites with the average of 30 to 40 thousand range and they could live up to 30 years. In addition to that, these termites move with swarm intelligence. They swarm in the spring months and they release a particular substance from their body to maintain communication among all individuals of the colony. This is to prevent invasion and to protect each other from any possible danger.

III. Macrotermes bellicosus - African Termites. These termites are the largest in the world. They can grow as long as 5 inches upon maturity. These termites are the only termite species that could live and survive in very dry regions. They live in desert areas of the southwest of the United States and into Mexico particularly Southern California, New Mexico, Western Texas and Arizona. They could make burrows in soil and feed in very dry conditions but they also build mud huts in structural buildings usually along the shelves or wood ceilings. Of all termites, the desert subterranean termites are the unique ones having a different biological structure. Their mandibles are slender in contrast to the stout wide ones of the other termite types. In addition to that, these termites are very small and could get into considerably small cracks that no other termites could enter.

IV. Odontotermes latericus -South African Termites. This type of termites has the biggest number and considered as the most destructive group. They could destroy a house in just a matter of few months and the damages are truly beyond repair the home owner would need to reconstruct and get rid of all the infested materials. In sighting one Formosan subterranean termite, it is necessary to call on the help of pest control specialists because their existence, no matter how few there are, is very serious. They could devour the wood foundations of the house quicker than any other types of termites could. They are even called the "super termites" by experts because the progress of the damage they create is very fast and before you know it, it becomes unstoppable that fumigating is no longer efficient enough. Furthermore, they build their colonies within walls, ceilings, floors or in the basement and one sign you could rely on is the visible bulge on your wall. A colony could be hundreds of feet long and could house thousand of termites since the queen of this particular type reproduces so fast and the reproduction process is incessant. Hundreds of eggs are being laid every day. To prevent the infestation, you should avoid any source of unnecessary moisture in the house because these termites are in dire need of moisture in order to survive. Make sure that all water drains and does not stagnate in any parts of your house. Frequently check all areas to see if there are any possible entries for these termites or any signs of their colonies. When you get to notice any signs of infestation, immediately call the experts to exterminate them before the damage gets worse.

Another amazing post by me,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Killing Termites through Heat

2011-05-25T03:26:00.000-07:00

The use of toxic chemicals in exterminating and controlling termites has always been an issue amongst many homeowners. The fear of living in poison-treated homes grew even bigger when many termiticides have been judged unsafe for public use after compromising the lives of hundreds or thousands of people. For this reason, termite control approaches that do not involve the use of chemicals have been continuously developed by pest control experts. One of these approaches is called the "Heat Treatment".

In the same way that the right type of termiticide is determined to suit the type of construction of your house and the severity of the termite infestation, houses have to be assessed too if "Heat Treatment" will be sufficient to solve the current pest problem or a combination of chemical and non-chemical approaches have to be applied. In some cases, "Heat Treatment" has to be accompanied by a small amount of chemical termiticide in order to completely get rid of the infestation.

When is the use of "Heat Treatment" most applicable?

Dry-wood termites are often difficult to kill using liquid and powder termiticides because of their foraging behavior. These termites can feed on delicate wooden furniture that would surely be damaged when applied with liquid termiticides. Wood panels and flooring that might only get damaged when forced with a liquid termiticide treatment are also more appropriate for "Heat and Cold Treatments".

How does the Heat Treatment works?

As a quick summary, the treatment simply involves the introduction of heated air into the infested structure or wooden item. The air should be around 140⁰F. Normally, the temperature should be maintained for a couple of hours throughout the entire treated structure or item. Because termites have very delicate and soft exoskeletons, they will not stand this much heat and die.

How is a "Heat Treatment" performed?

The treatment has two main stages, these are:

1. Inspection - During this stage, the termite exterminator has to examine the specific areas or items in the house that needs to be treated with heat. The termite exterminator will also identify items in the house that has to be taken out in order to protect them from the possible damages that the heat might cause. Moreover, it is in this stage that the termite exterminator ensures that no unwanted occurrences will ever happen during the course of the treatment.

2. Heat Fumigation - The word fumigation refers to the use of gas in disinfecting. Although many people do not realize that air is a gas, the process of using hot air in "disinfecting" structures or items from termites is called heat fumigation. After the structure has been inspected by the termite exterminator, it is time for the exterminator to use a special hot air blower that will pump hot air throughout the entire structure. The least time required to kill termites in 35 minutes, however, this temperature must be between 120-140⁰F and depending on the size of the structure being fumigated, the time required before the air temperature inside it reaches an equilibrium temperature within this range might be a couple more times longer than 35 minutes. For this reason, the pumping of hot air into the properly can reach up to several hours. However, compared to chemical-gas fumigation, heat fumigation takes less time to complete.

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of Heat Treatment?

The major advantages and disadvantages of using heat to exterminate termites:

Major Advantages

1. Termite eradication is strictly confined within the structure of item that is being treated.

2. In most cases, the aid of chemical termiticides is no longer necessary making the entire process chemical-free.

3. Treatment requires little time to complete as compared to other termite control methods. The entire process only takes about 8 hours.

Major Disadvantages

1. Materials that are sensitive to heat must be removed from the area being treated.

2. In cases when heat-sensitive materials cannot be moved or removed because of its structure or function, it has to be thoroughly protected before the treatment can commence.

3. Immediate cooling has to be performed in order to prepare the structure for re-occupation.

Important Checklist to Consider When Buying Your Own Heat Treatment System

While hiring a professional termite exterminator is still the soundest option to take when dealing with termite infestation at home, especially when the method of extermination is by heat fumigation, for do-it-yourself fanatics who really want to get the job done using their own hands, check the list below for the important questions that have to be considered before you make your heat treatment system purchase.

1. How much heating power do you need?

This is the fundamental question. Since you already know that you have to maintain 120-140⁰F, all that you need to consider now is the size of the property that you will be treating. The size of the property will determine the length of time that you will be needing produce a specific amount of heat in order to maintain the required temperature level throughout the properly. Heating equipments are rated by BTU per hour, by fuel usage per hour or by motor per horsepower.

2. How can you provide power to the heating equipment?

Most of the heating equipments used for termite extermination are all driven by electricity. However, although electricity is readily available, the right voltage rating of the equipment has to be met before you can make it work properly. Most industry grade heating equipments are driven by voltage levels that do not match the voltage level allocated for residences. To operate the heating equipment, a voltage transformer has to be purchased and use. The cost of this additional device should be put into consideration too.

3. Is the equipment too noisy?

Heating equipments use motors to produce heat. In many cases, motors produce noise when operated. The noise produced by the equipment has to be considered too especially if the structure to be treated is located in a place where houses are built close to each other.

Your termite control friend,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Natural Methods of Controlling Termite Infestation

2011-05-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

Over the years, it has been clearly established that the best way to kill termites and stop them from destroying properties is through using chemical termiticides. Nonetheless, many people are still unyielding to the idea of using chemical "poisons" in and out their homes because of the infamous reputation of some banned termiticides that have killed hundreds of people and are still notorious for continually making thousands of others suffer. This article is all about the natural ways of controlling termite infestation. To understand why these natural methods work, we have to review the things we know about termites.

Facts about termites

They are considered pests and consisted by almost 2,500 species to which 2,200 of it are harmless to our way of living. Raging from agriculture, forestry to housing, termites cause considerable problem and cause damages.

Looking upon the pattern of damage on the tree or crop and observing the pests' behavior, you can identify the termite species and apply appropriate and right methods in controlling termite infestation.

Common termite families

Fungus-growing termites are considered to be the most troublesome. Though these termites eat decomposing materials, they would also feed on the cellulose present in live plants such as maize, millets and groundnuts when decomposing materials are scarce.

Arid areas are favorable spots for building colonies of other termite family known as the Harvester termites. Colonies are difficult to find because they build nests underground. Termites attack the wilting and damage plants, seedlings and crops by collecting the green plant materials.

Termites' Natural Task

Although termites are usually simply regarded as pests, they also play an important role in the earth's ecology. Here are some of the things that they do for nature:

• Mounds serve as a source of minerals for cattle that lick it.

• Releasing of organic matters through break down process as termites digest and eat soil.

• Soil fertility was improved as the termite created mounds which are rich in minerals and crushed it down into the soil.

• Because the microorganisms inside the termite's guts are very rich in protein, termites have also become rich in protein (as well as their excretion). When larger animals feed on termite mounds, they will benefit from the protein present in the mound.

• Termites burrowing activities facilitates soil aeration.

• While some countries, they make more resistant sun dried bricks from the clay of the mounds.

Natural or Organic Methods Employed in Termite Control

There are many organic termite control methods that can be employed in order to avoid the use of poisonous chemicals. Apart from being a sure alternative to toxic chemicals, organic termite control methods also have these benefits:

• These methods share no pollution to the environment. These methods benefit insects and animals (including humans) because they lessen their exposure to pollution caused by other factors.

• These methods do not have to be imported from elsewhere but rather aims to locally use the available resources.

• These methods are easy to perform and simply do not rely on professionals to handle it while cutting down the cost cheaper to almost nothing.

• Organic methods do not completely exterminate the entire termite colony. Termites play an important role in agriculture and their complete absence from the farming system can cause a great impact to genetic diversity and even termite mutation and adaptation to applied chemicals.

These methods of control must be used in conjunction with each other handling it with maximum use of local resources and knowledge to achieve its optimum effectiveness while considering the pests species, climatic conditions, crop species and factors like type of soil and local vegetation cover.

Increase soil's organic matter

The low organic matter content of the soil is thought to be related to termite attacks. Some termites grow fungi inside their colonies to meet their own need for cellulose, however, in most cases, the fungi that they grow in their "gardens" are not sufficient to feed the entire colony, this forces them to feed on live plant materials.

Adding manure from animal wastes and well-rotted biodegradable materials can greatly increase the organic composition of the soil.

Presence of termite predators

Spiders, flies, wasps, beetles and ants are some of the many predators of termites. Mammals like pangolins, bats, aardvarks and monkeys, as well as some frogs, birds and reptiles are counted as other termite predators also.

This wildlife must be encouraged to lessen and help reduce the termites' population. Many creatures that feed on termites find shelter under trees and other bushy plants so it is good if these natural habitats are preserved areas where the infestations take place.

Alternative food sources

You can reduce the damage caused by the termites by "feeding" them with organic materials in a specific contained area. When the amount of cellulose that termites get in a specific area is enough, they will no longer forage any farther. Avoid having dry and bare soil around the crops.

Nonetheless, this method is only a short term solution. Mulching dramatically decrease the attack of termites using manure, hay, wood ash, wood shaving and corn cobs. Moreover, "feeding" termites with organic material would definitely lead to the growth of the termite colony causing an increase overall damage to crops and trees.

Magnets

New termite mound growing can be prevented by placing a strong magnet close to the termite mound. The magnet should have two poles in order to be effective. Magnetic interference is said to cause confusion amongst termites because they can be greatly affected by the magnetic lines produced by the two-pole magnet.

Queen removal and mound breaking

The manual and explosive destruction of nests tailed by the termite's queen removal is effective. Regular disturbance of the soils throughout an area where termite activity is suspected is also very helpful in preventing termites from expanding their colonies and building larger mounds. If mounds are already visible, breaking of mounds by different artificial means is most effective.

Physical Barriers

You can prevent termite attacks by building barriers around the building and nurseries. Basalt, volcanic cinders (crushed) and sand are amongst the materials that termites cannot "eat", making these materials effective as physical barriers.

Michael Rozatoru :)

Legally Approved Termiticides

2011-05-24T01:53:00.000-07:00

Before termiticides are released for public use, manufacturers have to secure the approval of the state where the chemicals are to be sold and used. For example, all termiticides marketed and used in Australia should be approved by the APVMA (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority). In the same way, termiticides marketed and used in the United States should be approved by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) too. Listed below are five of the most popularly used termiticides both in Australia and in the United States.

1. Alpha-cypermethrin

Along with the other laboratory-produced pyrethrums called synthetic pyrenthroids, Alpha-cypermethrin is also used in repelling or killing termites. Like its naturally occurring counterpart, synthetic pyrenthroids kill termites and other similar insects by disrupting the sodium channels of the affected insect's nerve cells. The disruption of the sodium channels alters the salt balance inside the insect's body leading to severe nervous system damage.

Nevertheless, although alpha-cypermethrin is very effective in controlling termite infestations, its reputation is continually being marred because of its high toxicity not only to pests but also to unsuspecting mammals. The chemical can affect the central nervous system of a mammal causing muscular twitching and spasms. However, manufacturers of termiticides containing alpha-cypermethrin maintain their claim that their products are supported by a long-standing clean safety record. Experts also agree that the effects of alpha-cypermethrin are highly reversible and that alpha-cypermethrin poisoning is very rare.

Alpha-cypermethrin can be dispensed with water or with oil. The chemical becomes less toxic when it is dispensed with water than when it is dispensed with oil. In low concentrations, the chemical can cause skin numbness and irritations. It can also cause stomach-related sicknesses like diarrhea and vomiting. However, high dosages of alpha-cypermethrin can cause liver and kidney damages to some experimented animals.

2. Arsenic Trioxide

Arsenic is used in termite control through baiting technology or through direct nest application because of its high level of toxicity. Through these methods, possible public exposure is less likely to happen thus securing the public from the harmful effect of Arsenic.

If Arsenic is digested by a person or by a mammalian pet, severe stomach pains would be experienced along with vomiting and LBM. Through a series of laboratory experiments, scientists have established that Arsenic is easily absorbed by the intestinal tract right after it is ingested. Arsenic damages the liver and the kidney the most because 80% of compound passes through these organs before excretion. Only 20% of the compound is excreted through the feces.

Nonetheless it was found out that the human body also needs Arsenic to function normally. However, when the Arsenic in the body exceeds that of the required level, diseases are most likely to appear. It has been found out that a long-term exposure to high levels of Arsenic can cause skin problems that may lead to skin cancer. Furthermore, in other laboratory experiments, it has been found out that Arsenic can cause mutagenic effects (DNA alteration) to test animals.

The harms that Arsenic can do to the human body are the main reason why its usage is strictly limited to direct nest application and to termite baits only.

3. Bifenthrin

Like Alpha-cypermethrin, Bifenthrin is also a synthetic pyrenthroid or a synthetized pyrethrum. It is proven to be very effective in repelling and killing termites.

Although Bifenthrin can affect the peripheral parts of a human's nervous system when ingested, it still considered as a very safe termiticide. The most that it can do is cause slight body tremors which can lead to walking difficulties. Over the years, Bifenthrin is known to have a very clean safety record.

In a series of laboratory experiments on animals exhibiting the same body characteristics as humans, it was found out that the chemical is simply excreted out of the animal's body without any change in its chemical composition. This means that the Bifenthrin is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal. Nonetheless, it was also found out that the chemical can cause skin allergies and irritations.

Bifenthrin also pose a very little threat to the environment. In fact, the chemical hardly mixes with water making it almost impossible for the chemical to bind with the soil.

4. Chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos is highly useful in the field of agriculture because it can repel and kill many different kinds of insects. Chlorpyrifos is classified as an organophosphate insecticide, or a type of insecticide that kills insects by disturbing the normal activity of the insect's nervous system. As a result, the enzyme called acetyl cholinesterase becomes overly stimulated. The condition leads to the severe twitching of the insect's muscles which leads to muscular paralysis, then death.

Although Chlorpyrifos is easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of a human body, it is still not considered to be a very dangerous chemical (when ingested by accident) because it does not linger long inside the human body. In most cases, it is simply excreted through the urine. Nonetheless, long exposures to the chemical is still dangerous because it can cause genetic mutations which can either cause problems with the reproductive system or cause cancer to develop in the body.

Moreover, Chlorpyrifos can be really harmful to the environment when not handled properly. Although it is not soluble in water, the chemical is easily absorbed by the soil which can lead to the death of the microorganisms in the soil that help in decomposing dead plants and animals.

Apart from the four termiticides listed above, the other termiticides that are legally-approved in both the United States and in Australia are: Fipronil, Hexaflumuron, Imidacloprid, Permethrin and Triflumuron. Although these chemicals are approved for public use, it should be noted that these chemicals are still poisonous and are supposed to be handled very carefully. To aid users on handling such chemicals, the "Standard for Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP)" has released an official poison scheduling of all termiticides. Three schedules are assigned for termiticide use, these are:

1. Schedule 5 - This is the lowest schedule level for hazardous chemicals. Anyone can acquire these types of chemicals. Companies manufacturing chemicals classified as Schedule 5 should be labeled with the word "Caution".

2. Schedule 6 - Such chemicals are more dangerous than Schedule 5 chemicals. These chemicals can be dispensed to the public too but containers should bear the label "Poison".

3. Schedule 7 - This is the highest Schedule level allocated for termiticides. These chemicals cannot be acquired by individuals without special licenses to handle highly dangerous termiticides. Schedule 7 termiticides should bear the label "Dangerous Poison".

Yours Sincerely,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Factors that Affect Subterranean Termites Consumption Rate

2011-05-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Termites are known to be very destructive insects on earth. They can destroy properties, even revert an entire household to dust in a nick of time simply because they are very skilled in what they do best, which is to eat wood as much as they can. It's seemingly insatiable when it comes to termites' appetite for wood. However, the truth is that they do have a limit to the amount of intake they can have in certain period of time. There are a lot of factors to consider when you assess the termites' appetite capacity. Considerations like the termite specie or genera or the environment that the termite is currently into. There is a calculable rate as to how much intake termites can consume. In this article, the rate of food intake of one of the most common household dwelling termite will be discussed.

Subterranean Termites

As what was said earlier, the rate of termite food consumption depends on what species of termites is being referred. There are also other factors that will be taken consideration like the quality of type of wood being consumed and the strength of a particular termite colony. Across United States, there are six species of termites responsible for most of the damages in homes and business establishments alike. Also, there is a seventh specie being forecasted to enter the ranks in the near future.

In the eastern and south western parts the most prevalent species of termites found to cause damages of such proportions is the Reticulitermes flavipes. Sometimes, species R.hageni and R.virginicus are found infesting the same structures within the area. Along the Westside, from British Columbia until Central California, the most commonly found structural specie of termites is R.hesperus. In the southwest deserts, Heterotermes aureus is the main type of subterranean termites infesting structures. The food consumption of each the species, vary negligibly with the species of worker termites in the R.flavipes and R.hesperus genera as they consume more in general than the other species.

In some areas, particularly somewhere in the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico as well as inland, a sixth species, Coptotermes Formosanus, more commonly recognized as the Formosan Subterranean Termites, causes formidable considerable damage to properties, houses, and business establishments in the area. Formosan termites tend to have larger and stronger colonies compared to the native species. What's scarier is that a quarter of their infestations are airborne and no particular relation to the soil. A comparable probability of aerial infestation is even expected over the locales granting they have similar climate conditions, i.e. humidity and rainfall levels in the area. However, the food consumption of these species are relatively lower than that of R.flavipes or R.hesperus. But then statistical shortcoming of rate consumption is quantifiably compensated by the huge number of colony members. The strong colony of Formosan Subterranean Termites would have dealt the same quantity of damage to the area as much as the other two species of termites would have they existed in the area as well.

A seventh imported termite species named Coptotermis gestroi which is also recognized under a junior synonym Coptermis havilandi, these Asian subterranean termite, established themselves in Miam, Florida. This took place sometime after its discovery in the year 1997. These species of termites the destructive potentials of the C.formosanus, and it is expected that its territorial dominion will expand further beyond Miami by the coming years. C.formosanus and C.gestroi is difficult to distinguish in the field. Howeer, the C.gestroi species of termites were later recovered, in the outskirts of Tennessee, within shipping crates transported from East Asia and now it is only a matter time that these termite species will become widespread all over the U.S.

The rate of consumption in termites again is varied in the possibility of a colony to exploit all the other food sources available to them. As recent finding of research discovered that termites don't just feed on singular food sources; it is their nature to forage and search for other areas to exploit for food and sustenance for one colony alone. Individual termite workers will travel a circuit connecting one food source to another. They would only spend ample amount of time on a particular source area and would not stay longer after ingesting a small amount of food from the source area. The food that they have eaten will not be immediately digested and converted into energy. It will eventually be broken down in time by the termite's gut fauna as they hike onto the next food source.

Termites take more time digesting than ingesting, that's why they tend to hike more rather than feeding. It is even evident in laboratory specimens of live termite that the hikes would tunnel through beneath the soil in their search of food sources, and as they relocate from one source to another. Tunnel burrows would seemingly create underground labyrinths in glass as they incessantly search for new food sources. This natural behavior of termites ensures their colony is in good condition, even at the peak of its health. However, it is distinctive that laboratory specimens of live termites are less vigorous due to the apparently confinement, limiting their area of coverage in search for food. Laboratory containers are far more limited, shorted and potentially prone to contamination.

As you can now see, termite consumption greatly depends on the type or species of termites being referred to. It is also important to underscore the given environmental conditions, such as climactic predispositions, food sources available, or the area of habitation itself are factors that could tip the graduations of termites rate of food intake. Even the food itself, Wood is an important consideration when it comes to distinguishing the rate of termite consumption. Having known all of these facts that affect the termites' consumption rate, you should be able to pre-empt possible situations and scenario that could incentivize the consumption rate of termites and avoid them as much as possible. Make it a point to bear this all in mind.

Michael Rozatoru :)

The Usage of Liquid Termiticides

2011-05-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

There are many different ways and degrees of machineries to deal with termite infestation inside your home. However, there are only a few of those methods come close to perfect efficiency. One of these very effective methods is the use of liquid termiticides which are as well the most commonly used termite prevention method in establishing and established households. There's no question to its effectiveness. However, there are certain things that one should take into consideration first before availing liquid termiticides to deal with the termites in your house. These considerations should be crucially underscored as they could mean the difference between effectively dealing with the problem and failing. Therefore, it would be wise to know first the advantages and disadvantages of using liquid termiticides in treating your household in order to prevent termites from ever invading and destroying your properties.

In this article, the advantages and disadvantages of liquid termiticides will be discussed and explained extensively and thoroughly in order for the reader to comprehensively know how to manage the usage and/or application of the method. One should also take note that no method, device, or treatment is one hundred percent effective by itself. The human factor is always constant. The functionality of the methods would always depend on how one would effectively apply them by using his or her logic and creativity, as well as resourcefulness. If any of these factors are missing, then any amount of tip, no matter how presumably effective it is, will not work. Apart from reading from this article, it would also be wise to consult professional pest (termite) exterminators for any expert advices when applying the liquid termiticides. Not only will one take into consideration the optimization of the method but as well as the safety precautions of using them. There's no way of saying when accidents strike, that is why it is best that one be fully prepared for it.

Liquid Termiticides

First and foremost, let us have an introduction on what are liquid termiticides and how they precisely work in preventing, controlling, and or exterminating termites.

In many households, liquid termiticides are used as barrier treatment against termites, in order to control the infestation that has probably taken place by keeping the termites away at the onset. The treated area is usually circumferentially surrounding the house to ensure covered perimeter will never be breached. The liquid termiticides would typically work in two prongs: to provide an obnoxious scent to termites in order to discourage them from ever invading and killing those that attempt to penetrate the area.

Typically, professional pest termite exterminators are the ones that utilize liquid termiticides due to elaborate procedures needed to apply them, which of course is inherent to anyone whom, have training or experience in applying the treatment. Nevertheless, amateur usage is still not discounted just as long as the user is properly briefed or guided with the application. There are quite many different types of liquid termiticides in the market today. Liquid termiticides like "Demon" and "Prevail" are amongst the repellents widely used by expert exterminators for its effectiveness in keeping the termites away. They are known to establish a considerable distance from your home to any invading termites. However, no matter how seemingly effective these treatments are, there will still be unprecedented possibilities of infiltration due to unforeseen circumstances. The possibility of soil transference due to certain circumstances of human intervention i.e. soil relocation, erosion, etc. When this happens off the record, termites will grab the opportunity to immediately infiltrate the house through the gaps in the parameter caused by the aforementioned factors.

There are other liquid termiticides in the market that ensue a much harsher effect after treatment. Liquid termiticides such as "Phantom" and "Termidor" would allow the termites to infiltrate and pass through the treatment and come in contact with the liquid. They do not kill the termites instantly once it comes in direct contact with the liquid; neither do they repel termites from entering. What they do is that they allow the termite(s) that have come in contact with the liquid to carry the chemical back to their colony and there the termiticides would take effect by eliminating the entire population of the termite colony.

While these types of liquid termiticides are normally expensive in a rate per treatment, the upside however, outweighs the former disadvantage as they have shown a great deal of positive output in dealing and controlling termites. Due to its "genocidal effect", the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has then conducted studies concerning the potential negative impacts on the fragile ecological balance. However, the studies concluded with no substantial results relating to mass damage to termites' ecological standing. Such methods are indeed a major breakthrough in termite control and elimination.

Still, no matter how advantageous liquid termiticides may seem, it is unavoidable to have certain setbacks in it. So that you will be able to gauge the potential of liquid termiticides, here are brief pros and cons of its usage.

Advantages

1. Liquid termiticides will definitely provide immediate protection to any establishment against termites.

2. Liquid termiticides have long lasting effects. Effects could last as long as several years depending on the quality and potency of the liquid.

3. The usage of "genocidal" termiticides like "Terminador" offers a solution to gaps in treatment perimeters that allow termite penetration.

4. They are relatively inexpensive compared to any other forms of termite control and elimination methods.

Disadvantages

1. Liquid termiticides can be utterly dangerous if applied near water passages or deposits. The risk of contamination is high. In this case, in order to bridge the gap, baiting methods can be used to appropriate the untreated area(s).

2. Drilling hassles may be incurred if deemed necessary to show evidences of termite infestation.

3. Liquid termiticides will potentially have eventual gaps over the years as you may never be able to keep track of the parameters all the time. When this happens, it would open an opportunity for termites to infiltrate the household and it would become considerably difficult for any expert exterminator to deal with. Infestation issues might still take place at some point.

Your favorite termite pest control guy,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Termiticides (Part III)

2011-05-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

The first installment (see "An Extensive Guide to the Different Classes of Termiticides (Part I)") of this two-part series discussed extensively about the first five classes of termiticides namely: (1) botanicals, (2) Chloronicotinyls, (3) Fluoroaliphatic Sulfonamides, (4) Inorganics and (5) Insect Growth Regulators. This time let us examine the remaining classes.

1. Microbials

There are two types of microbial termiticides; these are the Nematodes and the Pathogenic Fungi. Like Botanical termiticides, microbial termiticides are naturally occurring and are only artificially cultured when used as commercial termiticides. At present, Nematodes are never used as commercial termiticides because of its impracticality in terms of being artificially cultured as well as its effectiveness in field use. While Nematodes are proven to be effective in killing termites under controlled laboratory conditions, in the actual scenario, the possible harmful effects of Nematodes are easily ward off by termites.

However, Pathogenic Fungi have been found to be quite effective in termite control. In their natural habitat, termite colonies can be wiped out in weeks because of a pathogenic fungi outbreak. The fungus called Metarhizum anisoliae, a known natural termite killing pathogen is now being industrially produced by certain termiticide companies.

Pathogen fungi kill termites by germinating fungal spores that can penetrate inside their bodies. Once the spores get into their bodies, they begin to grow and compete with the microorganisms that live in the guts of termites. Fungal germination inside a termite's body is highly contagious that in a week's time, the entire colony can become fully infected by the fungus.

Quite interestingly, although termites are thought to be not capable of complex thinking, they have this unique ability to sense anything that might harm their colony. Any termite that exhibits weakening due to fungal infection is stunned by the soldier termites thereby reducing the rate at which the "disease" can spread. Overall, only about 10% of the entire population is bound to surely die while the remaining 90% faces a 50-50 chance of survival.

Pathogenic Fungi are used as termite bait, by being so; it does not kill termites immediately. It can be classified as an indirect termite repellent. Like all other baiting technologies, the use of pathogenic fungi takes more time before actual results are seen.

2. Organophosphates

Excluded in this list of termiticide classes are the Chlorinated Hydrocarbons which have been banned since 1988. Organophosphates follow the same fate, however, because the phasing out of all products belonging to this class is very recent (only by the start of 2006); I think that this class has to be discussed as well.

Termiticides under the Organophosphates class are not very harmful to the environment; however, these termiticides can greatly compromise human health. The recent findings of how these termiticides can cause blood and brain-related diseases made the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA imposed a permanent ban on all Organophosphates effective January of 2005.

The most commonly used Organophosphate is the Chlorpyrifos which is used as a chemical barrier. The chemical is used during preconstruction wherein gallons after gallons of Chlorpyrifos are poured directly into the soil on which the building will sit on. Chlorpyrifos is a direct termite repellent or it kills termites immediately upon contact. It was claimed by its manufacturers that the dead termites within the treatment zone will deter other termites from coming any close to the building being constructed.

3. Phenyl pyrazoles

Unlike other termiticides, Phenyl pyrazoles are really newly developed non-repellent termiticides. Released only in 2000, the only commercialized Phenyl pyrazole termiticide called Filpronil has been proven to be 100% effective in repelling termites and protecting a treated property from any termite attack. Field tests conducted in many areas in the United States gave Filpronil the good reputation that it now has.

4. Pyrroles

The only termiticide under the Pyrroles class that is currently being marketed is the Chlorfenapyr. Released in 2002, Chlorfenapyr has already earned for itself an undisputed fame in the field of termite control. Chlorfenapyr is also a non-repellent termiticide which acts slowly thus giving the termite time to go back to its colony and "infect" the other termites inside it. Chlorfenapyr works in two ways: (1) it can be ingested by the worker termites or (2) it can be carried by the termites' body.

Since termite workers are tasked to feed the other members of the termite colony, an infected worker termite will be a very good Chlorfenapyr agent. The ingested Chlorfenapyr will be mixed whatever it is that the termite worker feeds the larvae, the termite soldiers and the queen. The termite worker also dies afterwards because the Chlorfenapyr that it has ingested kills the microorganisms that break down the wood that it eats. Because of indigestion, the termite will die out of hunger.

Chlorfenapyr that is carried by termites' body is also effective in killing other termites. Once other termites come in contact with an infected termite, it too will carry the chemical and eventually die because of poisoning. Although the effect of the chemical is not abrupt, it can still kill termites very effectively.

5. Synthetic Pyrethroids

The inspiration behind Synthetic Pyrethroids is the chrysanthemum. The plant produces the extract called pyrethrum which has been found to be effective in repelling termites but is not easy to dispense because it easily breaks down even under normal temperature or pressure. Chemists are able to find a way to synthesize a laboratory chemical that is very similar to pyrethrum, but with more stability. Among these synthesized chemicals are the (1) Permethrin, (2) Fenvalerate and the (3) Deltamethrin. The chemical called piperonyl butoxide makes Synthetic Pyrethroids more stable than its natural counterpart.

Although Synthetic Pyrethroids do not kill termites in a massive scale, it is still considered as an effective termiticide because termites avoid places that are treated with it. However, careful handling is very necessary when using these types of termiticides because when they find their way into water surfaces, they can kill large numbers of fishes too.

6. Trifluoromethyl aminohydrazones

Hydramethylnon is the most common termiticide belonging to the Trifluoromethyl aminohydrazones class. It is also a termite bait system type, however unlike the other termite baits; it does not kill the microorganisms inside the termites' guts. Instead, it suppresses the termite's production of oxygen killing the termite through suffocation. Hydramethylnon is safe to use around humans and other warm-blooded animals because of its low toxicity level.

Once again, your favorite termite exterminator,
Michael Rozatoru :)

The Nutritional System of Termites

2011-05-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

Termites are among the rarest creatures that live on earth which are capable of digesting wood. To most creatures, wood is highly indigestible. For example, wooden cork baits are even used to kill pest mice and other nibbling rodents.

But it is more interesting to know that termites don't digest wood by themselves, rather, a type of protozoa having the size of a micron does all the work. These microorganisms live in a special portion of a termite's intestinal tract which is the only kind of environment is which these creatures can exist. For this reason, a symbiotic relationship exists between the two creatures: the unicellular protozoa and the termite host.

The Wood-digesting Protozoa

More than being the sole agent of breaking down wood material or cellulose into enzymes, the unicellular protozoa inside the termite’s gut is also the main source of protein necessary for termite nutrition. The surplus flagellates inside the termite's gut are digested by the termite giving the termite a steady supply of carbohydrates and protein needed for its survival.

The most interesting fact about the symbiotic relationship of the two creatures is the method by which they come together. The microorganisms that have kept termites alive for millions of years already are not born alongside the termite larvae.

Upon birth, a termite larva is not capable of feeding itself so termite workers have to feed it with the carbohydrates which they have digested themselves (or the microorganisms inside them). The digested cellulose that the workers feed the larva is the means of transferring the microorganisms from the guts of the termite workers to the gut of the larva being fed. Eventually, the microorganisms inside the larva’s gut will grow in number making the grown termite capable of digesting cellulose by itself.

The Self-less Termite Workers

While it can be said that all members of a termite colony are essential for their continued survival, one member of the colony can be considered the most important when it comes to the nutritional system of the termites. These are the termite workers. The termite workers are responsible for finding water and wood, they are also tasked to build and expand the nest. Moreover, termite workers are tasked to feed the Queen, the soldiers and the larvae.

Majority of the members of a termite colony are workers because they are tasked to do a lot of different things inside their colony. A big portion of the entire termite worker population are tasked to dig without ceasing in search for food, while some of the termite workers are tasked to maintain the overall structure of their nest. Moreover, some of the workers are delegated the task of keeping the other members of the colony alive by feeding them with the food that they can digest.

1. The Big, Big Queen

When the queen starts to lay eggs, its abdomen expands to cope with her incessant giving of birth to thousands, if not millions of termite eggs. The queen's abdomen size could reach up to hundreds or thousands of times larger than a regular termite abdomen making her so heavy and immobile. The immobility of the queen makes her a mere laying machine that is incapable of doing anything else except birthing. Thus, it is the workers' responsibility to feed the queen with the same material that they feed the larvae.

2. The Bob-head Soldiers

Termite soldiers are amongst the best-equipped soldiers of nature. Relative to their environment and size, they can be compared to the most trained combat soldiers that we humans have. However, because of their physical nature, termite soldiers are as useless as the queen when it comes to feeding itself. If the queen has an enlarged abdomen, the termite soldiers have enlarged heads. Their heads are made so because of their big and sharp jaws used for defending its nest. Nonetheless, their jaws are as useless in eating as it is as effective in fighting. For this reason, termite workers also have to feed the soldiers.

3. The Weak and Small Larvae

Like what has been discussed above, termite workers also feed the larvae inside a termite colony. No matter what future function the each larva will serve after it has gained enough strength to serve the colony, termite workers are tasked to feed each one of them. Feeding the larvae with pre-digested food is called the "seeding" process because it is the stage when the larvae are "seeded" with the microorganisms that will keep them alive in their adult life.

Termite Mystery

It is still a very big scientific mystery how termites are able to do what they do today despite their lack of thinking capacity. It has long been concluded by science that termites have only discovered how to build their nests and how to keep their colony safe by mere accident, the amazing characteristic of each of the members in a termite colony still brings into the surface questions about their real origin.

A 250-million year old termite fossil preserved in amber has been discovered a couple of years ago. The termites preserved in that piece of rock showed not difference with the physical appearance of the termites that we have today. This is a scientific proof that termites have long discovered the methods that they apply now in building their nests and nourishing the entire colony, giving them no reason to evolve or change their physical appearance to cope with whatever weakness that they are supposed to have.

Termites at Home

Nonetheless, the fascination that is presented here with the kind of existence that termites have does not imply that the termites we have at home should be fancied rather than eradicated. While termites are very interesting to study and to observe in their natural habitats, bear in mind that our homes and properties are not their natural habitats. It is still best if we eradicate termites which destroy the structures of our homes and probably compromise our lives. And the best way to do so is to continually keep in mind that termites can exist on their own (even without the steady food source they get from your wooden floorboards!).

Michael Rozatoru :)

A Complete Guide to the Basics of Termiticides (Part II)

2011-05-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

It is not uncommon for most people to think of "organic" as anything that has nothing to do with chemicals. However, in the real essence of the word, "organic" actually refers to chemical compounds that are composed of one or more of the known organic elements. These elements are oxygen, carbon and hydrogen.

Termiticides or chemicals that control or kill termites are actually organic in nature. These chemicals consist of organic compounds which are synthesized by experts so that they can be easily dispensed and used. Nonetheless, there are other termiticides that are non-organic, being purely made and synthesized in controlled laboratories.

Chemical Formula of Termiticides

For a chemical compound to be purpose-specific, it has to contain a special ingredient that dictates its overall purpose. A termiticide would not be able control and kill termites if it does not have an active ingredient. An active ingredient is highly toxic and alone, its dosage can be very difficult to control. Thus, an active ingredient has to be mixed with other "ingredients" which are less toxic. In most cases, inert elements are used to tone-down the toxicity of the active ingredient used in the termiticide.

The chemical formulation that we see in the labels of termiticide packages are already the mixture of the active ingredient and the inert elements that have been mixed with it. The chemical formula helps the user of the termiticide to use the product effectively and safely. Termiticide formulations can be either in liquid or powder form.

Liquid Termiticides

1. Mixable Concentrates

Termiticides that come in the form of Mixable Concentrates or MC are cloudy in appearance in their raw form. MC's has to be mixed with water before being used. MC's are associated with the common strong "pesticide smell" that we are all familiar of. MC's are manufactured to be oil-based, making the chemical obvious when mixed with water.

MC is very toxic causing immediate withering to some varieties of plants. MC's are to be used without skin-contact because they can be easily absorbed by the skin possibly harming the person using the chemical. MC's are commonly applied to wood construction materials thereby inhibiting termites from even touching it.

2. Water-based Liquids

Similar to MC's, these chemicals are to be mixed with water before they are used. Water Miscible Liquids or WML are very strong toxic chemicals that are very effective in deterring termites from feeding on the wood portions of the building. In essence, MC's and WML's are similar; their only difference is their appearance in raw form. WML's do not appear cloudy unlike MC's. WML's are classified into three categories: (1) water-soluble, (2) soluble concentrates, (3) liquids and (4) solutions.

Powder Termiticides

1. Dust Formulations

Termiticides that come in the form of dusts are amongst the types of chemicals that should be handled with extra care. Like all termiticides, dust formulations consist of a single active ingredient mixed with other dry compounds. The dry compounds should be inert in nature so as to lessen the toxicity of the active ingredient. In almost all instances, dust formulation of termiticides are only advised to be used in places where there is little or no inhabitant activity because the dust can be stirred by different forms of activities mixing it in the air the inhabitants breathe-in.

2. Wettables

In its raw form, wettables are dry, powdery formulations that are finely ground. Under a naked eye, dry formulations and wettable powders look the same, but they are very different when already used as termiticides. Wettables, from the name itself, are to be mixed with water before they can be applied to wood. After mixing with water, wettable powders look like WML's.

Types of Control Using Termiticides

Termites react differently to different classes of termiticides (see my separate article on this topic entitled “An Extensive Guide to the Different Classes of Termiticides”). Moreover, the impact of the termiticide used also varies depending on the method by which the chemicals are used. Normally, termiticides can be applied directly into the soil or on the surface of the wood materials used in the construction of the building. In a new termite control technology, termiticides are used as long-term baits to termites.

To date, two types of control make use of termiticides, these are: (1) Direct Termite Repellents and (2) Indirect Termite Repellents (also known as non-repellents).

1. Direct Termite Repellents

These termiticides are strong enough to kill termites on the spot the moment that they "touch" any material that is treated with the chemical. Properties with severe termite problems are often treated with such type of termiticides because the damage has to be controlled as fast as possible. However, newer researches have revealed that these types of termiticides are not very effective in killing the entire population of the termite colony that infests in the property, especially when the colony is still not found or is difficult to reach.

2. Indirect Termite Repellents

The reason why indirect termite repellents are gaining more favor nowadays is because of its ability to "deceive" termites. Although indirect termite repellents are still deadly to termites, its effects to termites do not appear fast, giving the termites that have ingested it time to go back to the chambers of their colony.

The method makes use of the nature of worker termites. Inside the colony, worker termites also feed the queen, the soldiers and the larvae. They feed the other members of the colony with the food that they have digested themselves. Thus, if these termites have ingested indirect termiticides they will be feeding the others with poison. In the long run, the entire colony will suffer poisoning even while the others have not actually taken the termiticide.

Legal Termiticides

No matter now sugar-coated termiticides are promoted, these chemicals are still poisonous and over the years, some termiticides have actually become infamous because of their harmful effects to humans. However, there are stricter standards already imposed nowadays that aim to prevent the problems caused by termiticides to happen again. All legal and safe termiticides are EPA-approved and tested. The EPA acknowledgement seal is present on all approved termiticide labels.

Michael Rozatoru :)

An Extensive Guide to the Different Classes of Termiticides (Part I)

2011-05-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

Termiticides have long been used to control and kill termites. Over the years, many termiticides have been developed and most of these have been commercialized by its developers. To date, there are twelve (12) classes of termiticides including the notorious Chlorinated Hydrocarbon type which has been banned since 1988. The remaining eleven classes are: (1) botanicals, (2) Chloronicotinyls, (3) Fluoroaliphatic Sulfonamides, (4) Inorganics, (5) Insect Growth Regulators, (6) Microbials, (7) Organophosphates, (8) Phenyl pyrazoles, (9) Pyrroles, (10) Synthetic Pyrethroids and (11) Trifluoromethyl aminohydrazones. The first five classes will be discussed in this article.

1. The Botanicals

Termiticides belonging to the Botanical class are the only termiticides that come from plant extracts; the other ten classes are synthetically produced or are all synthesized in a laboratory. Plants that exhibit termite-repelling characteristics include the chrysanthemum and the tobacco plant.

Contrary to what most people believed, botanical termiticides are not necessarily safer that synthetic ones. For example, the fumes coming from the tobacco plant is more dangerous to human health than most of the synthetic termiticides. This is the reason why no termiticide has been developed using the same plant. However, the chrysanthemum offers a different case. The natural compound called pyrethrum that comes naturally from chrysanthemum is very safe and effective in repelling termites.

While pyrethrum is very harsh to insects, its effects to humans and other mammals are almost negligible. However, no matter how safe and effective pyrethrum is, the main problem with this organic chemical is nature itself. Because it is highly organic it easily breaks down even under normal circumstances, i.e. normal temperature and pressure. Nonetheless, it is in the chemical formula of pyrethrum that chemists were able to synthesize a more stable artificial compound that is currently being used as an effective termiticide. Although the chemically produced "pyrethrum" is not as long-lasting as other chemical termiticides, it is still useful enough to serve as a safe and effective termiticide.

2. Chloronicotinyls

Chloronicotinyls are termiticides that do not directly kill termites. These chemicals are considered as indirect termite repellents (see my separate article about direct and indirect termite repellents entitled "A Complete Guide to the Basics of Termiticides") because they kill termites by disorienting them, thereby making them unable to feed and forage for food.

The active ingredient used in Chloronicotinyls is called imidacloprid which attaches itself into the nerve endings of the termites. Because of the presence of the chemical, termites experience a foreign sensation in their bodies which they find disorienting. Moreover, termites that are exposed to imidacloprid having a concentration lower than that which causes disorientation still becomes weak enough to catch naturally occurring diseases that eventually lead to death.

Chloronicotinyls are same to use because of its very low toxicity level to humans and to other warm-blooded animals. Humans and other mammals do not have as many receptors as termites, limiting the sites wherein imidacloprid can attach to.

3. Fluoroaliphatic Sulfonamides

This termiticide class is mostly termite baits. The active ingredient of all termiticide classified under Fluoroaliphatic Sulfonamides is called sulfluramid. Sulfluramid is a recent termiticide discovery, currently being used by two termiticide companies only (FMC Corporation and Spectracide Corporation). Sulfluramid is a slow-killing termiticide that leads to gradual suppression of the termite colony. These products do not eliminate the termite colony in an instant, although it offers a steady and yet effective way to slowly reduce the termite population inside the colony until it ceases to exist.

4. Inorganics

The most popular inorganic termiticides are called borates. Borates are compounds with an active ingredient called boron. Boron is often dispensed as boric acid, although in some applications, boron is also dispensed as disodium octaborate. In both types of dispersion, boron is applied directly unto the wood surface that is to be used in the construction of a building or a house. Boron penetrates deep into the wood making the wood boron-treated from the surface down into its insides. Because of this, boron has been very effective in killing termites because it poisons termites as they eat the wood materials of the house.

Experts are still divided in theorizing as to how boron kills termites. However, the prevalent theory is that boron kills the microorganisms that live inside the guts of termites. These microorganisms are the ones responsible for breaking down cellulose into carbohydrates on which termites actually feed on. Once these microorganisms are dead, termites will have no way of digesting wood and thus die in the process.

Borates come in three commercial forms: liquid, powder and gel. Both liquid and powder borates are to be mixed with water before applying to any wooden surface. Gel borates are to be injected using a syringe into the wooden material to be treated.

5. Insect Growth Regulators

Most of the termiticides under this class are used for termite baiting. Termiticides used for baiting technologies are designed to affect termites indirectly. The termite workers which are the ones who are most exposed to these termiticides does not necessarily feel the effect of the chemical. However, because of the rest of the members of the colony to depend on the workers for food, they are the ones more affected by the chemical. Insect growth inhibitors are compounds that hinder certain portions of the insects to develop and grow. In the case of termites, since the infected termite workers feed all the larvae in the colony, there is a very high chance of them passing on the chemical to the larvae.

An example of an insect growth inhibitor chemical is the diflubenzuron. This chemical is classified as Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor. Chitin is the external shell of the termites that covers their soft organs inside. Now, because only insects such as termites have chitin, humans and other warm-blooded animals are surely safe from the effects of the chemicals. In the long run, these types of chemicals develop a weak and struggling termite colony that is bound to cease existing.

Read the second installment of this article entitled "An Extensive Guide to the Different Classes of Termiticides (Part II)".

Sincerely,
Michael Rozatoru :)

The Eusociality of Termites

2011-05-18T01:41:00.000-07:00

Eusociality. The term used to refer to the highest forms of organized species in the planet. It is a term you will usually come across with when you talk about ants, bees, wasps, and termites. Yes, believe it or not, the most despised destructive pests in your household belong to a higher stratum of the world's ecology. Termites belong to a genus of insects called Isoptera. Sometimes they are arguably pertained to as ants, and in recent debates they are empirically likened to cockroaches. However, until research and studies on which likeness they belong have come into conclusion, it would be appropriate to just refer them as separate specie.

To further magnify the definition of Eusociality, it would be best to identify first what are the qualifications that would make a creature identify itself as eusocial, which in this case, termites. Here are the reasons why termites are considered eusocial species:

1. Termites are considered Eusocial because they have an exemplary state of uniformity and organization. Inside each termite mound, there is a division of labor in the development of their colony and a reproductive goal to comply. The composition of castes both fertile and sterile circumscribes the aspects of colonial productivity of the species; one type of termites have purposes that are hinged in the construction of the colony, and others are developed to reproduce outside of the colony to create more branches of the colony by becoming kings and queens of their own mound.

2. Eusocial species have generations that overlap each other. The predecessors' generation will likely be overlapped and abreast by the following generation due to rapid reproduction.

3. Organisms like termites have organizations inside the colony that have members carrying out diverse specialized task. And one of the primary tasks is the cooperative caring of the young. A characteristic surprisingly found in eusocial organisms like termites. They are as if consciously aware of the crucial importance of their young to the progressive development of their colony.

All the qualifications mentioned above but not limited to them, are the reasons why termites are considered Eusocial. As of this moment, debates are still ongoing on what other qualifications are still out there to fully define the extent of Eusocialism's definition. The integration of the consideration of the nature of the division of labor, contingent to an organism's natural classification are still being argued over. Human beings are still arguably being classified as Eusocial due to broader perspective inclusions of the term. Temporary division and non-random distribution labor that outputs the ultimate goal of reproductive success are now being contemplated.

Nevertheless, with or without the debates, termites and other species alike are infallibly eusocial organisms as clearly manifested in their way of existence.

However, according to some studies, it is believed that termites were not originally Eusocial organisms. That at some point, they were disorganized as mess and it wasn't only until a climactic event took place that delivered them to their evolutionary organizational breakthrough. Some parts of this theory were potent adaption of Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection. Such research indicates that the termite organizational characteristic was derived from a long term survival of natural antagonism, thus resulted to the termites' present state.

Battles that Lead to Termite Eusociality Evolution

Some theoretical research have found and believed that the primary reason why there is the spawning of Eusocial organisms is due to the turf wars that took place within specific specie. These TURF wars have helped reveal the natural factors that resulted to the selective evolution among organisms and thus we now have Eusocial insects.

In the termite side of the theory, the reproductively capacitated soldiers that are unique to primitive termites are theorized to be the missing link in the evolution of the sterile soldier termites that are more commonly present in the modern termite societies.

A certain group of researchers from the University of Maryland arranged field interactions with various types of termite colonies to further investigate about the facts that can corroborate the theory.

One of the inconclusive but rather potently complimenting data they found was that the reproductive soldiers from the primitive termite societies are rare and docile. This have lead them to hypothetically deduce that the stronger soldiers from Zootermopsis nevadensis (another termite colony) came in to invade the weaker termite colony and immediately eliminated their king and queens and thus, effectively merging two colonies to become one that is far larger. Upon the subsequent turf wars that took place, it is most likely that the larger colonies will prevail.

Thus, Darwin's theory of natural selection comes in where some termite colony members are naturally forced not to develop into winged reproductive forms in order to stay put within and protect the colony from invasion. The inter-colony aggression and secession has produced an evolutionary incentive among these certain members of the colony to stay in one place instead of reproducing somewhere else. From these spawned as well the early manifestations of much more organized and allocated division of labor which eventually related termites to Eusocial organisms.

Partial Conclusion

There are many contemporary researches that study the Eusociality of termites and their evolution to the present point of organization and system of their societies. However, all of them are inconclusive even if they all withhold strong evidences of the unaccounted past of termite evolution. The only thing that remains infallibly true at this point is that termites are perceived to be one of the most amazing creatures on the planet in terms of societal balance and system that it even exceeds human societies in the aspects of order and harmony. Of course there are levels of rationale in order to define the idea of harmony as it also depends on what specie is being taken into consideration. But at most parts, humanity could only dream to have a society similar to these Eusocial organisms.

Termites may be one of the most destructive organisms on earth, but they are definitely also among the most harmonious species living in the planet and that is definitely something humans could learn a thing or two.

Michael Rozatoru :)

The Elite Termite Army

2011-05-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

The need of the termites to protect their colonies from threats and attacks is not far from that of every country in the world. As nations equip their militaries with the most advanced weapons and technologies, termites also exhibit the same amount of efforts in protecting its "home", especially its queen, from any danger.

While termite soldiers are only a few centimeters long with bodies that are soft and not covered by any armor, termite soldiers are still considered to be one of the most efficient soldiers in nature's ecology. These soldiers are blind and they are not capable of complex thinking or strategizing; in fact, experts say that termites do not think at all. In spite all these, termite soldiers are always able to protect their colonies and in most cases they are successful in doing so for decades.

The Soldiers on Foot

Termites are highly social insects and like all social insects they follow a caste system. The Caste includes: the reproductive class (queen and king), the alates (winged class), the alternatives (the reproductive class substitutes), the workers and the soldiers. Each of these classes performs a specific duty in the colony; termites only duty is to protect the colony no matter what.

In most cases, termite soldiers have to defend its colony from other animals larger and stronger that they are. To compensate for their size and strength, termites have physical attributes that sets them apart from all other animals. For example, many termite soldier species have oversized jaws which are very sharp and effective in scaring and killing animals. Amongst these types of termite soldiers are the South American termites and the African termites.

Quite surprisingly, termites have suicide bombers too. But unlike its human version, termites do not need to use bombs because their bodies in itself are capable of exploding like a bomb. The Malaysian termite soldier uses this ultimate technique to drown its aggressor with the yellow fluid that its body excretes after explosion. The sacrificial nature of termites does not stop there. Termite soldiers also use their oversized head (with the jaw) to plug holes in their nest which might serve as an enemy entry point. As a result, the termite soldier can starve to death or get killed because of immobility.

Termite Biological Attacks

Apart from the normal physical features of termite soldiers (oversized sharp jaws), termite soldiers can also excrete certain chemical which help them in their battles. Similarly, human terrorists are also known to have developed the same technology which they can biological weaponry. In their very nature, termite soldiers can squirt a kind of poison that kills or paralyzes its enemy making them vulnerable during battles.

Experts agree that although termites are not capable of complex thinking (some even argue that they are not capable of thinking at all); their million-year existence had definitely led them to many discoveries which humans are putting much effort to re-create (gigantic architecture, biological weapons, etc.). According to science, through natural selection, termites were able to develop the ability to produce these types of chemicals in their bodies. Scientists found out that a certain organ inside the termite soldier's body keeps the chemicals safe, thus protecting the termite's body from poisoning itself.

(1) "Suicide" Bombing

It is very amazing how termites are able to attack in groups and not end up hurting their fellow termites in the battle field although they are all blind. Moreover, in the group of termites, one or two termites will have the "initiative" to climb up an enemy's body and explode thereby excreting a chemical that paralyzes the enemy, making it vulnerable to the other termite soldiers. It is difficult to imagine how termites are able to develop this battle strategy granting that they are blind, small and not capable of complex thinking.

(2) Poison Armor

Different termite species are also able to synthesize different types of strong poisons which they are immune to. The soldiers smear their bodies with this poison whenever they go into battle. The idea is simple: they would try to kill their enemies with all the strategies that they know of and in case they fail, their last weapon is their poisoned bodies; when their enemies sting or bite them, they will get poisoned. It is good to note that the poison inside a termite's body can reach up to 35% of its entire body weight. A single secretion is enough to kill thousands of attacking ants in an instant.

(3) Glue Bazooka

A quarter of all the termites species in the world (roughly 500) can spew a gooey substance that somewhat resembles that of glue. The chemical that termite soldiers spew only become glue-like the moment that the termites excrete it. But contrary to what a glue-like substance can obviously do (immobilize an enemy), this glue-like chemical that termite soldier's spit are actually strong enough to cause significant damage to metal and concrete! (Just imagine what it can do to ants and other insects) To larger enemies, termites use this chemical to cause temporary loss of consciousness. While the enemy is unconscious, the termite soldiers rapidly begin their attack to the enemy. It is quite impossible to survive after this type of attack.

Like the other chemicals that termite soldiers store in their bodies, this glue-like chemical is also kept safely without compromising the life of the termite. The excretion of this chemical is very similar to how the bazooka fires its ammunition, the distance reached by the bazooka attack is similar to the distance reached by the termite's spew relative to their sizes.

Termite Respect

While it is very easy to hate termites because of the damage that they can do to our properties, it is also very interesting to understand the complex behavior of termites. The fact is clear and simple: termites do not intend to eat up your house; they happen to reach your house because of their insatiable need to feed their colony. I hope this fact guides you in the methods of termite control that you choose.

Michael Rozatoru :)

Termites as Social Cockroaches

2011-05-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

In the mainstream of articles about pestering insects, termites have been long regarded as ants. Most of the time, people even mistake them for ants and are treated as such. Thus, writers put out comparisons to clearly denote the similarities and differences between these two insects. In scientific studies, though, scientists have been investigating the evolutionary connection of termites with other insects. Laboratory tests and behavioral observations have been conducted and these entomologists have eventually been debating about the possibility of termites being one of the different kinds of cockroaches instead of these insects being ants. They may look like ants but a lot of considerable factors point that they are indeed social cockroaches.

i. Apparent Similarities and Differences

In a quick glance, termites may appear to humans as white ants but with a closer look, they actually resemble the wood roaches Cryptocercus. Both of these insects also have specialized cases enclosing their eggs and perforations in the inner part of their heads. Consequently, there are no other apparent similarities that we could lay out aside from the mentioned physical characteristics of the compared insects. Historical investigations, however, show that termites and cockroaches came from the same species in prehistoric era and have just evolved into two different family distinctions. Their physiological structures have changed to fit in their ways of living. However, some roaches live so much alike with termites and thus look almost like them as well. Even by the naked eye, the wood roaches Cryptocerus and the primitive termites Mastotermidae have a lot of physical characteristics in common. Their similarities are more profound than that of the termites and ants.

The differences, on the other hand, are quite remarkable which makes it hard for non-researchers and home owners to believe the proposed fact that termites are related to cockroaches. As observed by people, cockroaches are omnivorous detritivores and they scout for food more of a scavenger's way. For this reason, they are considered to be as one of the most disgusts and filthy insects getting in contact with wastes and thriving in most dislikeable places. In doing so, they contract so many disease-causing pathogens and their bites, although not painful, are considered to be possibly fatal due to the harmful bacteria they transmit to people. Their mere presence is already enough to make a homeowner panic with the thought of sanitation glitch. While termites, destructive as they are, forage for food that are cellulose based and digest them with the aid of protists, symbiotic bacteria and fungi. They are generally considered as clean insects since they do not scavenge filthy wastes. Therefore, they do not carry harmful bacteria with them. Their rare bites are even close to being unnoticeable.

In behavioral studies, it is perceptible that cockroaches are solitary insects which live and reproduce generally on their own while termites are social ones having a distinct and highly organized social system composed of castes. Cockroaches forage for food and survive needless of staying in a group while termites have assigned tasks for every individual and all of them are dependent to each other in order to survive. The latter maintain and live strictly following the tasks assigned to them. They are even physiologically structured to conveniently and efficiently carry on their responsibilities. Moreover, cockroaches are not so diverse within their species except for their distinctions in age and sexual differences; termites have a lot of group variations and they are very keen to these productive and non-productive distinctions. In their physical structures, cockroaches have permanent two pairs of wings which have different sizes and their bodies are composed of three segments; termites have two equally sized pairs of wings which they shed off after mating. With these differences, it is surprising to a lot of people that termites have evolved from the same species as cockroaches did. This matter has become a debatable ground for a lot of researchers but DNA evidences have supported the claim of termite-cockroach connection. Thus, termites are cockroaches only living in a different mode of survival.

ii. Mastotermidae, termites that are exhibiting cockroach-like characteristics

Mastotermes darwiniensis or mastotermidae are primitive termites which are big and have the same characteristics as cockroaches do. These shared characteristics are not apparent in other termites. Here are the cockroach-like attributes that these termites have:

a. Feet with five tarsal segments; other termites only have four

b. Large size; other termites are relatively smaller

c. Eggs are laid in a oothecae which implies that their eggs are protected by specialized cases or capsules enclosed by membranes; other termites lay solitary eggs

d. Expanded pronotum which appear as shield in the first thoracic segment making it bigger than the usual size; other termites have smaller first thoracic segment

e. Hinds wings with expanded anal fans; other termites do not have this physiological structure

f. Ovipositor present; this tubular structure is absent in other termites

g. Their bodies carry endosymbiotic bacterium called Blattabacterium which is also present in cockroaches; other termites do not have bacteria in their bodies but they are aided in digestion by fungi

iii. Cryptocercus, cockroaches that are exhibiting termite-like characteristics

Although there are scientific arguments about the connection of termites to cockroaches, researchers have enlisted nine species of Cryptocercus punctulatus which have the same characteristics with termites on the basis of morphology and social behaviors. Here are their shared characteristics which are not perceptible in any other species of cockroaches:

a. Provide parental care for nymphs

b. Exhibit social behavior

c. Nymphs fed by the anal secretions of the adults

d. Live and nest exclusively in dead woods

e. Eat and digest woods by the help of endosymbiotic bacteria and protists in their bodies

f. Endosymbiotic bacteria and protists are passed on to their nymphs by anal secretions

g. Harbor several genera of endosymbiotic bacteria and protists that are not present in other cockroaches and termites but are necessary in their survival

h. Live long and pair monogamously, which is not apparent to other cockroaches since they live a very short life span and they mate promiscuously

i. Nymphs are exhibiting a striking termite-like appearance

As always, written by Michael Rozatoru :)

Termites as Indications of Soil Fertility

2011-05-17T03:37:00.000-07:00

I. Science about Soil Fertility

Before we tackle the indispensable contributions of termites to increasing soil fertility, let us first have a brief background about soil fertility. This is the condition of the ground in which all the needed nutrients of the plants in order for them to grow healthily are sufficient. The best strategy for the farmers to make full use of it is to take advantage of all the organic nutrients while conserving the soil and water available. However, due to drastic climate changes and improper human interventions, it gradually declines and eventually causes the farmers a great deal of financial frustration. To understand it further, here are the enumerations of the two most important aspects.

1) The ideal physical and chemical properties of fertile soil

a) Soil that have enough pores to hold good amount water for the roots of the plant to take. It also enables the soil to drain well.

b) A well-aerated soil enables the plant to have sufficient supply of air through the roots. Therefore, the soil compressed by a heavy equipment or livestock is not ideal for growing healthy crops.

c) The pH level of the soil should also be regulated together with proper aeration.

d) The soil should have good cation exchange capacity level which implies that the soil has more clay content rather than sand.

e) Soil-dwelling macro and micro-organisms should be healthily present in the soil to have an efficient breaking down of organic matters to be converted to soil nutrients for the consumption of plants. They greatly support healthy plant growth and health.

f) The soil should be abundant with elements needed for plant nutrition such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and small amounts of the trace elements which aid in promoting healthy growth such as cobalt, iron, copper, boron and several others.

2) Factors that contribute to the degradation of soil fertility

a) Drastic climate changes like flooding and drought make the soil lose the nutrients needed by the plant, especially if the farmers are unable to prepare the crops from these weather probabilities. The nutrients are found in the top soil which is the surface easily affected by weather extremes. Flood could wash them away and would obviously cause too much water content in the lower surfaces of the soil. With this, even the root extensions would be damaged, aside from the probability that the plant could then be easily uprooted. Drought, on the other hand, could dry it up and since the clay content of the soil could easily be hardened, not only the water substance but also the aeration is compromised.

b) Burning the crops and leaving the soil bare and unprotected from the sun and wind for a long time make it lose the pH balance of the soil and also changes the physical properties such as water content and aeration. With strong winds, the top soil could be blown away. For this reason, it is ideal for farmers to plant trees and shrubby plants around the area so that natural vegetation could maintain the pH balance and other essential properties of the soil.

c) Misuse of fertilizers makes both of the soil's physical and chemical properties change. Commercially formulated fertilizers need careful application by the farmers. If the wrong amount of these chemicals is applied, they could cause too much alkalinity or acidity which could either way is unfavorable. Nevertheless, too much chemicals may not only be disadvantageous to the soil but also harmful to the crops and in the end of the yield, could be harmful to humans as well.

d) Improper crop rotations also contribute to the degradation of soil fertility. The soil also needs ample time to gain its natural components before it gets to be utilized again. If farmers use them in yielding crops immediately after harvesting, the soil is being drawn to its limit in supporting the growth of the plants. All nutrients are drained from it without having it restore the lost elements in the previous yield. After the second harvest, the soil's fertility has already been so depleted that it would require the farmers to be conscientiously applying methods of refurbishing the natural elements and properties.

II. How Termites Increase Soil Fertility

If the physical and natural properties of the soil have been changed in a way that soil depletion is caused, the most effective strategy is to restore its natural composition and increase its fertility is to use organic means. There are commercial products available in the market but nothing could surpass the benefits of the organic methods. They do not carry health hazards as well and with very limited restrictions which would make farmers worry-free as the take on the cultivation of the soil.

Nevertheless, the most effective method is to cultivate macro-organisms such as termites and micro-organisms such as fungi and bacteria in the ground. Termites are very efficient in organic decomposition and this process brings back to the soil all the nutrients that the plants need to grow well. During the decomposition process, these insects enable different kinds of bacteria to dwell in the soil. These bacteria not only contribute to the breaking down of the materials but also mineralize nitrogen in the soil. Since this element is mineralized to simpler forms, the plants could absorb them easily and convert them to elements essential to their own growth.

On the other hand, fungi are directly maintained by termites. In building their mounds, termites maintain a garden of fungi to aid their digestion of cellulose and in turn, fungi also benefit from them. Termites aid in their reproduction. Thus, they co-exist and take advantages of each other. The benefits that the plants get, then, could be considered as the "collateral damage" of the mutualism in the positive way.

Moreover, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium which are essential soil nutrients build up in the mounds of termites. The carbon, on the other hand, is released in the form of carbon dioxide and methane from the mounds or even from the shelter tubes of these insects. In addition to that, termites also help creating air vents in the soil as they make passages and tunnels for their colony. These vents enable sufficient aeration for the benefits of the plants. Thus, the presence of termites in the ground and even their activities are highly beneficial to the crops in terms of soil fertility.

Amazingly researched by Michael Rozatoru :)

Protecting Homes against Termite Invasion

2011-05-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

The activities of termites cause immense damage to our properties, a worldwide problem that every homeowner is facing since then until this very modern era, termites are destroying modern infrastructures with their primitive ways of destruction. Termites evolve along with time and cope up rapidly to every change on their environment, this instinct virtually made termites indestructible and hard to eliminate.

On the other hand, no insurance covers the damages caused by these pests. So the best thing to do is to engage in preventive activities before infestation takes its toll. One of these methods involves proper maintenance of your building structure with proper knowledge to modify some of its construction to reduce termite incursion. Research and look for some structural modifications and methods of maintenance for reduction of termite attacks. For building modifications, you can prevent the presence of termites in your home by simply integrating either physical or chemical barriers as a protective measure.

Physical Barriers

The lighter way would be the introduction of physical barriers in way that structure withstands every aspect of termite assault. You will noticed that there are many to mention but some of these tangible barriers can be used as one of your home's structural modification, these includes concrete retaining walls, deck support, PVC sheds and plastic film barriers. You can use fence support to separate wood from soil contact, fine sediments or coarse sand barriers and fines steel mesh to avert the foray of termite in your building.

Chemical Barriers

The idea is to make your structure resistant to termites and halt their activities. Before the construction of your home, application of this chemical barrier bears a great help and are very effective. But since the barriers are of chemical composition it is recommended to be expertly done with strong advises from professionals on chemical handling. Since termite colonies are hard to destroy, this method amounts to poisoning the adjacent soil that termites can use to enter your house. This forms a barrier for entry because termites cannot go through the poisoned soil.

But the treatment is expensive, discovering one mud tube will tempt most people to have that area spot treated. This misconception contributes to the cost of treatment. Since the colony is always there, spot treatment may actually be useless because whether the zone is blocked by spot treatment, sooner they will find another way around it entering the house via untreated soil. Spot treatment is advisable and effective only if whole house treatment was made and spot treatment will only serve as active barriers for termites that have found a breach.

Handling from the Experts

With proper maintenance of your structure you can prevent termites in your house. Seek for aid from the experts and let them inspect your home in order to attaint peace of mind that your preventive methods are confidently successful. Have them regularly check your home for traces of invasion because termite detection is often difficult and tricky to determine.

Separately, treated woods are generally the best things for fixes and restructuring. Borate treated woods serves one of the best choice to use. Chemical treatment reduces the attacks of termites to your wooden portions of the building.

Repellant and Non-repellant Termiticides

Termiticides, the exact name of pesticides that are targeted for termite control. The repellant and non-repellant categorizes the termicides applied to wood or soil. To determine the exact way of treatment depends on termite's reaction on a specific area. While repellant termiticides seems to be more environmentally friendly non-repellant termiticides do the opposite. The difference between repellant and non-repellant termiticide is the fact that repellant termiticides make the soil so termite-unfriendly clearing and preventing them from entering the treated areas. Non-repellant chemicals kill the termites upon contact and ingestion while termites are unaware of the said effect thus preventing them from tunneling.

Widely known Termiticides

Cypermethrin, Bifenthrin, Fenitrothion, Permethrin and Fenvalerate are some examples of repellant termiticides categorized as pyrethroids. These synthetic chemicals have a track record proven effective as means of controlling termites and as applied correctly make a very effective barrier. Effectiveness varies from amount used and covering as many potential entry points of termites. Homes with greater potential for large infestation of termites requires extensive drilling into foundation walls, wood structures and structure's slab in order to reach all the necessary areas.

Do it yourself

Termites needs water to survive, constant access to water is a must. If you dry them out, certainly they will die. Looking keenly on their ways, termites build mud tunnels to the ground which they kept wet. Seeing pencil size mud tubes is one of the two common ways to detect termite presence. Dry tubes are considerably inactive but in any case, check it by scrapping segment in the middle of the run, considerably active tunnels will be rebuilt quickly not later than a day. To sustain a colony, an area must be wet.

Termites usually build colonies in wet areas. No doubt that termite requires moisture to survive. To prevent the termites from entering your house you must indeed eliminate moisture from the house. Proper home ventilation reduces moisture content. Defective gutters, sprinklers, pipes, air-conditioning units, water leaks are practical breeding grounds for termites. Check and secure water containers in your house for proper drainage. Keep plants and trees away as possible because plants are a constant source of moisture and food to termites. Surrounding plants in your home attracts termites from entering your house. If you are planning to plant any trees, make sure that they are located at a distance from your home.

In connection, ensure that no branches of trees to touch any wooden part of your house. As your part in your routine and as urgency requires, you should regularly check your wooden parts of the house like walls, fences and other posts from termite infestation. Securely, make sure that wooden structures and objects do not touch the ground for this is considerably attractive for increasing the chances of termites in your house.

Written by By Michael Rozatoru :)

Organic Termite Repellents

2011-05-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Nature in itself is capable of keeping the balance between everything in it. Nature can even extend beyond its own normal boundaries -- in places wherein there are already too much human activities, even the metropolis where all that can be seen are technological advancements together with skyscrapers. In this article, we will focus on one of the problems of the human civilization that has both caused damage and prosperity to two different entities: termite control. To some, termite infestation has cost them their properties but to some, termite infestation has given them livelihood and income. In this specific aspect, nature has given those who are troubled by termites to use botanical repellents which are readily available for anyone's use.

Pathogens Found in Fungi

The fungus which all of us know as brown rot (scientifically called Gloeophyllum trabeum) is actually a very effective termite repellent. The most common house-infesting termite called the Australian subterranean termite (scientifically named as Nasutitermes Exitosus) detests brown rot and will not tolerate a habitat where the same fungi are found. This does not mean that the homeowner should grow and culture brown rot though. All that the home-owner has to do is to locate the termite nest and put the fungi on it. Termites will naturally evacuate their nest!

However, the complexity of nature also appears in the use of brown rot. According to the research conducted by some of the graduate students in Louisiana State University (LSU), a specific specie of termite actually finds brown rot desirable that they intentionally seeks out wood that is infected by brown rot. To date, one native subterranean termite specie has been found to exhibit the same liking to brown rot: the Formosan subterranean termite. So, careful examination is needed before you can actually use brown rot. As a suggestion, you better make a little research as to what a Formosan Subterranean termite nest looks like (I have some articles about them down there in the archive) and at the same time, try to be familiar with how the Formosan termites look like.

Natural Oils

Plants that excrete essential oils like eugenol and citronellal have been identified by many termite-control specialists as significant organic termite repellents. Experts call such plants are Terpenoids. Unlike brown like, these oils are detested by most termite species, including Formosan termites.

The oils extracted by Terpenoid Plants like the redwood tree and bald cypress can be used to treat the wood materials used in the construction of your house. It is also very interesting to note that the discovery of such an organic repellent is incidental; scientists were studying why termites do not attack redwood and cypress. What they found out resulted to the usage of essential oils in repelling termites.

Apart from redwood and cypress, it was also found out that the oil that can be extracted from Kuss-kuss grass (a wild and common grass in Australia) also repels termites and other pests as well (ants and cockroaches). Moreover, the oil extracted from Kuss-kuss grass in very fragrant and it can be used to treat the wood materials of the house while giving off a very pleasant smell that can be aroma theraputic as well.

Small Parasitic Roundworms

In a laboratory setup, it was found out that these small parasites that are classified as roundworms kill termites in large-scale. These worms or nematoids/nematodes (scientifically called Steinernematidae) have been experimented to in various laboratories around Australia and have found great success. However, in the actual setting, it can be easily deduced how nematoids are ineffective organic termite repellents. Termites that infest houses live in dry wooden portions of the house while nematoids can only thrive in moist soil. Termites can also easily find a way to "quarantine" the portion of their colony where the nematoids are.

Boric Acid

Boric acid can be commercially bought nowadays but in essence, this mineral can be extracted from most fruits and plants. Boric acid is also very abundant in seawater. The mineral became popular for commercial use because of its many uses, especially in preventing and curing skin problems like acne. Many commercial lotions and creams are boric acid-based. The same mineral is also used as a powerful antiseptic.

It is not very surprising that boric acid can be used in termite eradication too. Since termites do not think and just eats everything that is in its way, a simple application of boric acid in their nest and in the wood materials of the house will be enough to kill termites. When ingested, boric acid acts like a form of poison that kills the microorganisms inside the intestines of the termites (these microorganisms are the ones that disintegrate cellulose which termites cannot do on their own). Naturally, termites will die shortly after the microorganisms die out of boric acid poisoning.

Neem Tree Bark

Neem tree or Azadirachta indica has been used by many locals to ward off mosquitoes and other pests for centuries now. However, recent studies have revealed that the bark of Neem tree actually repels termites too. The research was conducted in a tea plantation in India wherein termites have been known to do large-scale damages. The researchers found out that termite-damage dramatically reduced to 60% in just three years after Neem trees are planted throughout the plantation.

Why go organic?

Although it is quite clear that organic termite control is not as effective as chemical-based control, why is the use of natural repellents still encouraged nowadays? Unfortunately, the answer is not very obvious. While it should have been easy to quote the classic anti-chemical battle cry: "Chemicals are bad for the environment", for as long as there are legal laboratories that continue to back-up the claims of chemical pesticide manufacturers that their products does not harm the environment, it will be difficult to say who is right. Now then, the campaign on the use of organic termite repellents is all about reminding the public and the pesticide manufacturers that nature can be utilized too in solving the many problems that we face.

It was a real pleasure to write this article for you folks.

Sincerely,
Michael Rozatoru :)

P.S
your favorite pest control guy :)

Mutualism Between Fungus-Growing Termites and Termitomyces

2011-05-14T01:14:00.000-07:00

I. Description of the Symbiotic Relationship

When we speak of termites, the general notion of people is that of a swarm of insects destructively enigmatic to people and most of these pestering insects live in our houses and bigger industrial structures. Less popular to us is the family of fungus-growing termites more scientifically known as Macrotermitinae. Unlike other termites, these termites could not digest cellulose from the food they eat. Thus, they need help from the digestive capabilities of fungi; Basidiomycete Termitomyces. Macrotermitinae maintains a garden of Termitomyces around the colony and most of the time, create small ventilated structures inside the nest as fungi combs. As these termites consume cellulose-based materials like woods and fabrics, they also eat a certain amount of fungi. These fungi help the digestion of food inside the termites' bodies by gradually breaking down the ligneous and cellulose based substances. The other mutual way is that, termites carry back home all the consumed food and store them in fungi combs. Same process, the fungi breaks down the substances in order for the insects to completely digest them. Moreover, these fungi also help regulate the moisture content and the temperature within and around the colony.

In turn for the aid that fungi provide the termites, these insects help in the reproduction process of Basidiomycetes. When they eat fungi together with the cellulose-based materials that they consume, they could not digest the spores. As they defecate, they bring back the spores to the soil enabling them to grow. On the other hand, if they do not eat the fungi, they still aid in the reproduction by transportation. Fungi have the capacity to fructify, that is, to produce fruits from their bodies. From being a mycelium, a fungus emerges to the surface of the soil during fructification. When termites pass through the garden, they carry with them the fruits of fungi and causes horizontal transmission. Upon travelling to different places while foraging for food, the termites leave behind the fruits in different locations. Thus, the fungi could start a new growth.

II. Location of the Symbiants

Insect researchers and experts, otherwise known as entomologists, have recorded over 2000 species of termites around the world and most of these species live in African forests and deserts. Two of the places where they are mostly sighted are in Mozambique and Gorongosa. Moreover, there are approximately 160 Macroterminae subfamilies that exist in this continent which survive with the aid of the Basidiomycete Termitomyces. The co-existence of these two complex living organisms is apparent in green mounds. Not only in forests and deserts, these mounds could also be found in home yards and parks nowadays. They are more commonly sighted during rainy seasons. Fortunately for people, they do not live within houses because if they do, they would cause more structural damage than just having these termites consume the cellulose based materials. Aside from the hideous appearance of the colonies with small garden of fungi around it that could make the homeowners disgusted and embarrassed, the fungi could also cause health risks to the family members.

III. Their Positive and Negative Implication to Humans

Most of these macrofungi Termitomyces grow visibly around the mounds so it is very easy to immediately identify them. Some people even gather them for food. The mushrooms that sprout out during fructification are usually edible usually depending on the cleanliness of the area but since fungi are varied, there are also those that could not be eaten by humans and that are just beneficial to insects. For this reason, African people are very meticulous in picking up these mushrooms for consumption to avoid being poisoned. Moreover, a lot of delicacies and dishes could be made with these mushrooms that most of them have even become popular and fancied by a lot of people not only in Africa but also in other continents. The termites, on the other hand, have also become part of the rare and exotic range of delicacies in Africa. They are being prepared as grilled or toasted, sometimes sweetened or spiced.

Consequently, this co-existence also causes tremendous damage to humans especially to the crops being maintained for a living. It has been reported that 90% of the crops in Africa has been terribly infested by fungus-growing species of termites and the genus of termites mostly responsible for this is the genus Odontotermes. They have the highest rate of growing fungus and have large mounds exhibiting the symbiotic relationship. However, with their presence, they could also yield up to an approximate crop damage of 25%. This percentage is already too much for the African people who greatly depend in farming for survival. Thus, despite their food benefits, they are also considered as enemies. Most people destroy the mounds after gathering the mushrooms around it if they have just discovered them late enough for the fructification to be completed. They usually burn the mound or use poison chemicals to annihilate the termites.

IV. Natural Conservation for Ecological Benefit

It is already common to our knowledge that termites play a great role in the ecological life cycle and it has already been publicized and tackled in a lot of articles either virtual or not. Needless to discuss further, fungus-growing termites also have a different contribution to nature. Most of the time, their mounds are big enough to shelter small animals during rainy season. They also serve as refuge to small animals when there is flood. Moreover, these mounds also provide growing mediums for different kinds of shrubs that have weak root systems. They support these plants during inundation because the roots could not withstand a prolonged flood. Birds, scorpions, snakes, lizards and all other small ground creatures use the abandoned mounds as their own habitats since they provide great protection especially to the eggs and young ones. Burrowing mammals like aardvarks also find it easy to create passages and caves and eventually, hyenas and mongooses live in the enlarged ground spaces. The mounds in timbers, on the other hand, also serve as shelters to small timber-inhabiting creatures. The abandoned timber mounds could also be ideal bird nests.

V. Conclusion

The symbiotic relationship between Macrotermitinae and Basidiomycete Termitomyces has proven that termites are not just pestering insects solely advantageous to the ecological life cycle but are also essential contributor to the survival of other living creatures. They may cause great damages but they also serve much advantage to other organisms and smaller animals which play more advantageous roles in nature. Thus, this mutualism between termites and fungi has become a very interesting topic for researchers of a lot of science professionals. A lot of entomologists are devoting much of their time and funds just to fully comprehend the existence of these complex organisms. Since there are different kinds of termites and fungi involve in this mutualism, more studies are expected to sprout out in the near future.

Your favorite pest control expert,
Michael Rozatoru :)

The Economics of Termite Control

2011-05-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

Treating termite infestation in a property is costly. It is always in the best interest of the property owner to make the most of the money that is invested in the treatment. This article aims to give valuable tips on making the decision in choosing the best company to do the job.

The Pest Control Companies

While it is very normal for property owners to worry too much about the time being wasted in sifting through the many different companies that offer termite control services, it is still more advantageous for the property owner to not panic and make hasty decisions, especially in choosing the pest control company that will be paid to take care of the termite infestation.

Many pest control companies employ very good pressuring techniques and smooth talking that property owners are immediately persuaded to hire their services without looking into other options. As a property owner, you should keep in mind that these people are hired to make you sign a contract with their company, thus they would have the tendencies to tell you whatever it is that you want to hear for as long as they get your money in the end. The effort of having to choose the best company lies solely in your hands.

You will definitely face the problem of having to pick up the right company especially if the cost of the services offered by the companies varies to a couple of hundreds of dollars. While it may not be true to a select few, in most cases, companies that offer the lowest price often cut down on some aspects of the treatment in order to offer the service at such a low price. In a way, by picking out the lowest bidder, you might as well pick out the poorest service provider.

Inspection

In order to be secure about the pricing of the treatment, you have to submit your place for termite inspection in order to find out if actual damage is really taking place.

The good thing about company competition is that most companies will be willing to conduct a free inspection of your place (although some may charge you a little). What you can do is to arrange at least four professional termite control companies to thoroughly inspect your properly for termites. If termites are indeed found, you can ask for a detailed report on the their bid for the treatment of your properly. Make sure that all the companies that inspected your place provide you a written report so that you can cross refer. In making the comparison, you might find the following questions helpful:

a. Are there live termites in the property? Where are the colonies found?

b. How much of the properly has been damaged? Which portions are severely damaged? Which portions are in the verge of being damaged?

c. Are the damages recent? If not, how long have the damages been their?

d. Has the property received termite treatment before (If the property is not originally yours)? What type of treatment has been done?

e. Are there damages that are hidden or those that are in the very foundation of the property which cannot be seen? How about the visible damages?

The report of the inspectors might include a recommendation as to what form of treatment is best advised for your property. They might advise for a partial or full treatment, the validity of the recommendation is left for you to discern based on the data that you have in your hands.

Understanding the Bidding Process

You will be able to make a sound decision when you know the facts and the figures associated with the termite treatment that will be done in your property. To help you in your decision, here are some key questions that you should be asking, or better yet, the report of the pest control company have already answered:

1. What termite treatment is advised? The treatment can be chemical-based or it may employ the bait system; sometimes, heat and microwave are also used. In some cases, fumigation is needed. But in most cases, chemical-based termite treatment is advised and is often used.

2. For a chemical treatment, what chemical will the pest control company use? Is the application rate of the chemical in line with the current rate of application as per recommendation of the government (should be less that 25 psi applied pressure). To be more thorough, ask the pest control company for a copy of all the labels of the termicides that are to be used in your property.

3. Which part of the house are the chemicals applied? If it is in the underground basement, how deep from the basement are the exterminators planning to dig?

4. If your basement has a floor covering, be especially concerned about the method by which the exterminators are going to apply the chemicals. Ask for the techniques that they are to employ? Will they dig or drill a hole?

5. How will the exterminator treat those portions in your house that are not easy to access? How about the very narrow edges?

6. In the case of drilling holes into the floor covering, how will the exterminator cover the hole? Will the chemical not leak? How will the exterminator make sure that you and your family are safe from the chemical?

Company Credence

Finally, do not forget that it is also very important that you are dealing with a legal pest control company. The company should be recommended by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of your state. The Bureau handles all the complaints received by service companies thus, BBB will not recommend a company that has unsolved issues. Look for valid licenses to operate too and always ask the company and make the time to call the referrals declared by the company.

You might also want to look into the insurance offered by the company. The insurance is very useful come the time when you have to sue the pest control company for an unsatisfactory job.

Another amazing termite industry analysis post by,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Effective Termite Annihilation

2011-05-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

For so many years of driven industrialization, pest infestation has been a common problem for household owners but the most compromising insects capable of enormous damage to almost all kinds of structures are the termites. Unlike other pests, the damages caused by these insects are not brought to humans directly but to our properties. They do not even cause us any fatal diseases. In fact, the ones that could possibly make us sick are the insecticides and other chemical substances formulated by different companies that promote manageable termite extermination. For this reason, we are highly advised to seek help from termite control specialists rather than engaging ourselves to manual annihilation of these insects which usually ends up to failure and further damage either to the health of the family members or to the infested structures being mishandled.

Upon facing a pest dilemma caused by termites, however, we usually consult the internet or household magazines before calling on the professional termite exterminators and we are eventually provided with various articles on how to be efficient in termite control. There are a lot of extermination options offered to every household owner wary of having termites in their own abode and most of us go on trial and error first before finally deciding to ask for professional help. Fearing that the problem would become worse and uncontrollable, a lot of people do the extermination process in too much haste that they fail to efficiently get rid of the termites. To put it up easily, we are going to discuss five procedures that make up the effective obliteration process of termites without being so unnecessarily hasty about it.

1. Locating Termite Colonies

The first step requires keen observation from the household members in order for the colony or nest to be located. You could look within and around your house for tell-tale signs of the presence of termites like wood dusts, termite wings lying around, shelter tubes, damaged structures or even a single termite could be an indication of a massive number just hidden in likeable places. To start with, look for any weak spots and this means the wooden areas of your home because they are the most probable refuge for these insects. You can also check the basement, the attic and the garden. In doing so, you need to be patient and determined enough because not all colonies are readily visible so you need to track down any signs that you see. For instance, if what you have found are the wings, the colony is usually just near the discovery site so you have to be very meticulous in searching out all corners within the area. Wood dusts, on the other hand, may require you to check on the walls and other wood structures further because the damage is typically in the inner surface of the structure. You can check on any bulges that may serve as an indication of a colony built up inside. If you have found shelter tubes, you need to track them all down because they eventually lead to a nest or colony. Nevertheless, there could be more than one colony in your territory so seeing one does not necessarily mean that you have already done your tracking assignment well. You need to be thorough and there should be no signs disregarded.

2. Choosing the Best Extermination Method

A lot of articles may give different recommendations on methods about how to get rid of termites at home. A lot of magazines advertise termite control products that could be manually applied as well. Regardless of the wide publicities and advertising, the best and the safest method is to lay back and let the professionals do the tricky job. You can find them in the internet, magazines or even newspapers. Termite control services are widely available and there are a lot of companies specializing on them. They may cost higher than any manual methods but they could surely deliver assured results. With regards to their trainings and knowledge about termites, these specialists would be the ones to decide on the best techniques to be used in annihilating all existing termites in your area. They also have scanners and other devices that could further check the house for any possible colonies undiscovered yet when you went through the initial step. Moreover, in finding a suitable service for you, do not let them go.

Sign up a contract with them so that you would not need to go through the hassle of looking for professionals once you need more help in the future. Termites could be very persistent insects and they are surely not that easy to get rid with. Before you know it, you have a new colony somewhere in the house starting to cause damages again. Therefore, do not stop seeking the help of the termite control experts unless you are already 100% sure that the problem is gone.

3. Protect Your Home

It is a common knowledge that termites basically feed on wood but it does not end there. They also feed on plastics, papers, clothes and anything that is cellulose-based. Therefore, their appetite is almost unvaried. They eat 24 hours a day and they cause rapid progress on the damages they have started within your home. Nevertheless, you have eventually found their colonies, call the experts to exterminate them and if you think you are safe from termites already, you are gravely wrong. You are still susceptible to termite infestation unless you do something about it and the best way to face it is to termite-proof your whole territory; the house and even the garden. Dispose any soft and damp wood structures that are no longer needed. It is better if all wood structures in your house are made of the hard kind since they are not easily infested by termites. In addition to that, as what most of us have already known, termites need moisture in order to survive so it is highly recommended that there should be proper water disposal at home. Look for water leakages and seal them. If there are any water build-ups, dry them out. Moreover, you could annually inject borate (an EPA registered substance which has been tested and proven as safe for the health of the family members) on walls or spray a generous amount in your garden. If you want to be more cautious, consult the termite control experts on how to more effectively protect your home from termite infestation. To avoid getting a bogus service, get only the licensed specialists or ask around to compare service results.

You may have noticed in our discussion that termite control professionals play a great role in eradicating these pestering insects. True as it is, we could not terminate a termite infestation with a 100% effectiveness on our own. We could actually find so many advices from a lot of sources on how to manually deal with them but none of those methods could provide us the utmost efficiency because one way or another, not all termites would be eliminated. We need the help of the experts to locate even the most hidden colonies and to safely exterminate them without harming the health of our family members by using unnecessary chemicals made popular only by fancy advertisements. We could do our own roles in the eradication process though. Homeowners could greatly contribute on the whole process especially in the first and third steps. It is not all for the credit of professionals but to us, concerned household members, as well.

I really enjoyed writing this post, for you folks,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Cost of Termite Extermination

2011-05-14T00:59:00.000-07:00

The exact cost of a termite control service cannot be determined unless the entire property to be treated and the method of control have been clearly identified. However, estimates can be made through various common factors like the approximate size of the building where treatment is necessary, the types of termites which are to be eradicated and of course, the severity of the termite infestation in the property.

Most termite-infested properties only need to be treated once (there are some properties that need a re-treatment but such cases are very rare). But this does not mean that those who make a living from termites are not earning enough. In fact, the entire termite-control industry has already earned as much as two billion US Dollars over the years. This should give you an idea that professional termite control is not that cheap. Here's a rough estimate for each type of extermination:

Chemical Extermination

Chemicals are commonly used by exterminators to kill termites. The cost of a chemical extermination is priced by linear foot, that is, the house floor area is measured and the owner is charged with the corresponding price. Typical US houses measures about 150 linear-foot (about 1250 square feet), resulting to a rough termite treatment cost estimate of about $1300 to $2500 depending on the type of chemical used and the material used in the construction of the house. That is about $9 per linear-foot.

Bait Extermination

Home-owners will be given by the exterminators' different options to take as to how they want their homes to be treated. Some home-owners are not really comfortable with the use of chemicals, so exterminators devised the bait method to cater these customers. The method can be a little bit more costly that the previous one because the exterminator has to really learn some special skills in order to execute the extermination properly. The lowest bait extermination cost is about $1500. The cost can rise up depending on the type of bait used, as well as the material used in the foundation of the house or building.

Fumigation

A full-building termite treatment is called fumigation. In fumigation, the entire building or house is sealed by a tent-like outer covering. Gas is then pumped into the building for a complete coverage. Since fumigation involves the treatment of the entire house, its cost is based on the volumetric measurements of the house too (in cubic feet). The cost of fumigation is almost the same with chemical extermination, about $1200 to $2500 for a 150 linear-foot house of average height.

Heat Extermination

This method is relatively cheap, although many exterminators do not recommend this treatment because there is no absolute assurance that all termites are exterminated through heat since some might have already become resistant to certain heat levels. The treatment costs about $1200 for the same size building size as presented in the previous examples. To bigger buildings, the price almost does not change.

Microwave Extermination

For small areas, termites can be controlled using the microwave system developed by the modern-day termite exterminators. Alongside their microwave system is the use of an electronic gun that stuns large numbers of termites with just one blow. The cost is about $1000 to $1200.

Apart from the cost entailed by the actual service, there are additional costs which should be taken into consideration. These are:

1. Insurance

Some companies offer insurances to their clients. These are very tempting offers because the insurance might only cost around $200 to $400. The insurance is renewed on a yearly basis and within that insured year, the termite control company is responsible and accountable to every termite that continues to nest in your house. A $1200 or $2500 worth of services may be covered by the $200 or $400 worth of insurance.

2. Extra Effort

There are states where houses are traditionally built on floating slabs. This structure makes it more difficult for exterminators to reach the soil foundation of the house, requiring them to drill into the slab and pour in the chemical or bait needed for the extermination. This process takes more time to complete, not to mention the extra skills that the exterminator has to possess. For the extra effort, the exterminator might charge an additional $200 to $500 dollars. But you do''t have to worry so much about the sudden increase; to compensate for the price increase; the exterminator will most likely give you a one year guarantee.

Different Company Pricing

The cost of each termite control service often varies from one company to another. Termite control companies often do not ask for the same amount because these companies compete with each other. It is good to note that these companies are always open for negotiation, in most cases, the price that they give you the first time is not always the lowest price that they can give. Try to compare prices and negotiate your way into the best deal that you can possible get.

Since termite treatment is supposed to be a one-time job, the main objective of a reliable termite control company is to satisfy their clients so that they may become "ambassadors" of the company; probably telling one friend to another about the good service they got from that or this company. You should take advantage of this fact and do not hesitate to ask for discounted deals to the termite control company that you are about to hire.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that the cost given above are not really exact, the figures are rough estimates and they are simply given so as to give you a heads-up about the way termite treatments are priced. It is still best if you contact several termite control companies and ask their customer service representatives about the promotions that their companies offer and the price of the different termite control services that they offer. You can easily find their contact information in local telephone directories or you can refer to the Federal Pest Control Association for the list of termite control companies that legally operate in your state.

Your favorite pest control expert,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Chlordane: From Killing Termites to Compromising Human Health

2011-05-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Termites do not bite or sting. In fact, termites are clean and they do not carry a single disease-causing bacteria or virus in their bodies. However, because of their wood-destroying nature that has damaged so many useful properties, humans have created poisons that are supposed eliminate termites; poisons that eventually turned out as human killers rather than termite busters. Thus, although termites do not cause any direct harm to humans, because of their existence, humans are able to create poisons that led them to harm themselves.

Chlordane was very sensational when it was first released by Monsanto in somewhere in the '50s. It was odorless, easy to administer and most importantly, Chlordane was very effective in eliminating hundreds of thousands of termites in a couple of hours. The pesticide was so popular those days that about 30 million homeowners throughout the United States submitted their homes for Chlordane treatment. It was in 1988 when the US government finally made a stand against Chlordane and put a permanent ban on all pesticides containing Chlordane.

The Reason for the Ban

The people maneuvering the pesticide companies and the entomologists that worked for them only told their consumers that Chlordane will kill the termites, but they missed out the fact that Chlordane would also harm the people living in a Chlordane-treated house. This revelation only became apparent when house-dwellers started to become sick and doctors began pointing Chlordane as the culprit.

Initially, pesticide companies campaigned that the soil on which a house would be built should be treated with Chlordane first in order to make the soil impenetrable by termites. They have secured homeowners that it is impossible for the poison to seep into the house to harm its inhabitants because the concrete foundation of the house will be sufficient to seal away Chlordane. However, in the years that came, it was proven that the claim is actually faulty. Later on, a number of health problems have been associated with Chlordane: asthma, Neuroblastoma, cancer in children, problems with the brain, bronchitis, sinusitis, even leukemia and infertility.

Immediately, the US government called for a recall of all the pesticides that contain Chlordane and at the same time ban the manufacturing of any similar products. But this ban happened after more than 30 years of allowing Chlordane to be used by the public. The damage was already unimaginable.

Decades of Contamination

Houses built before 1988 are generally considered to be likely vessels of Chlordane since the chemical can continue to linger. The indoor air of all the houses treated with Chlordane has been considered unsafe for human habitation. No matter how much disinfection or counter-treatment is done indoors to make the air inside the houses safe, over time, the Chlordane that has been poured underneath the houses' foundation slowly evaporates and contaminates the indoor air once again. Hundreds of gallons of this toxic chemical have been deposited underneath that in one way or another; the chemical will definitely find its way out of the surface.

To date, there are still houses that mark more than 5 microgram of Chlordane level indoor which is the safely limit of Chlordane level as set by the USNAS (United States National Academy of Sciences). Statistically speaking, about 30% of the houses tested in New York and New Jersey as unsafe because of Chlordane contamination.

Health Problems Caused by Chlordane

Liver Damage

The effects of Chlordane to the human liver have been validated by the case of a 48-year-old woman who lives in a house that has been treated with Chlordane. Prior to living in the house, her health was recorded to be just alright, however, after 10 years of inhabiting a Chlordane-treated house, her liver became damaged. Doctors found low-level Chlordane mixed in her blood.

Doctors agree that Chlordane exposure can definitely cause nausea and some level of chest discomfort. The victim might also experience sore throat and other symptoms related to the respiratory system. As in the case of the woman, doctors observed that the damage in her liver is directly related to the Chlordane found in her blood.

Neuroblastoma and Leukemia

Because it was found out that the breakdown contaminant of Chlordane (heptachlor) can mix with human blood, doctors began to study the relationship of Chlordane exposure with the blood abnormalities of the children that where admitted in major hospitals in New Jersey and New York; the results horrified the doctors.

It was found out that 75% of all the children admitted in the hospital that lives in houses previously treated with Chlordane have Neuroblastoma or Leukemia. It was further found out that five cases of Neuroblastoma include children who were exposed to Chlordane while they are still inside the wombs of their mothers.

To strengthen the claim regarding Chlordane as the reason for the diseases suffered by these children, authorities have conducted an experiment using monkeys. The animals were exposed to Chlordane for three months while strictly monitoring their blood. In was found out that the number of white blood cells in the monkeys' blood dropped significantly. A number of test monkeys showed symptoms of leukopenia which is in some way similar to leukemia in humans.

Immune System Damage

The human body is naturally designed to combat invading bacteria and viruses through its immune system. However, it was found out that the immune system can be weakening because of certain factors. In a research conducted in Illinois, scientists were able to conclude that Chlordane is one of these factors.

Children living in Chlordane-treated houses are found out to produce just about half of the number of immune system cells as compared to those who are not exposed to the chemical. Of the total number of children tested, eleven children showed symptoms of autoimmunity or the condition wherein the immune system gets confused as to which are foreign bodies and which are not. The immune system then mistakenly attacks its own self. Autoimmunity results to so many different illnesses.

Discovering Fuel Source from Termite Guts

2011-05-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

The simple fact that somewhere in the guts of all termites lives hundreds of very efficient cellulose-decomposers drove the 1997 Nobel Prize for Physics winner Steven Chu to propose that it is possible to make use of termites in producing eco-fuel. While the famous physicist is still clueless as to how the microbes inside termite guts are able to disintegrate cellulose so efficiently, he is thinking that through research and bio-engineering, it is possible to develop industry grade microbes that can produce ethanol-like fuel which will help solve the fuel crisis that the world is experiencing.

In Chu's theory, it the microbes can be extracted from the guts, then it will be possible for people to convert even the weeds that grow in their lawn into useful fuel. However, Chu and the other termite-fuel advocates like are still in the process of researching for ways to genetically modify termites or the microbes in their guts to make them disintegrate cellulose faster.

The Problem with Ethanol Production Today

The idea of using natural methods in ethanol extraction was given birth after many experts have realize that the amount of energy needed to convert corn and figs into clean and usable bio-fuel is much greater than the actual energy that can be generated from the fuel converted. In fact, although it has been scientifically proven that ethanol burns cleanly and can extracted from many other types of plants that grow in many countries, it has also been proven that the process of producing such a fuel is not clean at all! In fact, the amount of pollution that is produced in ethanol production plus the amount of energy that has to be spent in order to get ethanol are the two main reasons why ethanol is gaining rapid disapproval among many countries today.

However, in Chu's mind, it will be possible to extract ethanol from plants without having to consume fuel and produce pollution. Since the guts of the termites provide a livable environment for a certain type of microbes that can disintegrate plants and produce ethanol in the process, Chu and his team and exhausting all their energies now in finding a way to extract the microbes from the termites' guts or to bio-engineer the termites to grow more of such microbes in their guts so that they will be able to produce more than what they need for survival.

Investments on Termite Development

It might sound absurd to those who don't know the possibilities of producing ethanol through termites to know that many multinational companies are actually investing on termite development laboratories. For example, Amyris Biotechnologies, a synthetic energy company has invested $500 mln USD in the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory where Steven Chu conducts his researches. The United States Government is also starting to include termite research in its alternative fuels research, of which it spends hundreds of millions of dollars.

LS9, another synthetic biology company has also funded Chris Somerville, a termite energy extraction advocate like Steven Chu to conduct termite researches for the company.

What about the "plants" that mutated termites will have to feed on?

Now, if comes the time when scientists and physicists are able to make mutated termites with extremely huge guts that contain millions of cellulose decomposing microbes, what plants would the termites devour? Steven Chu comes in with a simple idea. His team plans to use Miscanthus weeds in the production of ethanol.

Miscanthus is a very fast growing weed that can grow up to 14 feet. The weed can be chopped off up completely (leaving behind the roots) and in a year's time, the weeds will grow back to as much as 14 feet again. Chu suggests that the weeds can be allowed to grow in vast useless lands where most crops will find too difficult to thrive. Like all weeds, Miscanthus does not require a very healthy soil to grow, nor does it need that much water. Thus, useless lands can be transformed into Miscanthus fields and they become very useful.

Other Thoughts from Other Researchers

Apart from Steven Chu, an environmental microbiologist in California named Jared Leadbetter has other thoughts about using termites as energy source. According to Leadbetter, the microbes that live inside termite guts can be used to produce industry scale hydrogen. Today, alternative energy companies have found it too costly and complex to extract hydrogen used in fuel-cells. Now, if the microbes can be synthesized to produce hydrogen as a by-product of cellulose disintegration.

Fuel cells are energy converters that produce electricity by separating the hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water. The process creates a flow of electrons which produces electricity. However, in order to separate hydrogen and water, a catalyst is needed and that's where the hydrogen generated by termites comes into the picture. In Leadbetter's head, if the research becomes a success, then households will be able to have a sustainable energy source which they can use both in their homes and in their cars.

Conclusion

While the idea of using termites as an alternative fuel source may sound very ambitious by now and might not even succeed in the future, one very good that we should learn from the minds of these brilliant people is that no matter how pestering some creatures and organisms are, surely they can be useful in some other ways. Termites might be responsible for a billion worth of damages that the country has to suffer from each year, but termites also give the pest control industry a huge amount of earnings.

Apart from the money earned by some people because of the presence of termites, people like Chu and Leadbetter also direct us to the fact that termites have some good uses too. I do not mean to campaign pro-termite mentality here, all that I am saying though is that we must try t look beyond the "pest" nature of termites, because in truth, these creatures do not attack our homes because they really plan to do so. Termites dig mindlessly, thus, it is possible to simply direct them out and far from your house without having to kill them; just a thought

Michael Rozatoru

Complete Termite Control Overview

2011-05-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Seek and Destroy the Destructive Pests

Unlike any other pests, termites do not carry with them disease-causing pathogens but they are the most destructive insects when it comes to industrial structures. They are also very hard to detect and sometimes, extermination means do not completely eradicate the whole number of termites swarming in your own territory. There are three considerations that should be thought of first before any homeowner starts annihilating termites; the common sites for termite colonies, the methods of extermination, and the difficulties commonly encountered in the process of extermination.

I. Common Sites for Termite Colonies.

Termites typically build their colonies in hidden areas and infest your home before you even get to notice their presence. By then, the damages caused would already be too great to save. However, there are five common sites where they usually settle.

a) House walls and wooden frames of the ceiling.

The most effective way to check on their colonies is to find bulges on walls and traces of fine powder of wood that termites leave behind.

b) Cabinets.

Colonies that are built inside cabinets are usually small but there could be other colonies in other parts of the house. You need to move objects out of the cabinet to fully check if there is a mound in it and destroy it immediately together with the shelter tubes.

c) Tool sheds.

Termites build their colonies in tool sheds because they have a very low risk of being noticed since tool sheds are not usually visited and checked by homeowners. If they do, they would just get one item and do not move everything in it. Thus, it is very convenient for the termites.

d) Garden.

This is the most common site. There could possibly be numerous colonies built up in the garden because it is very ideal for the survival of termites. They have abundant supply of food, moisture and the temperature is fairly regulated.

e) Basements and attics.

Like tool sheds, these two areas of the house are not frequently visited by the household members so they provide ideal refuge to termites. Sometimes, there is more than one colony built in the attic or in the basement. In order to find them, you can check on their shelter tubes and track them out to be lead to their nests.

II. Methods of Extermination.

When your house is being infested by termites, it is highly advised to let the professional pest control specialists to get rid of them. However, this does not mean that you could not do the extermination process yourself and by doing so, here are the following methods you could use.

a) Baits.

Like any other pests, termites as well are susceptible to baits. You can use fabrics, soft and damp woods or old papers and add a certain amount of pesticide. Place the bait near the suspected site of their colony and leave it. Consequently, the downside of this method is that the queen and the king might not be subjected to being poisoned if the workers that forage for food would die before they could even feed the others and pass on the poison. If the queen and the king remain alive and capable of reproducing, your effort would be put in vain. Their population could increase rapidly and eventually replace the poisoned ones.

b) Chemical dusts and aerosol chemicals.

Chemical dusts could be injected into the colony or spread around their site of settlement. When they get in contact with it, the chemicals abrade the outer surface of their skins and dry them out. Since termites need moisture to live, they could easily die in dehydration. These chemicals are also poisonous enough to immediately kill the termites when they get to ingest them. Aerosol chemicals such as carbamates and organophosphates, on the other hand, kill termites when they get in contact with the poisons or when they inhale them. These aerosol chemicals attack the nervous system of these insects and also serve as repellants.

c) Pressure-treated wood.

Woods that are saturated with chromates copper arsenate and ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate could immediately kill termites after they consume the poisoned food.

d) Microwave.

This method could only be used if you are certain of the location of the colony. You need to detach the nested area and put it inside the microwave. Ten seconds to ten minutes of exposure using a power range of 700 to 2000 watts is enough to kill all of them, even those that are in the innermost part of the colony.

e) Heat and Cold.

Termites are in grave need to maintain the regularized temperature of their bodies and the colony itself in order for them to survive. Extreme heat and coldness would eventually kill them. In applying degrees of heat, you can tent the colony and use propane burners to heat the air then blow them in the structural piece which has their colony. Chilling, on the other hand, could be done using liquid nitrogen that lowers the temperature down to 20 degrees below zero. Exposure to any of these extreme temperatures should last for at least thirty minutes to efficiently exterminate the whole colony.

f) Electrical guns.

The use of electrical shock with 90,000 volts of power has already been widely used for several years but it is only efficient if the spot where the colony is has already been identified. Thus, it is effective in killing termites but only for spot treatments.

g) Borate.

Health organizations highly recommend this method instead of the usage of insecticides and pesticides. Borate is EPA registered and has been known as safe for the health of the household members. Effective as it is, this chemical is odorless, colorless, water soluble and has a natural P. You can apply it by using it as liquid sprays but regular application to the infested structures should be done to increase its efficacy. If the colony is within the wall or the wood, the liquid borate should be injected with great amount ensuring that it has really reached the colony. It is only effective if the termites ingest it.

III. Difficulties in Extermination.

All of the discussed methods are good for extermination but there are complexities of the termite dilemma which make them uneasy to fully annihilate. Failures in some cautions before the extermination procedures may lead to the failure of the whole termite control process.

a) Failure to find all colonies in the area and failure to know the exact sizes of the colonies. Certain sizes call for different degree of extermination. For instance, if the colony is very big, you need to apply a bigger percentage of whatever method you are using to get rid of it.

b) Aerosols, chemical dusts and borate sprays have the tendency not to reach all the chambers of the colony. Thus, not all termites are being killed.

c) Failure to eliminate all termites. If after the extermination process, there would still be even at least five termites left, these individuals are very capable of starting on a new colony again.

d) Detaching the infested wood or structure in your house in order for it to be treated may cause you a very high cost in the repair and replacement. The accessibility and the range of destruction post a great difficulty to the homeowner as well.

Termite control is truly not as easy as exterminating mosquitoes and cockroaches. It involves a lot of considerations just for you to make it ideally effective. If you have any doubts of being able to handle the problem well, you could always check the internet, newspapers and specialty magazines for highly trained and educated pest control specialists. Inevitably, you would be paying a big amount for their service but come to think of it, paying them is a lot better that paying for all the reconstructions and replacements due to termite damages.

Have a nice day and stay away from termites,
Michael Rozatoru

Life Cycle of Termites

2011-05-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Termites are known to be the most destructive insects capable of creating irreversible and massive damages. They are very hard to control and the damages they create make humans lose not only industrial structures but money as well. Subsequently, the greatest factor of this pest dilemma is the rapid reproduction of termites. Once a colony is constructed in a particular structure of the house, the population of these insects increases beyond expectations. As the number of individual increases, so as their diet does. The workers of the colony would need to feed with a great amount of appetite in order to suffice the needs of the whole settlement. For this reason, the damage they create becomes enormous and sometimes become irreparable; thus, the cost of reconstruction and replacement is also high. Understanding the life cycle of termites, therefore, would be a great help in understanding their fast rate of survival and consequently, would be able to help homeowners to fight off the infestation.

The life cycle of termites begin with the winged male and female members of the colony taking flight, swarming to reproduce. They are the individuals completely developed with wing buds, wings, compound eyes and brown skin due to their sclerotized cuticle. Before tackling the reproduction process of these insects, we are going to discuss the four procreating members first.

I. The Reproductive Termites

A. The Alates

Alates are the young reproductive members of the colony which have wings and are the starters of the life cycle. They leave the colony to mate and find a suitable place where they could start another colony of their own. In every swarming, a range of 100 to 1000 alates leave the colony. These are actually the termites we see flying around in groups but they eventually break up and fly in pairs to mate. After mating, a pair of termites settles down on their chosen site to shed off their wings and establish a new settlement.

B. De-alates

De-alates are the alates which are successful in their mating process and have become kings and queens. As starters, a few eggs would be laid by the female de-alate and it would solely take care of the developing new members of the colony. As the number of individuals increases, the threes castes would then be formed: the king and the queen, the workers, and the soldiers. Subsequently, there would be aids for the queen as it lays more eggs to continue adding up to the growing population. The workers assist her in feeding and protecting the young ones since the queen's body size increases every after it mates with the king. Its abdomen enlarges to accommodate more eggs and as it does, it also decreases the capability of the queen to move and take care of its brood. After a couple of years, the number of termites in this colony has already increased to a population enough to be in the damaging stage.

C. Queen and king

These are the main reproductive members and also the most important termites of the colony. Their exclusive function is to reproduce and augment the size of the population as much as possible to increase the chance of survival of the whole bunch. The queen lays 1000 eggs per day and these eggs are white, translucent, small and ovoid in shape. Being the most attended termite in the colony, it could live up to 50 years. All other members of the colony such as the workers and the soldiers assist and protect her on top of anyone else. It does not have to be responsible to its eggs after laying them though; the workers are up for the task of doing so.

D. Neotenics

Neotenics are termites between being workers and being queens. They exclusively assume the role of being queen aids. Once the productivity rate of the queen decreases, neotenics assist it in order for the queen to continue reproducing. The moment it dies, one of the neotenics, which is deemed as the most capable one for procreating, would take the place of the queen in the colony and continue the population growth.

II. Workers

Workers are highly important in the colony not just because they are the ones foraging for food and seeing all other needs of the individuals in the settlement but also because without them, the queen would not be able to successfully produce as much number of eggs and young ones as possible. These termites are sterile, wingless and usually blind. The outer surface of their bodies is not pigmented and unhardened; thus, they need moist in order to survive and they are confined in dark areas. They assume on a lot of roles inside the colony and their life span usually last for one to two years. Moreover, workers, along with the soldiers, are the reasons why the queen needs to lay eggs as many as it could. The more workers and soldiers, the more the colony gets stabilized.

Moreover, the typical worker termite has three life stages; egg, nymph and adult. The egg usually lasts for a month, the nymph also lasts for a month and the last stage is the longest which lasts for a couple of years. During the nymph stage, worker termites molt seven times but they could not molt alone. Adult worker termites help them molt by biting off their outer skin. Some nymphs have wing buds but current reproductive termites prevent their complete transformation to being alates by releasing specialized pheromones to these winged nymphs. As they do that, winged nymphs lose their wing buds during molting. After the last molting, nymphs could then assume the adult morphology. However, this lifespan depends on different environmental factors such as the moist content of the surroundings, the temperature and the food supply.

III. Soldiers

Like workers, soldier termites are sterile and usually blind. During their physiological development, they need a few more molts than workers do. They enter a pre-soldier instar stage before attaining full maturity because they need to be more physically structured. This is for the reason that soldiers would need to have dramatically enlarged heads and mandibles which enable them to defend the colony efficiently. Once they finish their last molting, the transformation is irreversible. The globular heads of these termites become useful in blocking the tunnel entrances and their enlarged jaws are used as weapons in their battles to protect the colony. However, due to these physiological structures, soldiers are unable to feed themselves so they rely on the worker termites. Moreover, their life span lasts for one to two years depending on the environmental factors and battle results.

I know you appreciate this awesome post written by,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Termite Nests up Close

2011-05-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

One very notable thing about termites is their ability to construct massive structures. Relative to their size, plus the facts that they cannot see and do not think at all, it is quite difficult to imagine how they achieve this feat. All that experts can do today it to marvel at how efficient they are in the work that they do and be amazed by the innovations that they use in order to make their nests suitable to their needs.

Magnetic termite mounds have an amazing North - South orientation

In contrast to what most of us think about termites, they do not really prefer living in our houses. In fact, they would rather live in their nests underground or in some dead log, than live in a place where they are mostly affected by human activities. However, since termites do not think, their constant search for wood and water sometimes lead them into places where they should not be: houses, buildings, even cars and boats.

Nonetheless, this does not take away the fact that termites build their own nests and are not really after the comforts of a human house. Their impressive construction skills have enabled them to build nests of different sizes and shapes -- both of which are dependent of the number of termites that live in that nest, the age of the nest and the type of termites that live in it. In general, the different nests built by termites that are made from soil and fecal materials are: Mounds, Subterranean, and Arboreal.

Termite Mounds

Mounds are the most obvious of all the types of nests that termites construct. These are like little soil hills that are compact and sealed. Termites build mounds for many different reasons. For example, subterranean termites or those that build their nests underground (to be discussed after mounds) build mounds to serve as a temperature control apparatus, a storehouse for spare food or to provide ventilation for the entire nest underneath.

Sometimes, subterranean termites also use mounds as refuge whenever there is flood or when their underground nest is being attacked by other animals and insects. Moreover, in the case of other termite species, mounds can serve as the entire nest in itself where they conduct all their doings including the laying of eggs by their queen.

It is also good to note that termite mounds built in arid places (like in Australia) exhibit a common structural appearance. Regardless of its size and height, the termite mounds in these places have large and very durable rounded peak. According to experts, termites shape the peak of their mounds as such in order to regulate the heat that enters and leaves their nests. In the past, the early researchers who took interest in the way termites build their mounds first thought that the way all termite mounds point to the north has something to do with the magnetic pole of the Earth.

However, in the latter researches, it was found out that termites have actually figured out that this orientation can maintain the temperature inside their nests! While it is very difficult to imagine how mindless creatures are able to realize that a certain mound-orientation can keep their nests well-temperate, termites have actually done so. The orientation allows termites to take advantage of the heat energy released by the sun. As the sun rises, the eastern part of their nest (which they have designed to be broad) absorbs enough heat energy from the sun to recover whatever heat it has lost during the cold night.

The top portion of the mound is built to be in line with the sun's light rays, because the top of the mound and the sun rays are parallel, the mound will most likely absorb the least heat thus preventing the mound from overheating. As the sun rests in the west, the western portion of the mound (also built to be broad) absorbs just about the right amount of heat to counter the cold temperature of the upcoming night.

Subterranean Nests

From the word subterranean itself, it can be easily deduced that these nests are found underground. As mentioned earlier, many of the subterranean termites also build mounds; nonetheless, before they build mounds, they first build underground nests. A subterranean nest can grow so vastly that in decades it can cover acres of land.

Nonetheless, regardless of the size and vastness of the nest, a queen's chamber is always present at the center of the nest. The queen's nest hosts the queen and the kings of the nest, as well as the thousands of eggs that the queen lays in a daily basis. This chamber is kept moist by the workers. It is also the workers that feed the queen and the newly hatched termites until they have grown enough to take on their role in the colony.

Underground nests are thought to be the secured from most predators but tunneling animals like moles and other rodents are never out of the question. In order to protect the colony from these predators, again, the termites have developed a way to keep the walls of their nest impenetrable. By combining clay, soil, feces and saliva, the workers are able to make a waterproof pavement which they use to cover the walls of the tunnels. The result is a thick and hard wall that keeps all other animals out of the nest.

The genius of the termites does not stop there. Because the wall coverings have also made it difficult for carbon dioxide to find a way out of the tunnel (killing many termites in the process because of poisoning), the workers have also developed a ventilating system that tunnels carbon dioxide out of the nest while keeping the temperature of the colony constant.

Arboreal Nests

An arboreal nest does not exist in its own. In most cases, arboreal nests are mere extensions of a subterranean nest. From the ground, termites are able to climb up trees and other plants above ground by building "bridge-like" structures that serve as "shelter" for termites that work above ground. It is in the very nature of termites to not wander around unprotected. Termites do not like exposing themselves because so many animals feed on them. Thus, using the same material that they use to fortify their walls, they also make tunnels above ground which we humans call as arboreal nests.

Now, since termites cannot crawl up on very steep surfaces because they don't have sticky pads like spiders and flies, they use their excrement to make non-skid surface throughout the walls of their tunnels. In this way, they can construct inclined tunnels without a problem.

The pictures are not mine, but the content is written by me,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Unsound Termite Controls Tips That People Should Avoid

2011-05-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

We often hear a lot of tips on how to deal with termite infestation problem and we also often think that all of them can be used or applied in real terms. We think that, once we have read something out from a website about how to deal with termites or read something about the DIY ways on some manual, we are already good to go in our quest to combat the mean wood eating creatures that is endangering the very foundations of our household. Let it be known to you that it is not so. There are still considerations out there that have to be considered for you to be able to pick out the right steps and methods on dealing with termites - the really right steps.

You probably are wondering why say "really right steps"? This is primarily because not all steps you see or access from the internet or from textbooks are the right steps to do about your infestation problem at hand. Sometimes, there are these steps that may sound credible but doesn't really work to your advantage. In other words, it has some considerable setbacks that should be underscored first by the implementing individual, before it can ever be considered as an option.

Setbacks are dangerous as they could lead to potentially huge unprecedented accidents. Therefore, the possibilities of any setbacks should be eliminated. But the question now boils down as to what are these setbacks and how to avoid them. It's quite a tricky question as there are no institutionalized or absolute answers to the question. From time to time, the circumstances vary and so will the ways on how to prevent setbacks from happening. That's why it is greatly imperative than an implementing individual be cautious and critical when it comes to applying a newly acquired step or tips.

A person is the sole responsible being on the outcomes of his termite control choices. Tips will always be tips unless if they are executed, and execution would also require propriety. This is where the role of the implementing person comes in; to make sure the process or properly executed to the detail such that it will never ever have to suffer from setbacks as much as possible. Therefore, the person decides the effectiveness of the method being used to counter termite infestations and not the tip itself. Be it known to you, if you are an implementing person that no method can be fully effective all by itself. It will require you as the ultimate proponent of the entire process, without you, the tips are just nothing. Knowing when to apply them and how to make them work is important for you to know and understand. If you don't, you will be just wasting your time and effort, as well as monetary investment over something that will surely not work at all. Be wary of this fact or else, you will undeniably and inevitably suffer the consequences of your bad choice and enforcement.

Now, here are some highlighted things that should be avoided or be cautiously implemented:

1. Having homes on Slabs

This may be a brilliant idea on reinforcing the strength of the foundations of your house, but it will not be a good idea after once a termite infestation will occur. This is because it will make things a lot harder for you to tackle. Why? It is simply because houses in slabs would have to be drilled once there is a termite infestation. You will have to drill the slabs in order to penetrate into the infested wooden parts of the house. Professionals wouldn't advise you to have homes in slabs because there is no saying whether a termite infestation will take place or not. In order to avoid the unwanted chances of infestation, one should seek assistance from professionals in applying chemical treatment on the wood parts and surfaces of the house. This way, you will surely be warranted with a termite-free living for many years inside your house. However, if you really a home in slabs, then you better prepare yourself of the possibility of an infestation and the damage it will incur. It will be prudent to plan ahead of time.

2. Executing the Extermination Process by Yourself

While admittedly, there are ways on how you will be able to get rid of termites all by yourself; however, it is not advisable for you to do so. It is strongly recommended that you hire licensed professional pest exterminators to do the job for you. Without experience and ample knowledge about the problem matter, there is a great risk of the implementation to fail. It would be prudent to hire someone who already knows about the aspects of the problem because he or she's been doing it for a very long time already. Make sure to hire the really trusted professionals around, instead of just haphazardly picking whoever. It may entail quite a considerable amount of expenses but if you are able to prepare ahead of time, then that wouldn't be that much of a problem when the time comes.

3. Applying Chemical Treatments Manually

This is okay if you are licensed professional termite exterminator yourself, or a former. But if you are not and you decided to do it on your own, you do not only endanger your household by worsening the infestation, you also endanger yourself with the dangers of intoxication from the chemicals to be used. Chemical insecticides or termiticides would always be potentially poisonous and thus, harmful to human health. If you do not know how to use them, then there is a chance you will get hurt you using them. Instead of applying the chemical treatments yourself, hire a professional to do it. The professional (assuming that he is trustworthy), would know how to safely apply the chemical treatment in your house, that is without endangering anyone including himself. He or she would also know where to effectively apply the treatment that it would strategically deter any possibly invading termites.

Sincerely,
Michael Rozatoru

Role of Termites on Earth

2011-05-10T03:10:00.000-07:00

What is the Role of Termites in Earth's Ecology?

Efficient Decomposers

At the mere mention of the word termite, the predominant thought that resurfaces out of our mind is the damage that they cause. Most people think of termites as mere pests that have to be eliminated the moment that they are spotted. However, in a macro point of view, these tiny pests actually take part in the very complex ecology of the planet we all live in. In fact, termites fulfill a very crucial role that their absence (or their total extermination) might as well lead to the destruction of the Earth's ecology.

The role of termites is mostly appreciated in arid and infertile environments; this is the single most significant reason why termites are endemic in Australia, where there is a severe shortage of moisture. Primarily, termites are the main decomposers in dry environments where most bacteria and other decomposing organisms cannot thrive. Because termites also need water for survival, they have developed their own method of extracting water from almost all sorts of materials and at the same time, they have also found a way to design their own colonies to serve as their self-contained environment where they extract cellulose and water for nourishment.

Because termites by themselves cannot metabolize cellulose (that is, the fibers obtained from the different parts of a plant), they have developed a symbiotic relationship to a special type of bacteria that lives in their bodies. These bacteria have not means to look for cellulose too, so they survive by depending on the termites' ability to look for the same material that gives them nourishment. Termites are then able to retain the moisture from the processed cellulose and form soil as a by-product. Overall, the combined capabilities of both creatures have made them the most significant decomposer in dry areas. They can decompose dead plants and thus help the infertile land the nourishment it needs in order to support other plants that depend on it.

Quality Decomposition by Termites

Termites do not just decompose dead plants; they also increase the fertility of the soil where they roam around. Evidently, the mounds wherein termites live are very rich in minerals. Due to soil erosion caused by the natural forces of nature, portions of their mound are eroded and are mixed with the soil the surrounds it. Termites mounds can be thought of as large nutrient banks that store up the nutrients that plants might need in the future for increased vegetation.

While termites still live inside the mound, the little erosions that happen in its mound is sufficient to slowly turn over to its surrounding environment the minerals that come from the dead plants. The moment that the termites abandon a mound, it becomes easier for nature to erode the mound and have the mineral-packed mound soil mix with the soil surrounding it. Thus, even in time when they leave their nest (thus leaving some animals without food too), they still contribute largely to the environment by leaving behind a very mineral-rich soil which the other living plants may benefit from!

Beyond Mere Decomposers

Being a prey to so many animals might be the reason why termites live in colonies that are self-contained. They have also developed the unique ability to build nest made from soil that completely isolates them from their surroundings. Termites also live in hundreds of thousands, even millions in larger colonies. Nonetheless, termites have not escaped their role in the ecology as:

Food Source

Apart from their extremely commendable capability to decompose dead plants, form soil and retain moisture, termites still have another very significant role -- many animals feed on them. Being in the lowest portion of the food chain, many small birds and frogs, as well as other reptiles like lizards and snakes feed on termites; many insects also feed depend on termites for food.

Water Source

Moreover, because termites retain moisture both in their bodies and in their nests, many animals also depend on them for water. Many experts agree that the presence of termites is the main reason why there is still an abundance of many different kinds of animals even in the dry places of Australia. The experts are convinced that many animals consider termite nests or mounds as "water oases".

Shelter Builders

Even in the realms of Kingdom Animalia, there are certain animals that can be considered as squatters. They are those animals that do not build their own nests or homes and prefer to use the nests and homes of other animals as theirs. Termites are known to many animals as "kind" creatures who will allow squatters to live in their mounds.

The most common squatters are the parrots and the other migratory birds. They would dig a sufficiently large hole in the termite mound during the wet seasons. They do this because it is only in the wet season that the mounds are penetrable because the soil is soft, otherwise, the digging can be fatal to the birds because they dig by crashing into the mounds; in the event that they crash while the soil making up the mound is still hard, they would suffer a gruesome and painful death.

Apart from birds, many other animals also squat in termite mounds. These animals include snakes like the python, some rodents like field mice, insects like big beetles and a couple of reptiles like geckos and monitor lizards. These animals prefer the termite mound because of the moist that is present in it, something which is badly needed in very arid places. Moreover, the mound can also serve as an "incubator" for some species of lizards. They simply dig a hole into the mound and lay their eggs there, out of instinct; the termites will try to repair to hole, sealing the eggs into the mound. The process provides the eggs with the right temperature that is needed to hatch.

Conclusion

Therefore, although we can't help hating termites that happen to think of the wood panels of our homes as “dead plants” (because they really are), let us try calm down ourselves with the most inspiring thoughts of how useful termites are in the Earth’s ecology, then maybe we will be able to think of ways to keep the termites away without having to exterminate them all.

Your preferred termite exterminator,
Michael Rozatoru

Finding Termite Tips Online

2011-05-10T02:53:00.000-07:00

There are many known ways on how to deal with termite pests. Often we can easily find them in websites that offer tips and guides on how to deal with them. They are all credible information as they can all be applied to practical use in every household that needs them. However, there is one problem when it comes to information from the internet. Because they offer all sorts of information, they tend to become indiscriminate and not discounting those other methods that has to be first reconsidered as they do have certain setbacks. That's the disadvantage when it comes to conveniently free and accessible information. They do not implement restraints when it comes to disseminating information.

However, this is not a hopeless case as there are still ways on how to properly scrutinize information so that you will not fall victim to scam websites that offer wrong information. But one has to know how to effectively use their minds and logic so that he or she would be able to effectively use the tips that will be given below. The tips that will be given in this article are not a hundred per cent effective by themselves. They would require an am ample amount of human effort and analysis for them to fully work to someone’s advantage.

The Importance

The importance of knowing how to discern information from the web, doesn't only apply to your manual dealings with termites. It also applies to every known field that requires the acquisition of conveniently accessible information in the internet. This way one would be able to avoid certain setbacks, even accidents from happening. This is how important proper information scrutiny to people and they must exercise at all times. Failure to do so could often lead to unwanted accidents to happen. For an average reasonable person, these sorts of things should be avoided.

The tips that will be mentioned in this article are proven to be effective ways of scrutinizing information. Over time they were used by many indiscriminate people and were able to enjoy the fruitful outcomes that came out from following these tips. However, once again, one should be enthusiastic enough to have the steps followed through for their own benefit.

Here are some tips you can count on when dealing with pest termite information:

1. Cross examine information

Cross examining is perhaps one of the most effective ways in detecting bogus information delivered unto you. There is a great chance that one piece of information will not be discussed in the other medium sites because they filtered due to their irrelevance or lack of authenticity. If you get information from a particular website, make sure that you look for other websites as well and see if the piece of information is also present. If the piece of information you got from the other website is not there, then there is a chance that the information is bogus. If the information is present in many websites then there is a great chance the information is credible. Of course, the equation of this process of scrutiny would include your criticality and logic.

2. Ask Around

Asking around may be perceived to be a form of weakness of incapacity of an individual, because he or she is unable to find the information themselves. It's alright to find a piece of important information by yourself but when the time comes you can't find them, you must never assume that it's not okay to ask someone some helpful and if possible, professional advice. Assuming that way is being close minded and that is direly wrong. A wise person is an open minded person and must never discount the opinion of others. He or she should perceive a third person's perspective as a mean towards a fruitful end and that is accessing relevant information regarding the task at hand. Help can come in different forms and you should be well prepared for them.

3.Seek Professional Advice

This is perhaps one of the most effective ways to know more about how to deal with termite infestation problems by your own. You need not to hire their professional services but you can always seek any advice from them and they will be more than happy to give you effective tips on how to deal with such problems by yourself. They can grant you the most proven and credible information about these dealings. Sometimes, even you can even assure yourself the tips they give you is more potently effective than the ones you find in the internet because you will know for a fact that they were already done by them before. That reasoning alone would justify the effectiveness of their tips. Also you could use the counsels coming from professionals as affirmations of the information you have already gathered beforehand. If the tips from the professional you asked is the same as the tip you were able to gather from the internet, then that simply means the information is indeed effective. However, beware of bad professionals that give off tips that could covertly worsen your problem. Some professional do this for you to eventually hire their professional services. Of course when you hire them, you would have to pay and they will see that as an opportunity to grab. It would help to recall the previous step, by asking around people who are those trusted professional termite exterminators in the neighborhood, and make it a point to ask only these people and not someone else instead.

4. Trial and Error

Trials and error is an effective way to see the genuine effectiveness of the method. However, you can't use this on the tips that require huge considerations. Trial and Error can be done only with the simplest advices; ones that you can easily retract from and attempt implementing again without posing any level of danger to your property or to yourself. You must understand that you can put your property into a trial and error state. The severest implementations must be done in a single process for they are only one shot deals.

Your only,
Michael Rozatoru

Understanding Termites

2011-05-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

Regardless if we are farmers, businessmen owning a corporate building or simply home owners, it is necessary that we understand termites and their nature because their presence in our industrial territories posts so much risks of valuable damages. They could be very indiscriminately destructive since they eat all materials with cellulose such as woods, soft plastics, papers, clothes and carpets aside from fruits, vegetables and animal wastes. Sometimes, their presence goes unnoticed for a certain period of time because they often create their colony in our walls or underneath our floors where we could not see them gobble our material possessions. Therefore, the more we know about them, the more effective we could be in exterminating them and minimize the damages they cause.

1. About Termite Organizations and Colonies

The most basic information that everybody needs to know about termites is that, they live in a colony with a well-structured social system. The tasks assigned to them determine the caste that they would be put in. The highest social classification is the caste of the queen and the king. These two termites are responsible for the increase in their population which is very essential to their survival. The more individuals added in the colony, the greater chance for all of them to survive. The second caste is composed of workers which are otherwise called the aids or the assistants. Their tasks justify their names. They are assigned to assist the queen with all the things that she needs and take care of all her eggs and young termites. They also feed other termites and for this reason, they are the main food seekers of the whole society. They go out and forage for food, store them and feed the others. Other tasks assigned to the workers are to repair any damages in the colony and serve as back-ups in the battle if the soldiers are outnumbered by the invaders. Here comes the third caste which is composed of soldiers. These termites are born with no sense of sight but they are physically structured for defense. Their heads are globular and ideal in blocking the entrances of the colony while their jaws are good enough as weapons due to their enlarged size.

2. Location and Habitats

The next important thing to understand about termites is their habitat. In savanna and arid regions, these insects usually build mounds which range from approximately two to four feet tall and have long axis orienting from the North to the South. This particular structural make-up is being used for thermoregulation inside the mounds. The termites need to maintain a specific temperature in their colony so that they can regulate the temperature in their bodies as well. Another form of habitat that termites have is the nest. They build up their nests using mud, chewed wood, soil, saliva and their own feces. Within the nests are chambers which are divided into the queen's and king's chamber, the chambers for the eggs and the young ones and the chambers for the workers to fulfill their tasks. These chambers also allow sufficient ventilation inside the colony for the healthy survival of all termites. Moreover, the nests collect water through condensation and they are usually built on trees or big tubes on tunnels.

Some of them are built on fallen trees in gardens with many fungi which serve as food for the termites. Consequently, termites are weak insects and very vulnerable to attacks from other species like ants and spiders. They also need to stay moist in order to live. For these reasons, termites build shelter tubes as they travel from their colony to different areas where they get food. These shelter tubes are made of plant matters, saliva, soil and feces. Once a breach is caused by invaders, soldiers bang their heads to attract attention from other soldiers in order for them to defend the colony. If the soldiers are outnumbered, they call on reinforcement from other strong workers in order to fight off the invaders.

3. Food, Metabolism and More

Moreover, the most important thing to understand about termites is their diet. Termites, as we all know, feed on anything that has cellulose. Their bodies could produce their own cellulose enzymes which help in digesting the materials they eat. Fruits, woods, vegetables, papers, soft plastics and clothes are just some of their favorite things to gobble. The termites which we see infesting our grounds foraging for food are actually the workers of the colony. They consume as much as their body could hold because they need to feed other termites with the food that they have stored within their bodies. In doing so, they use their mouth and anus. These feeding workers take care of all the needs for nutrients that the individuals in their colony could do with, including the queen and the king. Some termites however maintain a garden of fungi within the area of their colony. These fungi are nourished by the excrements of the termites and in turn, they suffice the diet of these insects. The spores of the eaten fungi could not be digested so upon defecating, these spores go back to the soil and grow as new fungi. Thus, termites also help the life cycle of fungi while they nourish them. It is actually a symbiotic relationship in a quest for survival.

4. Conclusions

Upon understanding the basics of termites’ continued existence, we could devise a strategy on how to exterminate them efficiently. Since they need moist in order to live, it is highly advised that we keep our house or industrial buildings dry. In building some structures, it would help if we use cement or metallic materials in direct contact with the soil instead of wood to avoid easy access of termites. However, they could still bridge that up by using shelter tubes so what we can do is to regularly inspect all areas of our houses or buildings to find some tell-tale signs of termites. If you have confirmed per evidences that there are already some existing in your territory, you can use pesticides or other tenting treatments to exterminate them. It is best, though, that you call on the help of pest control specialists because what you can see are just specks of the real number living in your house since there is a possibility that they have already built a colony within your wall or any hidden areas of your house. If there is a colony, you need to exterminate the queen and the king, not just the workers or the soldiers. In dealing with these damaging insects, preventive measures could help but are truly not enough so when you get to see one, fumigating the whole house is the best resort so that you can surely get rid of all of them.

You have just read another "termite killing" post by,
Michael Rozatoru :)

Difference Between Ants and Termites

2011-05-06T01:08:00.000-07:00

Distinguishing Termites from Ants

With strong resemblance to ants, termites are the second most numerous insects in the world although their number has been declining due to environmental change and habitat loss. Most people mistake them as big ants and are being treated as such in exterminating them due to their destructive characteristics. However, despite of their strong physical similitude, termites are even more damaging to human properties than ants. They could consume anything with cellulose and sometimes, they do not go noticeable when they enter our walls or windows. They are harder to track than ants. They consume the inner part of the structures while the surfaces still look fine unless the damage is already extensive and irreparable. In order for us to apply necessary and appropriate precautions and eliminating procedures, we should be able to identify termites rightly as they are.

Just With the Naked Eye

Even without a microscope or any laboratory instruments, termites can easily be distinguished from ants by just looking closely at their body parts. Termites only have two visible body parts and those are the head and the body. Their eyes are more profoundly noticeable than those of the ants'. The ants, on the other hand, have three body parts and those are the head, the abdomen and the thorax which connects the head to the ant's abdomen. Thus, the bodies of the later insects are divided into two parts; the abdomen and the thorax. Some termites and ants are winged so they may look confusing as well. However, even this similarity also has distinct differences and these can be seen through their antennae. The antennae of ants have profound bend and ends with a club. The numbers of sections and the presence of the club are even important to those specialists who study and inspect these insects. Imaginably, it looks like an arm with a bended elbow that ends with a fist. The termite's antennae do not have this distinction. They are just fairly beaded.

With More Scrutiny

Other important physical characteristics that could easily be checked are the wings and the color. Both ants and termites have four wings, that is, two pairs of wings. The difference lies on the length of the wings but it needs to be looked on closely. When both of these insects are dead and just lying around with undistorted or damaged bodies, the wings are folded and they may appear identical in length. If you would spread them and notice that the wings have different lengths, that dead insect is an ant. The front wings of the ant are longer than the rear wings. When a live ant is at rest, the front wings are folded and the rear wings are not visible. The wings of the termites, however, are fairly of the same length. Moreover, termites only have two distinct colors and that would be pale brown and white while ants have more varied colors which include red, black and brown but the brown ants could not be mistaken for termites since they are remarkably smaller and distinctively ant-looking.

Diet Makes the Diff

When it comes to their diet, termites would consume anything which has cellulose while ants would just gobble on anything with enticing smell and taste. Termites feed on woods, soft plastics, fruits, leaves and animal wastes. With almost the same kind of appetite, ants do not eat woods and soft plastics but they feed on dead animals which termites do not since their diet extends to eating live smaller insects and fungi. The termites' bodies are capable of producing their own cellulose enzymes and these enzymes enable them to digest anything, hard or soft, with cellulose. They would even consume carpets, clothes, Styrofoam, papers and cardboards. This particular characteristic make them so destructive and loathed by home and other industrial building owners. In foraging food, termites end up destroying properties indiscriminately. In some places, the damages would even cost the owners thousands of dollars in repairing or even rebuilding the whole place. Worst case scenario, termites have just been reported having eaten ten million Indian rupees which would amount to $222,000 together with some documents and furniture which were also damaged.

Looking At Their Dwellings

Moreover, termites have a sophisticatedly ordered society like ants but they surpass them in having highly remarkable engineering capabilities and acute survival instincts which could be well demonstrated on how they defend their colony. The social system of termites is divided into three castes. The first and most valued in their settlement is the caste of the queen and the king. These two termites have a sole task of reproducing and increasing the population of the termites which is highly essential in their survival. The second caste is the group of workers. This classification is subdivided into smaller groups depending on the specific tasks of the aid termites. Most of them are assigned to forage for food, repair damages in the colony and feed the other termites by their mouth or anus that is why termites consume a lot when they eat. They consume as much as their bodies could hold so that they can sufficiently feed the other termites. Some of them, however, are assigned to take care of the young ones andthe eggs of the queen. Some are just assigned to assist the queen in everything that she needs since she could not freely move due t her increased size. The last group of workers is assigned to assist the last caste and this is composed of soldiers. Of all termites, soldiers are readily born and biologically structured for battles. They are usually blind and only very few of them are born with partly functional eyes. Their globular heads are large enough to block entries from invaders and below their cuticles lie a sack of fluids which they rupture when they commit suicide as their last resort to protect the colony.

How Two Species Differently Affect Human Lives

Since termites are very destructive insects, we tend to use different means to exterminate them but upon mistaking them as ants, we fail to do so. For this reason, it is highly important to take these laid out details into consideration first before planning out a strategy in dealing with them. In seeing some termites in your house, it must be taken seriously and unlike ants, we could not just spray insecticides on them and sweep them off the floor then, leave the matter just like that. If we see them, we need to have the whole house or building inspected for possible a possible colony hiding within our walls, windows, attics or even our floors before we end up losing our properties and spending a lot for repairs or rebuilding. It is remarkably helpful to know our enemies well before exterminating them because we might just end up losing.

Thanks for reading this awesome post written by,
Michael Rozatoru

Social Classification of Termites

2011-05-05T00:38:00.000-07:00

The existence of termites is one of the oldest spans of species survival in our planet giving out an approximation of as old as the years of prehistoric animals such as dinosaurs. They originally live in forests but with industrialization, these insects have found their way into human territories. But then, regardless of their attributes, they remain indispensable. Given the fact that they feed on organic objects like wood, leaf litters, fruits and animal wastes, their destructive characteristic has a considerable place in the natural cycle of life. That is, fast decomposition, and the recycling of organic matters are proven significant for ecological balance. With their high capacity to break down organic substances or materials, they bring back to the soil the essential elements faster than the undisturbed cycle of disintegration. On the other hand, the fast rate of reproduction of termites has brought more impact to humans than what the role in nature originally imposed to them has been expected of. In order to know how to deal with these insects, we should first understand their natural behavior and their modes of survival.

Being eusocial insects, termites are classified into different groups according to their roles in the colony. Like ants, their lives are being determined by their functions and contributions to the holistic survival of the whole settlement. The highest social classification is composed of the queen and the king, having the queen as the highest and most important individual. Both of them are the only ones responsible for the growing population of the termites since in the colony, that is their sole function; to mate and reproduce. The king stays with the queen and continually mates with it for the rest of their lives reproducing as much termites as they could to add up to their population. The queen, on the other hand, has the capacity to reproduce at least 2000 eggs a day, having a distended abdomen and an increased body size in every after mating. This is due to the fact that the queen's body adds an extra set of ovaries for every molt. Moreover, the number of individuals or the size of the population itself is very important to the healthy and strong survival of all the termites so the queen and the king are the most valued members given the most attention from all other termites. All other social classifications have tasks which involve protecting and assisting these two royal termites.

The next social classification is the caste of workers. These termites assist the queen and the king with whatever they need. They are responsible in foraging, brood, food storage and nest intelligence. These are the termites we often see scavenging in woods, fruits or leaves. Since termites can produce their own cellulase enzymes in their bodies, they could easily digest even the hard woods or materials which appear to them as likeable source of cellulose. They also repair any damages in their habitat that may cause danger or inconvenience to any of them and feed and groom the young termites. They leave the nest to look for food in order to support the diet of the whole population and that is when we see them in our yards or even in our houses. In the perspective of pest infestation, the workers are actually the ones causing the dilemma. Like mice, they could munch their way in our furniture, walls and windows. Eventually, some of these structures may look fine in the surface but the inner part has already been terribly damaged by termites in their quest for food. They eat as much as their bodies could hold and feed the other termites in the colony either by their mouth or anus. This way of feeding is called trophallaxis. This method actually strengthens the animalistic bond between all of them but does not compel the parents of the young termites to be fully responsible in feeding and taking care of them. However, the main task of the workers is to care for the eggs and assist the queen with all its needs since the queen could not freely move due to its increased size. Since the queen is highly essential for the survival of the whole colony, it is given the highest priority when it comes to being attended to and served. Given so many tasks to do, the caste of workers is also divided into different groups attending to different kinds of tasks. Sometimes, some workers even assist in the defense of the colony even if they already have another caste assigned for that.

The last but not the least caste of termites is composed of soldiers. These termites are usually blind, only few are born to have partly functional eyes, and could not feed on their own. Thus, they are being fed by the workers. They have very large jaws that they could not forage for food so they stay within and around the territorial site. These jaws, however, are used in fighting which serve as their weapons while their bodies are biologically structured with armor-like skins for defense. Their globular heads could be used to block the colony entrances from the invasion or unwanted visits of ants and other insects. Subsequently, their enlarged jaws and their globular heads are ideal enough for them to be efficient in defending the colony. These termites actually have defense strategies in blocking a tunnel; big soldier termites stand in the front line using their heads to obstruct the entry while smaller soldiers form up at the back so that if the front line falls, there would still be another set of soldiers that could take place and fight the invaders. They also discharge fluids that have high toxicity against ants, which are their common enemies. Aside from the toxic substances that they excrete, the bites of these defenders are very strong they could even be close to intolerable even with animals a lot bigger than their size. If the battle gets worse and these soldiers sense losing, they commit suicide by rupturing a large gland located below their cuticles. In doing so, their bodies excrete yellow fluids which become so sticky as they dry up; thus, entrapping the ants or other insects that are trying to invade the colony.

Like any other animals, termites do not mean to exist just to be destructive because their survival characteristic even helps in the productive cycle of our ecological environment. They only become solely damaging and worth the extermination if the colony itself is built within our properties. Upon knowing the three castes and their functions, we are then educated on how to effectively get rid of them and that is to find the queen and eliminate it first before anything else. If you want to burn or tear down the colony all at once, make sure that you have efficiently got rid of the queen. Workers and soldiers could easily be replaced since the queen and the king continually mates; thus, reproduction is fast. But then, losing the queen would give you the advantage of totally eradicating the whole population of termites. It would not be easy for them to find another queen so before they even get successful in doing so; you already have the ample time to exterminate them.

This awesome post about termites was written by,
Michael Rozatoru

A Homeowner's Guide to Termite Control

2011-05-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

Tiny as they are, termites can indeed cause serious structural damage to homes and other buildings because of their number; sixty to a hundred thousand termites can co-exist in a single colony, in bigger colonies, their number can even surge up to hundreds of thousands. Knowledge on termite control is important to every homeowner because of this reason. Knowing the basics about termite behavior, a homeowner will be able to prevent termite infestation or if the infestation has already began; at least the homeowner has the idea in dealing with the pests. So basically, this article will provide the necessary basic information that is needed by an average homeowner to go about the process.

Inspecting for Termites

Termites have the natural instinct to hide their activities from humans, especially those whom they live with. It is quite uncommon for termites to make holes on the wood surfaces wherein they feed on. Holes made by termites usually appear once the infestation is already severe and their number is already too large to conceal. Nonetheless, apart from holes, there are other signs which homeowner's may look for in order to verify if a termite infestation is about to happen or if it has already happened.

1. Look for termite mounds in the garden or in the lawn

The termite specie which infests houses is called subterranean. From this name alone, one can deduce that they have to live in some sort of terrain or soil. Termites make their nests underground and from their nest, the workers of the termite colony will begin digging tunnels indiscriminately. Technically speaking, the workings are "eating" away the soil or any material that gets on their way into finding wood or water. Termites do not see or smell, thus it can be safely deduce that the nest that they have built in your garden may not be sufficiently concealed from human sight, thus your chance to destroy their colony before its population grows out of proportion.

It is also a common myth that termites will avenge their colony once you have destroyed it. Some people believe that termites are angered by human interference, thus the reason why they target certain houses. The simple truth is: termites do not plan ahead what they are supposed to do; all that they do is dig forever until they find water and wood. This means that if termites happen to reach your house, only two reasons can be given merit: (1) they have done so by chance or (2) they have followed a leaking pipe or a cellulose material (wood, tree root, etc) that leads to your house. The bottom-line is, find a time to look around your garden and check if any termite mound has suddenly grown and if so, do not hesitate to destroy it before time comes that the termites destroy your house.

2. Seeing Flying "Ants"

It has been a very common misnomer in Australia to call termites as white ants because in the very first place, termites are not ants and they are not white -- they are almost translucent. Perhaps it is also because of this misnomer that Alate Termites have been called flying ants by many homeowners. Nevertheless, Alate termites belong to a certain class in the termite colony whose only job is to make sure the continuance of the colony. If the queen or the king of the colony dies, one of the Alates takes the responsibility of reproducing more termite eggs for the colony. Alates are simply fully developed termites with reproductive capabilities. If the Alates are not needed in a colony because its queen or king still lives, the Alates fly out of the colony to mate and to start out a colony of their own. Upon mating, they lose their wings and then they start building their nests on the ground where they lay their eggs.

Now, if Alates can be seen in your house, it simply means that your house faces the risk of termite infestation. The best thing that you can do is to kill the Alates using termite or other insect repellent sprays. If repellents are not at hand, you can also try placing a basin filled with water on the floor. Alates usually swarm around light emitting sources like fluorescent bulbs or pin-lights, so you might as well want to put the basin filled with water directly under the light. Since water reflects light, the Alate termites will think that the water is another light source and dive into it, wetting their wings in the process. Of course, termites will find it very difficult to fly with wet wings and they end up drowning in the basin.

3. Seeing dust-like wood residues around your house

While the termites "eat-through" the wooded walls and panels in your house, it is but normal for them to leave traces behind them; although the traces may not be visible if the current population of the termites in your house has not yet reach an alarming number. Nonetheless, the presence of dust-like wood residues in your house is already a sufficient warning for you to act upon the termite problem you have at home as fast as you can. Trace where the wood dusts come from and try to find the termite nest inside your house. You may use over-the-counter termite sprays to kill the termites, or you may contact a professional termite buster to do the job for you. Whichever way, the more important thing is that you are able to stop the termites from further ruining your house.

Moreover, if you are already in the height of hunting down every termite that lives in your house, be very thorough in your search. If the presence of termites in your house has already been confirmed, you should make sure that you find the queen before you stop the hunting. If the queen is left to survive, the colony will definitely grow back into its original size.

Termite control is easy if you follow Michael Rozatoru's blog :)

Basic Information on Termites

2011-04-30T00:22:00.000-07:00

While there are many termite species already known to mankind these days, only a few have proven to be economically significant. Most of these species are classified as subterranean or those that start nesting in the ground rather than in wood. These species are: Schedorhinotermes sp., Coptotermes sp., and Mastotermes sp. These three species cause majority of the problems related to termites while another three species are responsible for a few low level damages. They are: Heterotermis sp., Microcrotermes sp. and Nasutitermes sp.

Nature and Appearance

Because a termite's body comprise of three segmented body parts and because these pests have three pairs of legs, they have been classified as insects. Quite peculiarly, the separation between the thorax and the abdomen of termites are not easily visible. This is the reason under the naked eye; the termite's body seems to have two major parts only, the head and the abdomen/thorax. Termites also have a pair of antennae. The antennae are straight and are not readily visible without close observation.

Examining more closely, one can see that termites do not have eyes, or at least visible ones. Termites are considered to be technically blind and only rely on their antennae for mobility. However, it was also observed by some experts who have conducted in-depth anatomical studies on termites, termites have been found to respond to light or the heat that is brought by the same light. It was then theorized that termites may have "eyes" that can only process light gradient.

Unlike some ants, cockroaches and beetles, termites do not have exoskeletons or a hardened outer shell (similar to crabs and shrimps). In the contrary, termites have very soft and very translucent coverings. Because of this physical condition, termites lose moisture fast, explaining their need for constant water supply. In fact, termites need water more than they need wood. But of course, they would die with the lack of the latter.

All termites exhibit the same physical appearance, with only the specie called Alate Termite Caste as the exception. This termite specie are unique because of all the termite species named by experts, this specie is the only one having wings.

Endless search for Water and Wood

To understand termite foraging behavior, it is important that one should realize first that termites are technically blind and that they cannot smell or sense anything that is not within the boundaries of their tunnels. Having known that, it can be deduced then that they method performed by termites to find their way to houses and buildings is definitely random. Nonetheless, no matter how random it is, there are certain things that definitely lead termites into such places. For example, termites will be most attracted to follow leaking pipes, tree roots and other natural or artificial material that would probably lead them to wood or to water.

Termites make tunnels underground just like how human miners dig tunnels in search for gems and metals. Termites will eat their way into the ground or any other obstruction until they find wood or water. Until they have found what they are looking for, they will not cease "digging" regardless of the weather condition or the kind of material that they have to eat up. They can eat their way through almost anything: carpet, cable sheath, plasterboard, etc. It is good to note that termites cannot eat concrete, they can make cracks in concrete widen though through constant contact (physical erosion due to friction) or through the sweat that they produce which is highly acidic.

In short, termites strive where water and wood are present. Even in very harsh weather conditions, termites may continue to thrive because of the presence of artificial water sources, especially in suburban areas. Such artificial sources include: leaking pipes, water condensing from an air-conditioned and the like.

Wood Digestion

Termites are actually in search for cellulose or a long chain or polymer that is comprised of sugar molecules. They eat wood and other plant materials to get cellulose. However, termites cannot digest cellulose all by themselves. They have to rely on certain bacteria and protozoa in order to digest their food. Without these, termites will not be able to nourish their bodies and would reduce to extinction. The presence of these organisms in their bodies is what makes termites unique amongst all other insects. It is interesting to add too that the digestive system of termites is close to that of a cow.

The relationship of the termites and the micro-organisms that live inside them can be classified as symbiotic. These micro-organisms feed on cellulose and they will have no way of finding cellulose if they will not stick with the termites. On the same way, termites will not be able to digest cellulose without the help of these micro-organisms. It is safe to say then that neither organism can survive without the help of the other.

Termite Nests

Most people are familiar with termite mounds as termite nests. Nevertheless, not all termites live in mounds. In fact, some termites simply live underground without any hint of their existence above ground. Some termites also live in trees, either dead or alive; some termites build small termite mounds on trees while maintaining connection to the ground through soil tunnels that climb from the ground to the height where the termite mound is attached.

It is important to note too that the most destructive types of termites do not build termite mounds. Instead, the more economically significant termites prefer to keep their existence a secret until comes the time when they have done maximum damage. Nonetheless, in all cases, termites build their nest using the droppings of the termite workers. Like ants, termites are also stratified through a caste system. Droppings of termites belonging to other castes are eaten by the termite workers and then they gather in a specific area where they drop their faeces. These areas include places in the colony where nest enlargement is necessary, where a shelter tube has to be built or where mud tunnels are to be constructed. These faeces serve as the building blocks of the construction. The way termites build their nests and the structures inside has always marvelled both experts and hobbyists up until today.

Written by Michael Rozatoru :)

Termite Colony Organization

2011-04-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Caste System

The term social insects have been used to describe insects that live together while following a very strict organization. Ants and termites are classified as social insects because of this very reason. This article will discussed about the caste system used in termite colonies.

To foster our understanding of the caste system implemented by termites in their respective colonies, it is important to note that an entire termite colony can consist of thousands to millions of individual termites. In fact, a single Queen termite can produce about 20,000 termite eggs per day. In order to help the colony survive, each termite is delegated to a specific caste that will distinguish the specific duty and responsibility of each termite in the colony. Once the caste of the termite has been distinguished, a termite is bound to still to its job until it dies. There are five classifications in the termite caste system, these are:

1. The Queen and the King.

The Queen and the King both belong to the Reproductive caste. Like the queen bee and the queen ant, the queen is the only termite present in a specific colony that can lay eggs. Each colony only have single queen and king because it is the very nature of mated Alate termite (see next caste) pairs to depart from their original colony and start a new colony of their own. After mating, the appearance of both the queen and the king alters in order to adapt to their new responsibility. The king's appearance only changes a little; however, the queen will experience those most dramatic physical changes. The queen's abdomen is gradually enlarge until it becomes a mere egg-laying machine, a termite that cannot move and whose only purpose is to lay eggs while producing hormones called pheromones. Since the queen in immobile, the mating produce of the king and the queen from then onwards becomes a one-way approach. The king simply injects to the queen the other hormone that is needed to complete the reproduction process.

2. The Winged Termites.

Winged termites belong to the Alate caste. In Australian where termites are mostly prevalent these termites are called flying ants. They are the only fully developed insects in the colony. They have wings, eyes and reproductive organs. Such termites appear in the colony only in select periods within a year. The main purpose of such termites in to assure the sustainability of the specie. When Alate termites find their pair and begin to mate, they will lose their wings and they would be compelled by nature to start a colony of their own in the ground. Alate termites cannot start a new colony inside a building or a house; they have to start on the ground in order to survive.

The presence of fallen Alate termite wings is often the most obvious warnings to the homeowner or property caretaker that a possible termite infestation is apparent. Since Alate termites shed their wings after the swarming process, their wings usually end up scattered on the floor or caught by spider cobwebs. Alates leave their colonies from spring to summer. They usually appear late in the afternoon or very early in the evening when the atmospheric humidity is high. They also come out during storms and heavy rains.

3. The Substitutes.

These termites are classified as the supplementary reproductive caste because they are like Alate termites which are fully developed by unlike them, they do not leave their colonies. They are like stand-by replacements for the king and the queen in the event that they die. If substitutes are not readily present, it is possible for the colony to die. This explains why many termite colonies can survive for many decades. If during their lifetime the queen and the king still lives, they remain as substitute until the day that they die. Nevertheless, the role of the substitute termites in the colony is indispensible and they are considered equally significant as the other classes.

4. The Workers.

The working class comprises majority of the colony population. Although they are so many, workers remain faithful to their duty because they are technically blind and sexually sterile, thus rendering them useless if they do not follow the caste and start working incessantly. The working class are called as such because they do all the things that are supposed to be done in the colony. For example, it is the working class that eats the feces of the other termite castes and then drops its faeces in a specified place where colony expansion or improvement is needed. They also dig the tunnels and guard the galleries inside the colony. Moreover, the nurses that take care of the eggs also belong to this caste. It is this termite class that causes the damage to many different wooden and cellulose-based houses and buildings.

5. The Soldiers.

Like all soldiers, the main responsibility of soldier termites is to defend the colony from whatever threats that it has to face. Soldiers look a little more different than the other termites in the colony; they have modified heads that are pigmented. The head also appears to be heavily armoured that the soldier termites are helpless when it comes to feeding themselves. Workers are supposed to feed soldiers because they cannot do so by themselves. It is through the modified appearance of soldier termites that experts began studying their caste system. Thus, it is because of the soldier termites that we now have a clear understanding of the different responsibilities performed by all the termites in a specific colony.

The caste system implemented by termites has helped these insects survive and thrive over the past thousands of years. While it is still not clear how termites are born with the specific characteristics that they have, what is clear to many experts is that the existence of termites depends so much on this system. Take away their system of organization and you also take away their chance of surviving.

I, Michael Rozatoru, just wrote this awesome post :)

UPDATE: There is another cool post on this topic called "The Social Classification of Termites" that you might want to check :)