Providence (401) 490-0919
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East Greenwich (401) 398-0113
South County (401) 213-6652
There are different types of Termites including Subterranean Termites, Dampwood Termites, Drywood Termites, and Formosan Termites.
Subterranean Termites are the most common species in the New New England area.
they are Social Insects that live in colonies that may contain hundreds of thousands of individuals. Termite Colony members are dispersed throughout the soil and can extend underground tunnels tens to hundreds of feet to reach feeding sites.
Each Termite Colony contains three forms or castes, which are the Worker Termites, Soldier Termites, and Reproductive Termites. These castes are physically distinct and perform different tasks in the termite society.
Workers are the most numerous individuals in a termite colony, and they are the Termite Caste that actually eats the wood. These sterile individuals forage for food and water, construct and repair shelter tubes, feed and groom other termites, care for eggs and young, and participate in Termite Colony Defense.
Soldiers are also wingless and resemble workers except that they have a large, rectangular, yellowish-brown head with large mandibles(jaws). The soldiers’ primary function is colony defense. Male and female Winged Reproductives are called Alates or Swarmers. They can produce new offspring. However, they shed their wings soon after flight. A pair of Primary Reproductives that heads a colony is called the King and Queen Termite.
Yes. A Termites Job in nature is to break down Cellulose Material which consists of leaves, roots, brush, trees and wood. Your home is made of wood. If you need a Termite Exterminator in Providence, Newport and everywhere in between Cobra Pest Control can help.
You will probably only see two types of Subterranean Termites. The Termite Swarmer or Alates. They are black and about 0.4 inch long, with pale or grayish, translucent wings. Termite Swarmers are usually mistaken for Flying Ants. The other type is the Worker Termite(The Destructive Termite). They are about 1/8 inch long, wingless, soft-bodied, creamy white to grayish-white with a round head. Rob is a good Termite Inspector. Let him give you a free Termite Inspection.
Termite Damage can be hidden for a number of years before signs of damage start to show. Termite Damage visible from the outside may look like water damage. Other damage maybe soft wood and floors. If you dig into these soft spots you will find tunnels in the wood filled with dried soil.
A big sign of Termites is the Winged Termite Swarmers that a colony sends out when it has reached a point where a Termite Colony is very big. Sometimes you will only see the Discarded Transparent Wings. Another sign of Termite infestation is the damage and Mud Tunnels built by Termites. Termites need a lot of moisture to live so they bring it up to the wood where they feed.
Subterranean Termites build and use Mud Tunnels they create from saliva, mud and feces. These tunnels can sometimes be seen between cracks and seams in the wood.
Termites enter your home by two ways. One a Swarmer landed close and entered a crack. If there is enough moisture she starts a new colony. Two, since Termites live in the soil they may have tunneled up to the house.
It is best to use a Pest Control Company. A good one will give a Free Termite Inspect first. They will use an approved Termite Product such as Termidor Termiticide. Termites are difficult to get rid of unless you know how and have access to a good product which you would apply at 4 gallons every 10 linear feet and the equipment
Many companies charge $5.00-$8.00 per linear foot. Cobra Pest Control charges $4-$5 a linear foot. We use the best products and Rob has over 28 years or Termite Experience. Cobra is a one man operation with very little overhead. I have no salaries to pay, no commisions, and I personally do all the work myself. So I know it will be done right the first time. I recommend that you always get at least 2-3 estimates. Go with price, experience, and what your instincts about the Termite Control Technician tells you. Ask ALOT of questions.
Large numbers of Winged Termites Swarming from wood or the soil often are the first obvious sign of a nearby Termite Colony. Swarming occurs in mature colonies that typically contain at least several thousand termites. A Swarm is a group of adult male and Female Reproductives that leave their colony in an attempt to pair and initiate new colonies. Alate emergence is stimulated when temperature and moisture conditions are favorable, usually on warm days following rainfall. In New England, swarming typically occurs during daytime in the spring (March, April, and May), but swarms can occur indoors during other months. However, swarming occurs during a brief period (typically less than an hour), and Alates quickly shed their wings. Winged Termites are attracted to light, and their shed wings in window sills, cobwebs, or on other surfaces often may be the only evidence that a swarm occurred indoors. The presence of winged termites or their shed wings inside a home should be a warning of a Termite Infestation. Signs of termite presence include mud tubes and mud protruding from cracks between boards and beams. Subterranean Termites transport soil and water above ground to construct shelter tubes that allow them to tunnel across exposed areas to reach wood. Shelter Tubes protect them from the drying effects of air and from natural enemies, such as ants. These tubes usually are about 1/4 to 1 inch wide, and termites use them as passageways between the soil and wood. Termite Damage to the wood’s surface often is not evident because Termites Excavate Galleries within materials as they feed. Wood attacked by subterranean termites generally has a honeycombed appearance because termites feed along the grain on the softer spring growth wood. Their excavations in wood often are packed with soil, and fecal spotting is evident. When inspecting for termites, it is useful to probe wood with a knife or flat blade screwdriver to detect areas that have been hollowed. Severely damaged wood may have a hollow sound when it is tapped. Subterranean Termites do not reduce wood to a powdery mass, and they do not create wood particles or pellets, as do many other Wood-Boring Insects.
