Facts About Dampwood Termites

Termites that feed on wood are part of a group with three different types of termite species. The dampwood termites feed on damp wood, rotting wood or timber and any other wood that has moisture. Protecting yourself and your home or building requires a few simple steps, on of which is clearing your property of any wood with moisture, which will attract the dampwood termites.

The Pacific Coast area sees more dampwood termites then anywhere else. The states affected by this group of termites are Washington, California, Nevada, Oregon and Montana. Some less destructive dampwood termites also live in Florida and the southwestern part of the country.

Characteristics Of A Dampwood Termite

This group of termites has soldiers to protect the colony, workers to find food sources and the reproducers, a king and queen. The life stages of a termite are an egg, nymph and then the adult. The life cycle doe not include the pupal stage.

You notice more of a distinguishing difference between termite species with the adults rather than the younger termites. Dampwood termites are generally much larger than the other termites by about a half of an inch. With brownish-reddish heads with big mandibles, the worker dampwood termites are smaller than the soldiers are while the reproducers are an inch in length and they have wings.

Feeding Of The Dampwood Termites

These termites need no shelter as they travel from food source to the next. During the early infestation of the termite, you may not notice much activity, but as soon as the nest is set, they go to work and feed on the wood and moisture. These little pests hide while feeding on the wood in order to remain undetected.

Dampwood termites normally eat the wood from the inside out as they tunnel their way through the wood. These tunnel areas are smooth as if sandpaper was used to sand the surface.

Can You Avoid Dampwood Termites

If you no you have wood that contains a high moisture content you need to keep a watch on your wood areas to prevent heavy infestations of termites. If you have faucets that leak or any other areas of damp wood in the area, this will attract the dampwood termites. Clear up any areas that attract the termites to your area and then keep a close eye on you basement and other areas that may have wood with high moisture levels.

You can also find more information at Types Of Termites and American Termites. Termiteshelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about termites.