The Ultimate Guide to Preventing Drywood Termites

Since the number of drywood termite infestations keeps increasing daily, it is important to be aware of the signs of an infestation, understand their behaviour and much more just to be safe.

So, What are Drywood Termites?

As the name suggests, drywood termites are a species that are attracted to and live in dry wood. Unlike the other species, they aren't as destructive or require as much water. However, they still cause a lot of damage to your property and can be hard to spot.

Where do Drywood Termites Live?

Warmer regions or tropical climates with milder winters are common grounds to spot drywood termites as they don't require as much water or damp ground for survival. Their main target is wood found on or higher than ground level which is why wooden homes or homes with wooden furniture and framework are at risk of an infestation. Their presence isn't restricted, meaning they can go from one place to another if the infested wood is moved.

They create an intricate framework of tunnels and chambers to build their colony within the wood and move their feces or debris to areas unused or push them out through additional entryways. Spotting this beside your wooden furniture is the easiest way to spot an infestation.

Behaviour Patterns of Drywood Termites:

Since they do not create mud tubes running through the wall like other species, it is even more difficult to identify a drywood termite infestation until it is too late. They are not picky with the type of wood they chew but gnaw through all wood structures like flooring, buildings and wooden walls. Because they construct broader galleries and retain moisture through the wood, the integrity of the structure is soon compromised and severely damaged.

The chance of finding an infestation soon is extremely low especially if there are many wooden items or a massive wooden structure for them to chew on. Sometimes it takes years and by the time the infestation is found, the structural damage caused is horrifying.

Signs of an Infestation:

• A pile of frass that appears like sawdust on the floor beside the wood
• Shed wings or seeing swarmers flying around out of nowhere
• Tiny holes are found in wooden objects.
• Spotting blisters on timber surfaces.
• The wood sounds hollow when knocked on.

Control and Prevention of Drywood Termites:

• Close crevices and cracks to prevent termites from flying inside - Since they are small, they can easily make their way into your home without you even knowing it through tiny gaps, cracks or crevices near the door, window and walls. To prevent their entry, you should seal these crevices and cracks and install insect mesh screens on your doors and windows as they are highly effective in keeping them out.
• Store firewood away from your property - Now that you know the dietary preference of drywood termites, it will come as no surprise to you why we recommend storing firewood a minimum distance of 20 ft far from your home. If you live in a wooden structured house, then you should ensure there is no direct contact with the ground to prevent them from entering your property.
• Subfloor ventilation - Subfloor ventilation plays a huge role in preventing the build up of mould and moisture which is known to attract many pests and insects including termites. Subfloor ventilation helps better the airflow and keeps the moisture level under control.
• If the moisture is under control you wouldn’t need to worry about mould destroying your home or your wooden items rotting due to high humidity levels. Therefore, subfloor ventilation is important. If you do not already have a subfloor ventilation system set up and live in areas with high moisture levels, then you should contact our experts and get a consultation on installing a subfloor ventilation system.
• Protect furniture and timber structures - Using liquid treatments on your wooden items can help keep termites at bay. Borate is one such chemical used for termite treatment and is sprayed all over wooden fixtures and furniture to prevent it from deteriorating. It also works well as a repellent since it penetrates the wood and stops them from approaching it.
• Get rid of any vintage items or damaged wood - Hoarding antiques or damaged wooden items could attract drywood termites towards your home. By decluttering, you would be decreasing the chances of an infestation significantly. Since they are also attracted to items with high cellulose like cardboard and paper, you can also get rid of such items while you are in the process of decluttering.
• Switch the lights off at night - Keeping the lights on would attract more flying insects like swammers who like hovering close to lamps and light bulbs. If you can't help it, you can try drawing the curtains to keep the light from going outside. However, if you can do both - turn off the lights and draw the curtains, then that would help majorly. You could even replace your lights with yellow bulbs that are perfect insect repellents.

Drywood Termite Treatments

Drywood termite treatments centre on getting rid of the termites inside the affected wood, which frequently need to have the soil treated. Usually, this entails applying targeted treatments, including heat treatment, fumigation, or termiticide spot treatments in certain areas.

• Spot treatment - In this method, incisions are made in the infected timber till the nest is accessible. After that, a potent termiticide will be applied to the spot to eradicate these insects.
• Boric acid - It is a termiticide naturally derived that targets their nerve systems and exoskeletons. Usually found in powder form, it can be diluted with water to create a termite spray or used as bait.
• Tent fumigation - Before spraying the toxic gas or the fumigant inside the property, the house must be covered with a tent or tarp. The fumigant will find its way into the spaces infested and impact their nervous system, gradually depleting their oxygen supply until they perish.
• Orange oil - It is an active ingredient that once sprayed onto the affected area will kill termites by destroying their exoskeleton till they are deprived of proteins and dead.
• Bait stations - By enticing the worker to collect the bait and distributing them to the colony, it control the infestation. Even though it's a slow-acting remedy, nests can be completely destroyed.

Control Infestations with Protech Pest Control

Protech Pest Control provides high-quality pest control and removal services and products that are sure to assist with controlling your termite infestation. We provide modern equipment and pest-control expertise to our professionals so that we can eradicate termites and prevent further infestations. Get in touch with us today to arrange for an inspection of your home.