Formosan Termites Unveiled: The Most Destructive Termite Species In Frisco

When you buy a house, you're not thinking about termites. You're thinking about all the ways you'll enjoy your home. Your home is where you'll live life. It is where birthday parties and anniversaries happen. It is where you relax after a long day at work. But termites are a fact of life if you're a property owner in Frisco. If you don't think about these wood-destroying pests now, it can come back to bite you—well, bite your home.

In recent years, we've seen the rise of a new and particularly troublesome termite species. They go by the name Formosan. Today, we will tell you a little about this species, how to detect them in your home, how to reduce their structural risks, and how to deal with termites, in general, if you find them. If you'd like direct answers to specific questions, remember that we're here to help. All-Safe Pest & Termite provides advanced termite control in Frisco. We're your local termite experts. Connect with us by phone or drop us a line anytime you need us.

An Introduction To Formosan Termites: What Sets Them Apart

Formosan termites are a subterranean species. What are subterranean termites? They are termites that live underground. But Formosan termites are not limited to subterranean life, which is one of the reasons why they are so destructive. These termites are the most harmful because they don't produce frass or damage wood in areas where you can easily see these familiar signs that indicate a termite issue. They're super sneaky. They can feed on a home for years without providing any noticeable warning signs.

When subterranean termites create a nest in the ground near a home, the proximity of the nests allows the termites to do more damage. The reason proximity matters is that termite workers have to travel to and from their nest to gather food. If they have to travel a long distance, the time it takes them to travel is time they're not collecting food. Since termites are active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it is no small matter to have termites busy doing something other than feeding on the wood of your home.

When Formosan termites establish a satellite nest, the workers don't have to return to the nest in the ground. They can go to and from an aerial nest without any contact with the ground. There are two reasons why this is bad. First, the proximity of the nest reduces the downtime workers have to spend traveling through their underground tunnels. Second, the workers will stay in the structure, reducing the possibility of creating warning signs like mud tubes or wood damage near the soil.

Another trait that sets Formosan termites apart from the others is colony size. These termites reproduce incredibly fast. The average size of a Formosan colony is over a million termites. That's a lot of mouths to feed.

If proximity and population size were not enough, these termites have another trait that makes them a serious threat. They feed on a wide range of wood types and will also chew on other items that contain cellulose (the material in wood that termites feed on), like paper products.

You definitely do not need these insects inside your home. So, what can you do about them? First, you'll need to know how to detect termite activity. Catching termites early on can prevent significant damage, particularly in the case of Formosan subterranean termites.

The Silent Threat: Recognizing Formosan Termite Damage

Termites in Frisco are quiet—most of the time. Only in rare instances do they make sounds you can hear. The noises you may hear at night sound like a light clicking, and the workers aren't the termites that make this noise. It is the sound of soldiers banging their heads. They do this to warn the workers of danger. At all other times, termites are quietly scraping away at wood to consume the cellulose inside.

The signs of termites in your house are subtle. Formosan termites hide from sight inside the wood they're feeding on, and unlike drywood termites, they don't often leave frass around for you to find. Frass is the waste material of drywood termites. Formosan termites use their waste to coat tunnel walls. But there is one way you may see the fecal matter of these insects. Formosan termites create their nests with four materials: saliva, chewed wood, dirt, and waste material. Look for this black material in secluded, dark, and humid spaces.

Along with nesting materials, you may find shelter or mud tubes on surfaces. A good place to look for these is in a crawl space under your home. Shelter tubes are made of dirt and saliva and look like a thin, wiggly line. As the line rises from the soil, it may branch off and look a bit like a muddy river.

When subterranean termites cause visible damage to a home, they typically do the damage in a dark and damp area. You're also likely to see mud associated with the damage. But keep in mind that most of the damage these insects do is not visible.

Proactive Measures: Preventing Formosan Termite Invasions

Now that you know a bit about Formosan termites and how to find them, let's look at how to get rid of termites naturally. There are many steps you can take to help avoid a termite invasion.

Here are our best suggestions:

• Perform routine inspections to catch the subtle signs of a termite infestation early. Along with looking for termite damage, mud tubes, and nests, look for winged termites or shed wings.
• Alter conditions in your yard that provide a meal for termites. Put collected wood debris, firewood, and junk piles in trash receptacles. Replace wooden flowerpots and plant bed borders with a material that termites can't feed on.
• Address wood-to-soil contact on your home and the structures in your yard. If there is any spot where wood touches the soil, take measures to prevent contact.
• Address moisture problems, such as obstructed gutters. When water flows over your gutters instead of down through your gutter spouts, damp conditions can lead to wood rot.
• Remove logs, stumps, and other wood sources on or in the ground.
• If you have an unhealthy tree, call a tree doctor to nurse it back to health. A healthy tree is resistant to termite damage. 

These tips can significantly reduce the risk of termite damage because they counteract the reasons termites threaten your property. They reduce termite activity, hinder colony growth, and catch trouble early on. But, the best termite prevention tip we can give is to contact a certified termite control professional like All-Safe Pest & Termite to prevent termites from infesting your home. You don't have to wait until you find evidence of an infestation to contact a professional. Now is the time to get proactive termite colony prevention strategies in place.

Calling in the Experts: Professional Formosan Termite Control

When you contact All-Safe Pest & Termite for Formosan termite control, you can expect a few things. We'll address an active infestation by applying a Termidor® product where the termites are active. The foam material has an active ingredient distributed through the colony, leading to termite elimination. Termidor® works fast—and you'll want a fast-acting termite control solution if you have Formosan subterranean termites. If you don't have a termite infestation yet, we can install the award-winning Sentricon® System with Always Active™. We can install this termite bait solution at any time.

The Sentricon® System doesn't work as fast as Termidor®, but it can stop a termite infestation. But, what it works best at is permanently preventing termite damage. We position the bait stations in the ground around your home, where termite workers will find the bait. When they take the bait, they bring it back to their colony, leading to colony elimination. It is an active solution that never takes a rest. Do you remember how we said termite workers are operational 24 hours a day? You need a solution that stays active, just like those termites.

The best feature the Sentricon® System brings to the table is easy detection. If termites enter your yard and check out your home, you will know it. Your technician will find workers or soldiers in the stations, or the bait will start to disappear. It is a boost to morale when you find out that your termite control stopped a termite infestation in your home. You'll know you made the right choice.

Do you have any questions about Formosan termites not answered in this short article? If so, contact your All-Safe Pest & Termite team for answers. You can also connect with us to learn about the pricing of our termite pest control services in Frisco or to schedule a termite inspection for your home. We have everything you need to stop Formosan termites in their tracks. Reach out to us today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Frisco; we look forward to hearing from you.