Termites do an estimated $5 billion worth of damage every year. To understand how such a tiny creature can cause homeowners so much of their hard-earned money, you have to know a little about how they operate.
Termites have a queen that controls the colony. The rest of the colony is divided into three castes. Those are the worker termites, the reproductive termites, and the warrior termites. The vast majority of termite culture is composed of worker termites. They work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to provide the other castes with the food they need to survive. They extract the moisture and cellulose from wood pulp and other organic substances and bring it back to the nest. In other words, these little buggers are chewing up your house all day long every day until you stop them.
Termites Attack From Below
Most folks think of termites destroying their walls (and they do) but their initial assault comes from the soil around your home. Eventually, they work their way through the soil and find a foundation. The exploit cracks in the foundation working their way into your home and eventually into your walls where they can do thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Effective termite control requires not only annihilating a current infestation but also preventing a future one. It’s only once the termites have begun to do serious damage to your home that you tend to notice them.
