How Dangerous Is It To Have Termites On My Orange County Property?

The Root Of The Problem

It might be hard for you to believe that an insect that is ? of an inch could present any real threat to your property. This is one of many misconceptions you might have. You're not alone. A lot of people have misconceptions about termites. Let's address a few of them.

One Little Termite Isn't So Bad

One tiny worker termite isn't going to threaten your property, but you don't have just one tiny worker termite in your yard. A single termite colony can have thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even a million worker termites. If you find a few termites in your yard, you can be sure that there are a lot more termites in your yard.

Termites Prefer Rotting Wood

Yes. If you've found termites under a piece of wood, they are likely to be subterranean termites, and subterranean termites prefer rotting wood. This can lead you to believe that they won't attack your home because you don't have any rotting wood in your home. Unfortunately, this is not the case—probably on both counts. You could have wood that has been moistened by water without realizing it (which can lead to wood rot), and subterranean termites will take to eating wood that is not rotten as their populations grow.

Termites Don't Eat Hardwood

Subterranean termites don't eat hardwood and, as we pointed out, they are the most destructive termites in Orange County. But they can eat the wood of your back deck. They can eat your fence. They can get into your home and eat the subflooring underneath hardwood floors. There are many softwood choices for these insects to eat.

Termites Cause Damage That I'll See

If they're subterranean termites, don't count on it. By the time you see subterranean termite damage, the damage is likely to be extensive. On the other hand, drywood termites can cause damage that you'll see. This is one reason why drywood termites can't compete with subterranean termites in terms of how much damage they can do to a home. Each year, the damage caused by subterranean termites is in the billions. The cost of all other termite damage, including damage caused by drywood termites, is in the hundreds of millions.

Termite Nests Create Swarmers That Are Easy To See

If you have hundreds of swarmers released from a termite nest in your home, they're going to be hard to miss. But termite swarmers don't want to be inside your home. They want to go outside, mate with other termites, and create new nests. And, this is what they usually do.

When they're released outside, they'll find mates within thirty minutes and settle in to create nests. This happens fast. Oftentimes, the only warning sign that a swarm has emerged and dispersed is the appearance of shed wings on the ground and in spider webs on the property. Along with this, termite swarmers are a terrible way to find out that you have a termite infestation. A termite nest doesn't begin producing swarmers for years—that's years that they'll have to damage your Orange County home before you ever see swarmers.