Full-grown workers are soft-bodied, wingless, blind and creamy white. In early stages, they are fed predigested food by the king and queen. Once workers are able to digest wood, they provide food for the entire colony. The workers perform all the labor in the colony such as obtaining food, feeding other caste members and immatures, excavating wood, and constructing tunnels. Workers mature within a year and live from 3 to 5 years.

Soldiers are creamy white, soft-bodied, wingless and blind. The head of the soldier is enormously elongated, brownish, hard and equipped with two jaws. Soldiers must be fed by workers because they cannot feed themselves. They are less numerous in the colony than workers and their only function is to defend the colony against invaders. Soldiers mature within a year and live up to 5 years.

Flying ants and swarming termites are often difficult to tell apart. Termites have relatively straight, beadlike antennae while ants have elbowed antennae. Termites have two pair of wings (front and back) that are of almost equal length. Ants also have two pair of wings but the fore wings are much larger than the hind wings. The abdomen of the termite is broadly joined to the thorax while the abdomen and thorax of the ant are joined by a narrow waist called a petiole.

Feeding Habits

Subterranean termites feed exclusively on wood and wood products containing cellulose. Termites have protozoa (microorganisms) in their intestines that provide enzymes to digest cellulose. Although termites are soft-bodied insects, their hard, saw-toothed jaws work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, a piece at a time. Termites often infest buildings and damage lumber, wood panels, flooring, sheetrock, wallpaper, plastics, paper products and fabric made of plant fibers. The most serious damage is the loss of structural strength. Other costly losses include attacks on flooring, carpeting, art work, books, clothing, furniture and valuable papers. Subterranean termites do not attack live trees.

Communication in the Colony

Termites communicate primarily by secreting chemicals called pheromones. Each colony develops its own characteristic odor. An intruder is instantly recognized and an alarm pheromone is secreted that triggers the soldiers to attack. If a worker finds a new source of food, it lays a chemical trail for others to follow. The proportion of termites in each caste within the colony is also regulated chemically. Nymphs or immatures can develop into workers, soldiers or reproductive adults depending on colony needs.

Sound is another means of communication. Soldiers and workers may bang their heads against the tunnels creating vibrations perceived by others in the colony and serving to mobilize the colony to defend itself. Mutual exchange of foods enhances recognition of colony members.

Evidence of Termite Infestations

• Wood damaged by termites always has remains of mud tubes attached to wood galleries or tunnels in an irregular pattern. The tunnels may contain broken mud particles with fecal materials. In the case of an active colony, white termites may be found in infested wood.
• The presence of flying winged males, females or their shed wings inside the building indicates an infestation.
• The presence of mud or shelter tubes extending from the ground to woodwork or on foundation walls also may indicate infestation. Workers travel periodically via shelter tubes to their nest to regain moisture and perform feeding duties. Each mud tube is approximately the diameter of a lead pencil. During or after the Inspection, your Clark Pest Remedy  inspector will gladly point our findings out to you.

How Old is the Damage?

Based on normal feeding activity, it takes 3 to 8 years to cause appreciable damage. There have been some predictions that, under ideal conditions, a termite colony of 60,000 workers may consume a one-foot length of 2" x 4" pine in 118 to 157 days. In Georgia, the extent of damage may be different because of reduced feeding activity during the short cooler season.

Inspection for Subterranean Termites

Termite damage may be located by probing wood with a screwdriver, ice pick or knife. All Pest Inspectors start the inspection in the basement and use a bright flashlight. We look for mud tubes and the activity of swarmers. . Our inspector will inspect the exterior and interior surfaces of the foundation, particularly construction where wood is on or near the soil. Mud tubes are solid evidence of termite activity.

Other sites which require inspection are: a) wood construction in basement and crawl space (if present); b) sills, joists, support posts, basement window frames, wood under porches; c) hollow blocks, cracks in cement or brick construction and expansion joints; and d) scrap wood on ground, old tree stumps, fence posts and exterior frames of basement windows. Our inspector will be able to determine if termites are active or not, how old the damage may be, and where chemical treatment is necessary if Termites are found

Useful Information If Termite Treatment is Necessary

1. Do not panic. There is no need to be alarmed if termite activity is found in your home and treatment is necessary. Termites work slowly and the structure will not be extensively damaged or collapse overnight.
2. Take your time to make a sound decision. Clark Pest Remedy will never force you into quick decisions. If you decide to hire us. We will provide you with a graph revealing sites of termite activity and explain the chemical treatment procedures and warranties and we will provide you with copies of insecticide labels and other pertinent information. Clark Pest Remedy is fully Licensed and Insured. Should you decide to get other estimates.
3. Beware of these situations:
   • someone says that a structure will be treated with a secret chemical formula
   • pest control operators with no business address and no listed phone number, and
   • operators with no liability insurance.
   • Companies not licensed.

Termite Control

Clark Pest Remedy's goal is to establish a continuous insecticide barrier between the termite colony (usually in the soil) and wood in a building. Sometimes there may be a secondary termite colony above the soil (in the roof or other areas with a constant moisture supply) that requires additional treatment. Insecticide barriers may be established during or after building construction. In an existing building, termite treatments may involve any of the following procedures: a) mechanical alterations, and/or b) use of an insecticide to treat the soil, foundation and wood. In most cases, it is beyond the ability of an untrained person to attempt the termite treatment,make sure that the person treating your home has work experience in this area. Always ask how much experience the technician who will be doing the actual treatment has in doing Termite Treatments.

Termite treatment should be performed by a qualified professional pest control operator. Although Do It Yourself termite control is an option. Be aware, termite treatment requires special tools such as hammer drills, sub-slab injectors, rodding devices, engines equipped with pumps, protective equipment, etc. There are insecticides registered in Georgia for termite control that can be purchased over the counter, but the better termiticides are usually only available to licensed applicators. We at Clark Pest Remedy recommend and use Premise 75 Termiticide because we consider it the Best termiticide available today. It has virtually no odor. Another problem with trying to do it yourself is the fact that most banks and mortgage companies will only accept termite treatments performed by a professional Termite control firm, should termite evidence be revealed during an Inspection by a Professional company when providing a wood destroying insect report, usually required when buying or selling a home.

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