Bugs all look the same, don’t they? Unless you are an entomologist, you may agree. For the vast majority of us, they all look gross. Yet, each creature has different mandibles, abdomens, and responsibilities in the animal kingdom. Honeybees cross-pollinate flowers. Dung beetles keep excrement at bay. Many are sources of food for larger animals as well. The problem we experience is when outside animals find their way inside and start destroying our houses, apartment buildings, and businesses.
Before you spend hundreds of dollars on do-it-yourself remedies, you need to know your enemy. The licensed professionals at Times Up Termite have the expertise to inspect and ascertain the type of insect kingdom critter lurking in your house. Call us for a free inspection and to establish a consistent termite control plan for your Fremont home.
Termite Anatomy 101: Learn the Basics of Your Enemy
If you don’t know what kind of bug is wreaking havoc on your structures, then you will not be able to rid your premises of them effectively. You could spend hours poring over science websites only to wake up drooling over your keyboard from boredom, but there is no need. The good news is that you do not have to love studying bugs to learn a little bit of their anatomy. Here are the basic parts of a termite and how they apply to the destruction of your structures:
- Mandible: This fancy word for jaws makes this little beast the terror of homeowners across the country. Beavers have nothing over these pests’ abilities to chew through hard materials like wood beams, foundations, and furniture, and also destroy softer things like cellulose, clothes, and books. Besides eating, they use their head and mandibles for defending the colony and evading predators such as anteaters.
- Abdomen: If you placed a carpenter ant next to a termite in a police line-up, few would be able to tell them apart, except by looking at their waist. Ants sport a slender waist while termites have broad, straight abdomens. All the better to gorge on your house!
- Antennae: The antennae of your wood-boring foe are utilized for navigation by detecting odors within their environment. While an ant’s are bent, when you see straight antennae on a crawling insect, it’s a good time to call in the experts for a termite control plan as soon as possible.
- Wings: Contrary to what you may have understood, some termites do fly. These are called swarmers, and they indicate sexually mature bugs looking for a new place to colonize. Ants also have wings. To tell the difference, look at the lengths. If they are different sizes, they belong to an ant; however, if both pairs are equal in size, then you may be facing an infestation of the wood-chewing kind of pest.
Seek Out Expert Help from a Trusted Name in Pest Control
Knowing your enemy is only the first step. Safeguard your investment and your family’s safety when you seek out the experts at Times Up Termite. Since 1991, we have helped homeowners and business owners alike take back their homes and offices. We are trained to use many different options to eradicate these insects. Altriset is just one and is a reduced-risk pesticide that is eco-friendly and a better choice if you have children and pregnant women in the house. We offer free termite inspections and work with you to develop a tailored plan for efficient and effective termite control in your Fremont home.
Give us a call at 510-568-7200 to speak with our team of experts at Times Up Termite, Inc. You can also contact us online to request a free termite inspection.