Termites are like a stealth wood shredder. These tiny insects attack your home from their underground nests, gnawing into soft, wet, damaged wood before chewing into healthy wood. A termite colony of 60,000 insects can munch through one lineal foot of pine 2×4 every 120 days. But termite colonies can include hundreds of thousands to millions of hungry insects, causing considerable damage in a relatively short time. And since these insects never sleep, they’re crunching away at your foundation timbers 24/7 while you sleep blissfully unaware of the attack on your home.
Eco Helpers
Termites are beneficial insects in nature. They process downed trees, keeping the forests tidy. Unfortunately, termites can’t differentiate between dead trees and construction lumber which makes them a serious pest threat for Monmouth County, NJ home owners. In Monmouth and Ocean Counties, NJ, termites damage 1 in 5 houses.
Interesting Termite Facts
Despite their destructive behavior, termites are fascinating insects.
- Termite queens produce eggs constantly. Some species lay 40,000 eggs each day.
- One of Earth’s oldest insects, termites have been scavenging the planet since the dinosaur era more than 200 million years ago.
- Termites are related to cockroaches.
- Termite queens far outsize the workers that tend them. Queens can be several inches long, as big around as a pencil and live for decades.
- Containing more protein than beef, termites are considered a culinary treat in some countries. Africans like their termites fried. South Americans prefer theirs barbecued.
Exterminating these fascinating but destructive pests requires the services of an experienced termite exterminator. If you’re concerned about termites damaging your home, call Allison Pest Control’s licensed termite exterminator experts today.
