As a Los Angeles homeowner, the last thing you would wish for is to have a termite problem within your property. Drywood termites can silently eat up your wooden beams from the inside out, posing a significant safety risk for you and your family. The tiny pests cause over $5 billion worth of property damage in the U.S annually. Pest control in Los Angeles is a must-have service for all households to keep the destructive bugs out.
Oh No! Signs You May Have Drywood Termites In Los Angeles
Drywood termites are stealthy in their operations, developing complex colonies for years without homeowners noticing. Feeding inside out means the termites can chow down on your wooden structure without leaving any noticeable trace. Warning signs of termites in your house include:
- Spotting swarmers emerging from holes in your structure
- Discarded wings on your porch or window sills
- Termite frass that looks similar to sawdust
- Wood damage with hollow sounds when tapped
- Blistering paint surface
Homeowners need to have a keen eye to identify early signs of a termite infestation in their home. If you suspect you've drywood termites on your property, call in a Los Angeles termite control expert immediately to prevent further damage.
How To Identify Drywood Termite Droppings
The first step in identifying active termites within your home is looking for droppings or frass. The invasive pests leave behind small, hard pellets about the size of a grain of sand, typically pushed out through tiny holes on the surface where they are feeding and nesting.
Some of the easily-recognizable characteristics of the frass are:
- Hard, pellet-like, cylindrical or oval-shaped
- One millimeter to three millimeters in length
- Flat or rounded, depending on how the termites deposit them
- Often found in piles, similar to sawdust
- Wood-colored, ranging from light brown to blackish, depending on the wood the termites feed on
These piles will usually accumulate under windowsills and other areas near the point where drywood termite colonies are most active, such as attics and crawl spaces.
The Difference Between Drywood And Dampwood Termites
The main difference is the dampness of the wood where the termites live and feed. Dampwood termites prefer living in wet, softwood that's often decayed. They require regular contact with water to survive, with a colony hosting approximately 2,700 members.
Conversely, drywood termites prefer drier, solid wood and don't need to live near water sources. They will eat through your home's wooden structure, obtaining their moisture from the wood consumed. Colonies are bigger, having over 10000 members.
Additionally, the dampwood termites are larger than the drywood species. Dampwood swarmers measure 25 millimeters, while soldier termites are approximately 20 millimeters. The termites are light to dark brown, with streaks of yellow or red stripes over their body.
A drywood termite only grows to 11 millimeters, while soldiers are 12 millimeters long. The drywood termites have elongated and narrow bodies which are whitish to light brown.
Total Termite Control For Homes In Los Angeles
You need to act fast before the termites damage your structure and crumble it down. The best way to get rid of the dangerous pest in your home is to contact a termite removal service in Los Angeles. At A Step Above Pest Control & Termite, our professional exterminators can conduct extensive inspections to identify the types of termites in your home before recommending effective treatments to eliminate them.
Besides, our pest control experts can establish preventative measures to keep the termites from attacking your wooden structures again. We utilize the latest technology to root out the hidden colonies and safe products to eliminate the insects. Contact us today and make your Los Angeles home termite-free.