When you’re concerned about termites on your property, a trained technician who specializes in eliminating infestations will begin the process by asking several questions. These questions are geared toward determining whether drywood or ground termites are present. Below is what you should know about each species and their habits so that you know how to eliminate the issue. 

What Are Their Appearances & Behaviors Like?

While both drywood and ground termites can be brown, white, or even translucent in color, drywood species are much larger in size. Drywood termites nest in timber, piles of firewood, wooden furniture, and wooden areas of your home’s foundation. Ground termites, in contrast, make subterranean homes by creating slim tunnels or mud tubes so they can move about and enter your property. 

What Are Their Food Sources?

While both species of termites feed on wood, their eating habits do differ. Ground termites have hearty appetites but prefer to snack on the softest, innermost parts of wood found between grains. Drywood termites don’t mind the harder areas, and so their eating patterns appear more erratic.  

What Are the Signs You Need Termite Treatment?

The simplest way to determine whether you have an infestation is based on what termites leave behind. Drywood termites make their nests inside the wood, and you’ll notice tiny “kick” holes within an infested area that are created to remove their waste. Their waste resembles sawdust and is found underneath lumber that’s infested. Ground termites use their own saliva and droppings in combination with wood to create mud tubes. As such, homeowners are likely to notice more cardboard-like droppings within the home when an infestation has occurred. 

Have you noticed termite droppings, squeaky floorboards, and hollow-sounding lumber in your home or business? If so, Dick's Fumigation Services in Wailuku, HI, is ready to provide fast, effective termite treatment. With a reputation for using high-quality equipment and providing both spot treatment and tent fumigation based on each client’s needs, residents across Maui have come to rely on this local company’s 65 years of experience. To schedule an appointment with a trained technician, call today at (808) 244-7496. For more information on their wide range of services and extended service agreements, visit their website.