Termites - Coast to Coast

What many people do not realize is that "tenting" is NOT your only option.

Prevail! employs highly-trained professionals to provide you with a complete inspection and evaluation of your home.
Imagine having 1,000,000 uninvited guests eating you out of your home...literally! The subterranean termite can do just that.  These termites are already in your neighborhood and are actively seeking a suitable home.

We understand the emotional and financial devastation that this discovery can cause. So, whether you need a simple inspection for a real estate transaction or have concerns regarding your residence, we at Prevail! are here to help.

Termite Facts

• Termites have inhabited the earth since the beginning.
• Each year termites damage more homes and businesses in the United States than hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and fires combined.
• The Subterranean termite species cause the most property damage on an economic level.
• Subterranean termites live within the soil, attacking wood buried in, or in direct contact, with the soil. Subterranean termites require a moisture source and with one available, have been known to nest above ground in walls.
  Subterranean termites feed on wood and serve an important function in nature by converting dead wood into organic matter in the soil. Unfortunately, the dead wood in our homes is equally appealing to termites.
• IT IS A CERTAIN FACT HERE IN FLORIDA THAT WE HAVE TWO TYPES OF STRUCTURES: THOSE THAT HAVE TERMITES AND THOSE THAT WILL HAVE TERMITES.
• Drywood termites thrive in warm, moist, coastal regions and are systematic destroyers. They can devour a structure eating the wood from the inside out. Drywood termites usually attack in the attic area or higher exterior wood trim.
• Formosan Termites are the most voracious type of subterranean termite and the most destructive. Once established, Formosan termites have never been completely eradicated from a community. The best Protection against this termite is a community wide prevention program eliminating the possibility of this termite establishing a colony in your area.

Drywood Termites
Drywood Termites live in dry, sound wood and derive their moisture requirements from the wood they consume. They construct large, irregular galleries that run across and with the wood grain, with a very smooth, clean and sand-paper-like appearance. The galleries are connected by small openings large enough for a single termite to pass through. Each year termites damage approximately 2 million homes in the United States.

As social insects, Drywood Termites live in colonies consisting of male and female swarmers, soldiers, and workers. The male and female swarmers are responsible for reproduction and they will leave the existing colony to start new ones. Once the swarmers find a small hole in wood, they will break off their wings, seal the hole and start to mate.

The majority of the offspring comprise the worker (nymph) caste and are responsible for tending
the young, and searching for food (meaning the wood in your home). Some offspring become soldiers, which protect the colony from other insects. Other offspring will mature into reproductive adults and will eventually form new colonies of their own. It is possible to have more than one colony in your home.

You can detect Drywood Termite infestations in various ways. One of the most common ways to detect Drywood termites is the pellets of partly digested wood found beneath an infested area. The pellets are cream to reddish-brown or black in color and are usually about 1-2 mm long. The termites eject these pellets from the galleries via „kick out holes, often found right below the damaged wood. Surface blisters and hollow sounding wood are signs of advanced infestation.

Drywood termites usually swarm in early spring and as they are attracted to light, will be most noticeable at night. Wings broken off after swarming may be found on windowsills Swarming indicates an advanced infestation in the home and increases the possibility of multiple colonies within the structure.

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