Termites are the nightmare of homeowners. They can cause extensive damage to the structure of your home by eating away the wood in a manner that may not be visible without careful inspection.
But, when you see one up close, you might not regard it as something threatening, not when it’s only about an eighth of an inch in length. The problem, however, is that termites are not alone. They live in colonies with hundreds or thousands of other termites that can cause major damage faster than you can imagine.
How Fast Can Termites Damage Your Home?
A single termite is not a cause of concern. On its own, the pest should live for more than 3,000 years to finish a 1,000 square foot home, and it can only survive for about two years.
So, the problem here is not the speed but the fact that termite damage can go undetected for years while the pests continue to eat away your home from the inside out.
Besides remaining undetected, there are many other factors that contribute to the destructive qualities of termites; and understanding them can help in effectively addressing the infestation in your home.
Types of Termites
If your home has drywood termites, you’re likely to not be in as much trouble as you would be with having subterranean termites. Statistics show that the cost of drywood termite damage every year is in the hundreds of millions of dollars, while that of subterranean termite damage is in the billions.
This is because drywood termites tend to have smaller colonies than subterranean termites. What’s more, the presence of drywood termites are more visible due to the droppings they leave behind usually on the window sills and other surfaces.
Moisture and Warmth
Termites can survive in different environmental conditions but they prefer moisture and warmth the most. Hot and humid conditions provide them with moisture they need in order to live, grow, and reproduce. In less humid or colder environments, they’re more likely to dry out and die.
These explain why it’s crucial to address any leaks or standing puddles of water in and around your home. The source of moisture can provide a favourable condition for termites, helping them to work quite faster.
The Size of the Colony
In addition to all these, the size of a colony can also make a difference in the amount of wood that termites consume. Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to determine the size of your colony without professional help from a pest management company.
But, you should note that even a newly existing colony can create a significant amount of damage quickly. A larger colony, on the other hand, can have a whopping 2 million termites at the ready, which can leave a home in a total wreck in a year or two.
There’s no way to determine how much damage termites can do to your home and how quickly they can do it. But, one thing we know for sure is that termite damage can be avoided. Pest Off, a reliable pest management company in Singapore can get your home a proactive termite control plan in place to prevent infestation even before they cause major damage to your property.
Call our experts at Pest Off for a consultation at the first signs of termite infestation!
[…] way, they can survive even outside the moist environment of soil. Once they reach the wood, they start to thrive there, reproduce, and eventually start feeding off on the […]