Termites are identified by the appearance of the swarmers , their damage, and the droppings they leave behind. Both types of termites eat cellulose for nutrition. Cellulose is found in wood and wood products. Dry wood termites restrict their attack of wood structures to a narrow geographic band that extends from Florida to California . Damp wood termites are common to the Pacific Northwest.
Termites are the major wood-destroying structural pests in the southern United States.
On the average, there could be as many as 13 to 14 subterranean termite colonies per acre, which means that a typical home may easily have three to four colonies situated under or around it. And because there can be as many as 1,000,000 subterranean termites per colony, the threat of infestation becomes a very real one indeed. Termites have been able to survive for over 250 million years. Because of the highly structured nature of the colonies, termites are able to more efficiently adapt to changing environments. Your home is naturally close to termite colonies.