As temperatures rise and rain clouds are replaced with sunshine and a nice breeze, more people may be spending extra time outside and outside their home. Creepy crawling animals may appear while you are walking or having a picnic in the park. Wood-destroying insects like termites, carpenter ants, bees, and powder beetles are not only annoying, they are annoyingly a threat to your home as well. Here’s what to look out for and what to do if you spot unwanted insects around you.
TERMITES
There are several types of termites, and the most common type in Ohio is the underground termite. They are approximately 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch long and can be easily identified by their dark brown, large, protruding mandibles and light bodies. According to Houselogic, termites enjoy soft, damaged, and stratified wood that touches the ground. Termites are very fond of dead tree stumps and can easily enter them.
You can confirm an infestation with termite corpses and broken wings, which look like fish scales inside and outside your property. This is often the collection of deceased hawkers or reproductive termites that recently congregated in the area. If you notice a coarse-grained, gray-brown film on the surface of damaged material, or if a screwdriver can easily penetrate the surface of the wood, you most likely have an infestation on your hands.
Carpenter ants
Similar to termites, carpenter ants are also 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and can be red, black, or brown. Carpenter ants have large mandibles, while hawk ants have wings. They are best recognized by their large, auburn heads and black abs.
The best way to identify an infestation is to use a combination of worker and hive ants. If you spot some in your area, see if you can find the colony. While they are drilling into wood to build their nests, you may find a pile of wood shavings and feces nearby. Damp and rotten wood is often the most suitable place for carpenter ants. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on wood structures that have aged or are exposed to high humidity.
POWDER MAIL BEETLE
Powder post beetles are approximately 5/16 inches long. They are brown or black in color and can be recognized by the fact that their head disappears when viewed from above. These little beetles have a set of wings with two antennae on top of the head and a smaller set of mandibles compared to their wood-boring counterparts mentioned above.
Powder beetles lay their eggs in cracks, crevices and pores in wooden structures as a sustainable source of food for their larvae. In order to identify an infestation, you can identify holes the size of a pen head, which serve as exits for adult beetles, and grass deposits. Anobiid powder beetles attack softwoods such as spruce and pine, while lyctid beetles prefer hardwoods such as oak, ash, and hickory.
If you think you may have an infestation, it is best to contact a pest control specialist. In addition to treatment, the specialist can tell you whether the insects caused any structural damage. You may need to contact a contractor to carry out repairs even after the property has been treated. It’s always a good idea to keep all records of wood-destroying insect damage, treatments, or repairs when you are ready to sell your home. Wood destroying insect inspection is a common choice for buyers. With the right records, you may be able to skip a second round of treatment. Your realtor can recommend pest control specialists or contractors.
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