Thursday, June 26, 2014

Drywood Termites And Carpenter Ants  Know the difference between Termites

And  Carpenter Ants 

Its very important!! to be able to know the difference between Drywood Termites and Carpenter Ants, as both swam about the same time each year - RIGHT NOW.  Here is a picture to show you the difference. Carpenter Ants  come in different sizes,shapes and colors, the smaller ones are sometimes mistaken for termites. But there are big differences between the two and how to handle them.
Physically the easiest way to tell the difference is that ants have clearly defined segments, so look for the pinched waste. Also, they normally don't drop their wings as quickly. So, if you find a bunch of dead bugs with wings on a window sill, it is likely to be ants, whereas with Drywood Termites there is more likely to be many wings and only a few dead bugs. Both will swarm to the light, so are often found flying towards windows because of the lights at night or a lamp or even a bright shinny tub or sink.
What they eat is quite different as well. Clearly, termites eat wood, but Carpenter Ants, contrary to popular belief, eat protein. They are called Carpenter Ants because in nature they normally make their homes in softer decaying wood. If you have water damaged wood, they are attracted to that and will often make a colony there, but have adapted well and find that insulation in our walls and attics are easy pickings for a nest.

The other signs to look for are their dropping. Drywood Termites will kickout pellets (frass) that are all exactly the same size and shape, although the color may be a dark brown or a light tan. Carpenter Ants frass will consist of dirt, pellets and bits and pieces of other dead bugs they have eaten. This frass is sometimes the only clue as to where the pests are living and can be most valuable information for your pest professional.
How to get rid of both
To get rid of Carpenter Ants, it is best to treat the exterior surface of the structure, so that the ants will cross over the product as they leave each evening to forage and again when returning home each morning. It they are living in an attic, it is good to power Eco-dust the attic and distribute protein based baits for them to take home to the family.

There are two common ways to treat for Drywood Termites. One is fumigation, often referred to as Tenting. The pros of this solution is that it is thorough. The cons are that it has no residual effects,  and is disruptive to the occupants, its also some what expensive and is toxic. The other common solution is to treat with sodium borates, an inorganic mineral that is sprayed onto and soaks into the wood and if eaten by a termite, it permanently disrupts their digestive protozoa - we kill them with constipation. The pros are that it is safe and Eco-friendly, very long lasting, there is no need to leave during the treatment and most often is cheaper than tenting. The cons are that it is only affective on wood can be reached, such as in an accessible attic, in garages and shed where the wood hasn't been painted, and misted into wall voids not filled with insulation. It can also be used for spot treatments directly into 
the "kickout holes" where they are pushing out their frass.

Don't fall for the "Orange Oil", snake oil come on. It is expensive and 90% of what they do is borates too. The process can do more damage than the termites.

Advantage specializes in using sodium borates as a tenting alternative. We will check out your situation at no charge and explore the best option for your situation. If tenting is the best solution, we will refer you to one of our partner companies that provides tenting at near wholesale prices for our customers.

Pest Control Tips & Tricks - Flea, Tick, Ants, Roaches

Natural Pest Control Tips & Tricks

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