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The Heat is on! 3 Reasons Why Termites Are More Rampant in the Summer

TERMITE1A

Enjoying the sizzling hot summer season? Guess what, the termites do too! If you’re planning to go on a dream summer vacation, be sure to get your house protected from termites. As the summer heat rolls in, so do the pests that come with it so it is best to have termite control on your speed dial. For the meantime, find out what exactly makes these buggers more active during summer time? Read on to find out:

“Summer Lovin’, Had Me a Blast”

Swarming season is the number one reason why termites become active. During this period, a colony lets loose hundreds, if not, thousands, of flying termites known as alates.  These alates, both male and female, fly out and separate from their current colony to build a new colony. Here they become king and queen of said colony, and reproduce quickly. After all, you can’t have royalty to do grunt work; they need soldiers and workers to do it for them.

A Swarmer Soiree

You will know it’s their time to shine when you go out at night and find illuminated light bulbs are covered to the brim with a termite swarm. Usually this would even indicate the rainy season is approaching, as most termites are fond of the warm weather that comes before the downpour. In the Philippines, where we only have two known seasons, this phenomena occurs when summer is about to end. But don’t let them fool you; the termite swarming season happens to be specific when it comes to their species. Meaning to say, swarming season to them can land on any season of the year, so long as their colony is ready.

If You Can’t Handle the Heat, Stay Out of the Kitchen

Though termite swarming can happen all year around, sometimes it really depends where you live or what species is most common in your area. In other countries, specifically the United States, termite swarming season is most common either in the spring or summer. The reason would be they prefer the sweltering weather that comes with these two seasons. Once the surviving alates have chosen a partner and settled, they will mate and begin their new life as rulers of their new colony.

But where do they usually situate their colonies?

The answer to that would be beneath moist soil. An example of a termite species that thrives in moist places is the Subterranean Termite. Subterranean termites choose to build their homes where there is moisture, creating mud tunnels for them to travel to and from. Although their means of travel underground seems amazing, it means bad news to us unfortunately. If a termite colony is near your house, these tunnels will lead to its foundations, walls, framing, and floors and etc. If not treated immediately, this can eventually lead to the destruction of your home.

When you go out in the evening and see a swarm of termites having a party in your light patio, take this as a warning. Termite swarms are harmless to humans, but not to houses. The presence of swarms may indicate you might have termites within the walls of your precious home. Keep calm and call us for pest control, and we guarantee we will get the job done.

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“Bug Buster!” Using Copper Against Termites

Bug Buster

Imagine a society without copper. At first, you probably think you can live without it, but not without wi-fi, of course. But no. Copper is man’s oldest metal, dating back more than 10,000 years. Just ponder on its many wonders.

Even you have copper inside your body. It is involved in the formation of red blood cells, the absorption and utilization of iron, and the synthesis and release of life-sustaining proteins and enzymes. Woah! You have copper inside your room. It is part of television sets, computers, smartphones, iPods, e-readers and a whole lot more! You have copper inside your home. It is used in water pipes, power lines and surprise, surprise – termite control – all around the world, including Philippines.

Yes, this mighty metal is also a bug buster. Here’s why you can rely on it.

In 1882, a French botanist who goes by the name Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet treated vineyard grapes with a blend of copper sulfate and discovered that the mixture killed powdery mildew. Since then, the properties of copper have been explored as an organic biocide.

  • Copper oxidizes enzymes, lipids and proteins. It can change the normal role of fore mentioned agents, making them reactive and toxic.
  • Copper-based pesticides are good treatment for woods, primarily because it has copper as a primary ingredient mixed in a special chemical cocktail. These treatments include chromated copper arsenate, alkaline copper quaternary and copper azole.
  • Alkaline Copper Quaternary is a water based wood preservative method introduced in countries as an alternative to Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA). CCA was found to be highly dangerous; it can break down and leach in the environment. ACQ, on the other hand, is safer and home-friendly, normally containing 66.7% copper oxide.
  • Copper Boron Azole type A contains 49% copper, while Copper Azole type B is composed of 96.1% copper. Woods treated with copper azole are generally greenish-brown with little or no odor.
  • Lumber treated with copper-based solutions tends to be great in outdoor applications, especially if used in direct wood-soil contact like fences.
  • It also has the advantage of being resistant to deterioration from sun and water exposure, and inhibits the growth of microbial agents like fungus that accelerate wood’s decay.

What’s the catch?

However, the downside of using copper-based pesticides is its toxicity. Occupational exposures to this kind of pesticide aggravate allergic reactions, itching and eczema. Not only that, the solution can leach to the soil, and pose hazard to you and your family. That is why only ACQ and copper azole are the lumber-treatment recommended for residential purposes.

Another downside is copper-based solution are not always perfect – no matter how lethal it is. Termites can still go around your treated wood and gnaw the wood in your favorite furniture. Remember how termites work? Termites, especially the subterranean ones, can create a complex network of tunnels underground, reaching hundreds of feet in any direction. Thus, they can resurface anywhere when they find a good food source of wood. Perhaps, that wood pile in your garage or that drift wood in your garden may be the termites’ next delicious happy meal.