Termites cannot damage a foundation made of concrete, concrete block or brick. However, termites can enter a home through small cracks in the foundation – gaps as tiny as the width of a business card. While termites cannot damage concrete foundations, they can damage nearby wood sources.

A large Formosan termite colony can cause significant damage to a house in approximately two years, if it is not controlled. Other termite species would take several more years to cause the same level of damage as Formosan termites since other species have much smaller colony sizes.

Within a few days, they can multiply to what’s considered an infestation. Homeowners need to take every percaussion possible, and be sure to act quickly in order to protect their homes. Termites live in colonies, and they can spread to more than 100 feet in every direction from the epicenter.

Termite mounds can take four to five years to build, but a really heavy downpour might cause a third of the mounds to collapse. So termites are always scurrying to rebuild their mounds as fast as the weather erodes them.

The average colony can eat about one foot of a 2×4 in six months, but certain species of termite can tear through homes at a much faster pace.

Termites will not go away on their own. Termites consume wood for sustenance. When they find a way into your home, they won’t go away on their own. They will feed for years and years if they are allowed to.

Buildings or houses that are made of wood can be unfit to live in if termites have already caused considerable damage to its foundations, beams and other supports of the structure. This is considered a serious safety issue as once a solid wood structure turns weak and brittle.

While termites prefer a diet of the cellulose in wood, they are absolutely willing to chew through other objects that contain cellulose to fill themselves up. For example, termites can and will chew through all kinds of building materials, including soil, sheetrock and, yes, drywall.

Q: Can you get rid of Drywood termites without tenting? A: Yes, exterminators can offer you various options if you don’t like the tenting treatment. They will usually employ spot treatments or the injection of orange oil or liquid nitrogen into the infested wood.

A: Spot treatments can be effective, but there are several factors needed for them to work. First, the termite problem needs to be isolated. There needs to be a clear sign of termite activity and the area needs to be easily accessible.

Common signs of termite damage to a wall include:

• Small pin holes, where termites have eaten through the paper coating on drywall and/or wallpaper.
• Faint ‘lines’ on drywall.
• A hollow sound when you tap on the wall.
• Bubbling or peeling paint.
• Baseboards that crumble under slight pressure.
• Jammed doors or windows.

Some of the best ways to get rid of termites is to apply termite-killing products to your home’s exterior, use direct chemicals on the inside of your home, set up termite baits, and spray boric acid in your floors and walls.

Homeowners insurance is designed to cover risks and damage that are accidental and sudden. The cost to remove termites and repair their damage is generally not covered by your homeowners insurance.

The inspector will look at the interior and exterior areas of your home, checking for visible signs of a termite infestation, which include: droppings, broken wings, mud tubes, and damaged wood. The inspector will check your baseboards, walls, windows, crawl spaces, door frames, insides of cabinets and closets.

The average cost of a termite treatment ranges from $200 to $900 with a typical treatment costing around $560. This breaks down to anywhere from $3 to $16 per linear foot of home. There are several different methods of treating termites, each with its own benefits and ability to work for a specific species of termite.

5 to 13 years

When a termite colony infests a home, it can take as little as three years for noticeable damage to occur. Of course, the rate of damage depends on the size of the colony. If the colony is large enough, it can destroy the wood components of your home within a period of eight years.

approximately one to two years

Whether you’ve had termites in the past or are looking to prevent them, all homeowners should have their home inspected annually for termites. For the most part, termite treatments last anywhere from a couple to 10 years depending on the type of treatment used.

one to five years

Can Termites Return After Treatment? Unfortunately, they can. Termite treatment is very involved and requires ongoing maintenance to keep these pests out. Once your termite problem is fully treated, our termite control professionals will work to create a barrier around your home that will deter termites from returning.

Dampwood termites commonly live in heavily forested areas of the country as they prefer wet wood; while, drywood termites, much more rare in the United States, prefer extremely dry wood. Subterranean termites require moist environments, live mainly in the soil and are the most destructive species.

The researchers fed Formosan termites a diet of commercial lumber from one of 10 species of wood: redwood, birch, spruce, southern yellow pine, red oak, Brazilian jatoba, Peruvian walnut, Honduran mahogany, teak and Alaskan yellow cedar.

Termites may eat wood, but what they’re really after is the cellulose from which wood is made. Termites never stop eating, even once they have established themselves in your home. To feed their ever-growing colonies, they will devour anything that contains cellulose.

Termites are attracted to wood, especially wet or moist wood.

5 Top Types of Termite-Resistant Wood

1. 5 Top Types of Termite-Resistant Wood. By All Counties Fence and Supply|April 5th, 2017.
2. Teak. This exotic wood is known for being pricey, but there’s a good reason.
3. Alaskan Yellow Cedar.
4. Honduran Mahogany.
5. Peruvian Walnut.
6. Redwood.

Termites don’t eat Redwood, Brazilian Jatoba, Walnut, Mahogany, Cedar, Teak, and Cypress. These woods are naturally resistant to termites.