Termite Control

Termites can be one of the most destructive insects in our area but less than 4% of termites will ever cause damage to your home. Let's take a deeper look into termites, how they benefit the Earth, some termite control methods and some other information about termites in and around Myrtle Beach.

Termite Biology and Identification

Types of Termites

Subterranean Termites - Termites that live in colonies under the ground and must have contact with the soil to survive. They are the most common and destructive termite species, specifically on the South Carolina coast in Horry County. Subterranean termites build mud tubes to reach above ground to find additional wood sources. They seek out moist wood since they prefer wood that is easy to consume.

Drywood Termites - Drywood termites on the other hand live and feed inside of dry wood, unlike subterranean termites they do not need soil or moisture to survive. Their colonies are much smaller than subterranean termites and infest wood directly. Their treatment methods are different, consisting of spot treatments or tent fumigation.

In Horry County and the surrounding areas of South Carolina, there have been far fewer cases of drywood termites but subterranean termites are abundant. In Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas on average there are 15-25 different subterranean termite colonies per acre of land. For the rest of this page we will specifically focus on subterranean termites.

Termite Biology

Termites live in colonies and like other insects are social. They have distinct roles that include workers, soldiers and reproductive termites. They live in complex colonies underground and if needed, will create mud tubes to come above the surface to feed on wood. Termites feed on the cellulose, the carbohydrate in wood that gives it strength. This is one reason why termite damage is destructive since they feed on the compound of wood that gives it's strength. The way in which they digest wood makes termites essential to the natural ecosystem of our planet but when they infest your home the damage they cause can be catastrophic.

They look very similar to ants even though they are believed to have evolved from a species of wood roach thousands of years ago. Termites have a straight antennae, thicker waists and their swarmer termites have two sets of identical wings. Ants on the other hand have an angled antennae, three distinctive body parts and their swarmer ants have 2 sets of different sized wings.

Being able to tell the difference between an ant and termite is critical when it comes to the treatment that will help protect your home. If you're unsure, give Bug Busters Pest and Mosquito Control a call/text today at 843-284-3375!

Termite Signs & Basic Prevention Ideas

In our area the most abundant termite species is the subterranean termite, which by it's name lives almost all of it's life underground. The easiest sign of a termite infesting your home is a mud tube that they create to get above the ground to feed on the wood of your home. If you have a crawlspace you can find them on any of the structural supports touching the ground. For a slab home they can create tubes up the side of your home and under your siding or if there is a crack/gap in the slab they can infest your home that way.

Some simple things you can do as a homeowner to help prevent termites from infesting your home are:

• Remove wood debris from around your home.
• Make sure the slab portion of your home is not covered by mulch or other landscaping features.
• Keep unwanted moisture from building up in your home, specifically if you have a crawl space.
• Fixing leaks ASAP so that moisture issues do not get out of hand.
• Maintain proper drainage around your home.

Some signs of subterranean termites in your home include but are not limited to bulging drywall or other surfaces, discarded wings found inside from swarming termites, hollow sounding wood or framing or easiest to identify are mud tubes or live termites.