Termites

Common Pests in New York

• Ants
• Bats
• Bees & Wasps
• Beetles
• Birds & Bats
• Centipedes & Millipedes
• Fleas & Ticks
• Fruit Flies
• Mice, Rats & Rodents
• Mosquitoes
• Possums
• Raccoons
• Roaches
• Silverfish
• Squirrels & Chipmunks
• Spiders
• Termites
• Wildlife
• Yellow Jackets

Identifying & Controlling Termites in NY

Identification of Termites

Termites that affect homes in New York– Eastern subterranean termites, the dark southeastern, neotropical, and American drywood termites – all are around a quarter of an inch long. Drywood termites are one of the more species often found infesting homes; they are more challenging to identify than other New York termites. The head of a drywood termite is a reddish-brown color, while the body is a milky white color. The dark southeastern termite head and body are a solid reddish-brown or black color. Eastern subterranean termites and neotropical termites have darker brown bodies and white or pale colors. The three types of termites in New York, the Eastern subterranean termite, and the dark southern and neotropical drywood termites live together as overlapping territories throughout the New York area. Other termite species that we deal with in our area include West Indian drywood, Formosan subterranean termites, and conehead termites. The chances are that if your New York home is invaded by termites, one or more of the invasive types mentioned above. If an invasive termite comes in contact with your home, it is more likely to establish a colony in your home versus a native species that is less likely to invade the structural wood of your home. Subterranean termites nest in the soil and most often enter homes and other structures through the foundation while drywood termites and dampwood termites nest in above-ground wood like structural timbers and furniture. While they may serve ecological purposes, often emerging from their nesting areas after rain events and swarming from their original nests, in our homes these pests can cause serious problems. Knowing what to look for can help you detect a termite infestation in its early stages. Termites live out of sight, so becoming familiar with what they look like in their different life stages and the signs they leave behind is very important. If you discover a swarm of winged termites, spot a damaged piece of wood in your home, or find a pile of wood shavings, or mud tubes on your home's foundation, you need to act quickly to eliminate them before significant damage is done. At the first sign of termites or their damage, the best plan of attack is to call in pest control professionals. Carefully and thoroughly eliminating termites from any New York home to prevent their return and the reinfestation of other wood in your home is a task that should be left to the trained experts at Parkway Pest Services. We are the local pest control company that knows termites and how to get rid of them.

Niches for Action for Termites in NY

Each year termites cause billions of dollars in property damage. Termites can get inside your home to feed on and short-circuit the structural integrity of your home's wood and other cellulose works slowly, feeding on wood 24 hours a day. Termites work very quickly, their insidiousness can make them hard to identify quickly, resulting in more damage and greater repair costs.

Knowing what to do about protecting your home and how to get rid of them is our job at Parkway Pest Services. If you have termites in your home, contact Parkway Pest Services today to eradicate the problem and get back to living pest-free.

Signs of Termites

Signs of termites in your home are often subtle, and damage will often appear in places not easily seen. The most common warning signs for termites include:

• Sagging floors and ceilings - The impact of termite activity will cause your floors and ceilings to sag. As termites feed on a home's structural wood, it will become weakened, leading to sagging.
• Swarms of insects - Reproductive members of termite colonies exit it from the soil or wood they're feeding on in "swarms." Their big swarms indicate the presence of a well-established termite colony around or inside your New York home.
• Swarmers - Like other species of insects, the reproductive males and females develop wings and are referred to as "swarmers" or "alates." Alates swarm outside, mate, and then the males die while the fertilized females form new colonies.
• Tubes in the soil - Termites create "mud tubes"; the small tubes that pencil-width. They use them to move through the soil and onto the bits of wood they've found to feed on inside your home.
• Piles of wings - After a termite swarm has occurred, you may discover numerous pairs of discarded wings lying around your home. Seeing them is a sign that a termite colony is nearby. Make sure to properly identify the insect.
• Bubbling or peeling paint - When termites get into the behind walls. Inside, their moisture creates peeling, bubbling, or discoloration in the paint.
• Wall damage - Compromised and damaged drywall allows moisture to build on your walls and weaken the structural integrity of your home, that's only by that time, the termite infestation is bad.
• Hollow-sounding wood - Termite tunnels weaken wood structures as they chew through. The wood may sound hollow when tapped on.
• Discarded wings - After a termite swarmer (young reproductive termites) lands, it discards its wings in a vertical pile. These piles of wings could be found inside or outside your home.
• Walls and foundation that contact soil - Exterior walls and foundation should be several inches above the soil to make it hard for termites to access the foundation and crawl space where they can eventually work their way up into your home.
• Cardboard or paper materials - Termites naturally feed on wood and cellulose materials, like paper and cardboard. Having clutter in your home and property near the outside of your home provides termites with easy access to your home.
• Mud Tubes - We will often find termite tubes on a building's exterior. Look around your doors, windows, vents, utility lines, and along the ground through any small crack or crevice - that's all they need to invade your home.

How to Prevent Getting Termites

It is impossible to ensure complete protection from termites, as even new structures can quickly become invaded. However, you are at far less risk with sound construction practices and comprehensive termite control treatments vulnerable to an invading termite colony.

Tips to help prevent problems with termites around your New York home or business include:

• Minimize soil-to-wood contact on your property.
• Seal cracks and crevices in your foundation.
• Place a stone barrier between your home's foundation and any soil or grass.
• Reduce areas of excessive moisture around your property.
• Install dehumidifiers in your home.
• Keep gutters in good working order to direct water away from your home.
• Maintain dampness in the soil around your foundation and stop excess water from collecting by ensuring that gutters are in good repair, downspouts direct water away from your home, and by inspecting for and promptly fixing leaky fixtures and fittings.
• Avoid planting trees and bushes very near to your home.
• Trim back trees and bushes away from your foundation to allow the sun to dry up moisture in the soil.

At Parkway Pest Services, we provide the services that you need to get rid of termites from New York properties and keep them from returning. We have the smart pest control experts ready to help protect your property from wood-eating termites with our advanced termite control options. Through a thorough inspection, we identify if termites are threatening your property and develop a specific treatment plan to meet its unique needs. Through prevention and targeted, effective solutions, we will ensure that termites are never again a problem inside your New York home.

Get Rid of Termites in New York with Parkway

Through a thorough inspection, we can quickly determine whether termites are a current issue and identify any points around your property that may be attracting them. We will then tailor an effective termite control solution to meet any needs and budget. Our goal is to provide the services required to ensure that termites cannot damage your New York home!

Our professionals will install Sentricon® with Always Active™ to eliminate termites and to continuously prevent the return of these pests in the future. As North America's number one termite control product, Sentricon® safely and effectively eliminates entire colonies and prevents them from returning. After termites are discovered, our dedicated professionals will get rid of them and make sure that they don't come back. Contact Parkway Pest Services, a locally owned and operated pest control company, today.

To learn more about our termite control services, get in touch with our Long Island team today!