The Citizen, 2005-10-20, Page 14Combat insects that WE’VE MOVED...
feast on your home
There' are a myriad of insects
living in this world, and
unfortunately, a few of them view
the wooden structures of your home
as a tasty meal or the ideal places to
create a nest. Here’s how to
recognize the most common
culprits:
Carpenter Bees: These large
aerial acrobats resemble their
cousins, bumblebees, but have a
shiny, hairless upper abdomen
surface with yellow-coloured hairs
on the mid-section, or thorax, while
bumblebees have a hairy yellow
upper abdominal surface.
Although they look intimidating,
these bees are actually not
aggressive like wasps or
yellowjackets. But they may give
\ou a scare as they swoop and
stagger in their haphazard flight
patterns.
The biggest concern caused by
these insects is the damage they do
to your home’s exterior. Carpenter
bees get their name from the round
\X-inch hole they bore into the
unfinished wood areas of your
home, like eaves and sills. After
chewing the hole, they'll make a 90-
degree turn and hollow out a small
channel to lay eggs and await the
hatching of larvae.
Typically, the bees will use the
same “nest” each year, but other
carpenter bees might be inclined to
take up residence in your home as
well — leaving you with dozens of
holes.
To add insult to injury, those
vs iggling larvae hidden within their
cozy channels are tasty treats for
woodpeckers. Therefore, double
damage can be done to your house
as the woodpeckers forage for the
larvae.
Pest solution: Soft woods like
pine make it easy for carpenter bees
to chew and burrow. Choose
hardwoods to replace softwoods on
your home, or seal up the holes that
were previously made so that
carpenter bees won’t be tempted to
return. You can also paint and seal
wood surfaces well to prevent the
bees from burrowing. If none of
these measures work, look for
exterminating sprays for flying
insects, or call in a professional.
Carpenter Ants: While carpenter
ants aren’t harmful (they generally
eat plants and other insects), they
can damage the wood of your home.
You'll likely not realize any damage
has been done until you see swarms
of the ants indoors. Typically, these
ants like moist softwoods for their
nests.
They're most commonly found in
moist, hollow spaces, like the wall
behind a dishwasher or where water
leakage could occur — around
bathtubs, sinks, roof leaks, poorly
flashed chimneys, or poorly sealed
windows or door frames.
The nests, called “galleries,” are
quite clean and have a sandpaper
appearance.
Pest solution: These ants may
have nests inside and outside of your
home. Therefore, a good perimeter
treatment of a pesticide outside your
home will be sufficient to
exterminate the ants inside your
home as well. The outdoor ants will
spread the poison to their colony
inside as they venture to and from
their indoor and outdoor nests.
Spray around the foundation of
your home, up around two to three
feet, as well as around the ground
floor doors and windows. Spray in
the garage and basement areas, all
along the baseboards.
Termites: Subterranean termites
are generally the most common type
of wood-destroying termite colony.
However, there are other varieties
like the drywood and dampwood
termites that don’t require moisture
from the ground to survive.
Termites feed on materials that
contain cellulose, the principal
component of the cell walls of
plants, primarily dead wood and
wood by-products. Subterranean
termites will dig tunnels in the
ground to reach food and water.
It is important for homeowners to
recognize the signs of a
subterranean termite infestation.
Subterranean termites may be
detected by the sudden emergence of
winged termites, or by the presence
of mud tubes found in soil and
damaged wood. Winged termites are
attracted to light, and they shed their
wings in windowsills, cobwebs, or
on other surfaces, which often may
be the only evidence that a swarm is
present indoors. The presence of
winged termites or their shed wings
inside a home is definitely a warning
of a termite infestation.
Pest solution: Avoid having moist
areas or water accumulation around
the penmeter of your home. Since
termites feed slowly, if they are
detected relatively quickly, you’ll
have ample time to call in a
professional termite exterminator.
He will be able to assess the level of
damage and provide a course of
treatment.
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