Termites

Termites have an incredibly long history. They have lived on Earth for more than 250 million years. While termites can be helpful in breaking down rotting wood in the environment, these wood-destroying insects also can cause extensive damage to our modern day structures. Occasionally, referred to as “silent destroyers,” termites may leave few readily observable signs of activity as they consume wood, drywall, sheetrock and various other forms of building materials used in construction of walls, ceilings and floors. Experts estimate that termites damage more than 600,000 homes in the United States annually. In fact, termites cause more damage to U.S. homes (annually) than tornadoes, hurricanes, wind, and hail-storms combined. Each year, U.S. residents spend an estimated $5 billion to control termites and repair termite damage. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), control methods and repairs for damage caused by Formosan termites – the most destructive species of subterranean termite – account for more than $1 billion of this total.

Types of Termites

There are about 45 different kinds of species of termites found in the U.S., each of which falls into one of the three main termite types:

Subterranean	Drywood	Dampwood