Termites are small social insects that live underground in large colonies, and that cause a tremendous amount of damage to wooden structures worldwide. Termites feed on dead plant material and cause damage by in wood feeding on the cellulose. They can have an extensive range of tunnels extending tens or hundreds of feet.

Termites are primarily a problem for homes and other structures comprised of wood. Their presence means that many thousands of homes must be treated for the control and prevention of these wood-eating insects. But they have a beneficial side in nature. They help to recycle dead wood and plants, and they add to the health of the soil as they tunnel through it.

These social insects form large nests containing many individuals. Termite colonies are made up of a variety of different types of individuals. These are the queen, the soldier, the worker and the swarmer.

The queen lays the eggs for the nest. She is the largest of the termites and can lay thousands in a day. The soldiers have large heads and powerful jaws: its job is to defend the colony. The most numerous colony members are the workers. They do most of the work in the colony including foraging for food, tunneling, feeding other colony members and constructing and repairing tunnels. Also, these are the termites that actual eat and digest the wood. Swarmers are the winged colony members that leave the nest in numbers to start new ones. Soon after they land they drop their wings. These are reproductive termites, led by primary members called the queen and king.

In order to control them and prevent damage, it's important for homeowners to be able to detect the presence of termites in and around their homes. They are usually discovered by the presence of swarmers, damaged wood, or seeing their mud tubes. For many homeowners, the shock of seeing perhaps thousands of winged termites emerging the soil, or from some part of their home, is the first sign of termites. These male and female swarmers leave the nest and fly off to pair up and start new nests. They usually emerge when temperature and moisture conditions are right. If you see swarmers inside your home it's a pretty strong indication of an infestation.

Seeing the termites mud tubes also indicates their presence. They build these tubes to reach wood and to protect them from enemies. The termites use them as above ground, sheltered passages between the soil and wood.

Probing into wood to detect hollowed out sections is another method of detecting termites. Use a sharp instrument to poke inside to find the areas in structural wood that have been excavated. Tapping a wooden structural member to listen for a hollow sound is another possible ways of determining if wood has been invaded.

Controlling termites usually requires the involvement of a professional termite specialist. If termites are detected in your home, locating a reputable termite professional is the best course of action. But finding termites should not be a panic-inducing situation. They work very slowly, so there will likely be more than enough time to employ the use of termite control. There is time to do some research and shop around to be sure that you get comprehensive service from a licensed and certified termite specialist. They should have good professional standing and be free from without complaints lodged against them with your states licensing board.