Termite Nests and Mounds

If termite control is something you're concerned about, you're probably interested in discovering where termites live, so you can make sure they aren't around your home. Fortunately, this information is not hard to come by and a little study can help you know what you're looking for so you can protect your home from these pests.

Where Termites Live

Most termites do not actually live in your walls. While they will venture in to feed, they will actually call a nest or a mound home. These are generally made of mud and/or other organic material, and are outside or in the ground.

Depending on the type of insect in your house, the mound can be above or below ground, or even in a nearby tree. Most termites, though, live somewhere between 4 and 18 inches underground. These nests can be quite large, covering 50 to 100 meters and (if above ground) standing up to 6 meters tall.

These nests or mounds are built from soft local soil and are covered with a thin layer of tougher mud. They are often attached to a branch or some other piece of organic matter that goes into the ground.

Inside the next is a warren of tunnels. These help the termites get around the nest, and allow the workers to bring food back to feed the reproductive and soldier termites. In addition, termites in all sorts of larval stages have their own places in the next, and it is where termite eggs are cared for.

There are tunnels that lead from the next to the surface, usually near places where the termites can feed. Worker termites build these tunnels, then use them to not only find sustenance for themselves but also to bring food back for the other termites who never leave the nest.

Eliminating Termite Nests and Mounds

In general, you eliminate these nests and mounds in the same ways that you eliminate termites from your home. An exterminator can examine the situation and tell you exactly what you need to do. However, rest assured that you can keep these pests out of your home even if you can't locate their nest. It may be below ground, so you will never find it.

If you're particularly concerned about where the termites infesting your home have come from, be sure to let your exterminator know and find one that specializes in killing termites at the source. While this sort of treatment may be more expensive and may take longer to fully implement, you may rest easier knowing that the termites causing your problems are entirely gone.

Your exterminator will probably use bait to destroy the nests and mounds causing your problem. This involves mixing something that termites like to eat with a chemical concoction that is poisonous to them. When they eat the food, they also ingest the chemical and die. To get at the mound, your exterminator will make his mixture such that worker termites can carry it back to the mound so the reproductive and soldier insects can also ingest the poisonous toxins.

Now that you know a little about termite nests and mounds, you can offer some protection against the pests. By keeping your eyes open when you're walking around your house, you just might be able to spot a problem before it becomes major. If you're at all concerned about anything you see, be sure to have an exterminator out quickly, to take care of the problem before it becomes a major issue.