Can termites be found in the desert?

About ten species of termites can be found in the semi-arid and arid regions of the American Southwest. The desert termite, Gnathamitermes tubiformans, is one of the most common species in western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

Can termites be found in the desert?

About ten species of termites can be found in the semi-arid and arid regions of the American Southwest. The desert termite, Gnathamitermes tubiformans, is one of the most common species in western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

How do you kill termites in the desert?

For desert termites you known are residing in the soil in turfgrass, the best way to control them is by treating the soil with a high-quality termiticide, such as Taurus SC. Taurus SC does a great job of killing termites and is a non-repellent.

Do desert termites eat houses?

They construct fragile tubes made of sheets of mud and get the moisture they need from their nests. They don’t really pose a threat to humans. Desert termites generally don’t invade homes, tunnel into wood or eat the wooden structures of homes. This makes them quite different from other subterranean termites.

How do termites survive in the desert?

Behavior & Diet Desert termites are very susceptible to losing moisture and drying out, so they build moisture-retaining tubes or sheets that are made of carton – a mixture of moist soil and feces that is glued together with the termite’s saliva – to overcome this obstacle and survive.

What does a desert termite look like?

Appearance. Desert subterranean termites have three castes –workers that resemble cream-colored ants; reproductives that are pale, yellowish-brown, winged adults about ½-inch long; and soldiers that are large, with rectangular-shaped heads and big imposing mouthparts.

Do termites live in Arizona?

The only dampwood termite structurally important in Arizona is the desert dampwood termite. These pests typically infest wood that is below ground level and close to the termite colony. They also invade living shrubs and young trees, whose sap it uses to provide the moisture it needs for survival.

Can you completely get rid of termites?

While you cannot get rid of termites permanently from the environment, you can help prevent them from taking root in your home and control any active colonies nearby. Although it may be tempting to try termite control yourself, prevention and treatment is best left to the professionals.

How are termites treated in Arizona?

Most termite control in Arizona is done via liquid treatments to the soil around the house or by baiting. In the liquid treatments, non-repellents often are injected around a home’s foundation. Termites cannot detect non-repellents, and so they don’t try to avoid the area where they are used.

How fast can termites eat a house?

Experts estimate that over a period of about five months, a group of around 60,000 termites can eat the equivalent of one foot of a 2×4 beam. No matter how fast they eat, the pests can do serious damage to homes before residents are even aware of it.

Are there termites in the Sahara desert?

The section on termites includes a list of the 28 species that have been recorded from the Sahara, together with notes on several typical desert inhabitants and about 10 that are found in local non-arid habitats.

Do termites eat cactus?

Termites on cacti are fairly common and don’t need to be treated. They are only interested in the dead wood on the outside of cacti and can coexist with these plants. Courtesy of Michael J. Plagens.

Is termite common in Arizona?

Studies have revealed that there are approximately three to five termite colonies per acre of land in Arizona, with an astounding average of more than 100,000 termites per colony.

Do all houses in Arizona have termites?

Termites are a very real concern in Arizona, as much of the state sits on top of one of the most active subterranean termite ‘belts’ in North America. We are also home to the drywood termite, making it almost inevitable for most homeowners to have a run-in with these invasive and highly destructive pests.

What does Arizona termites look like?

Most termites will generally measure between ¼ and ½ of an inch in length but can range from white to light brown in color. Some termites have wings and others don’t. Typically subterranean termites in Arizona are dark brown in color, the worker termites are not winged while the swarmer termites are winged.

Do all Arizona homes have termites?

Are termites a problem in Arizona?

Arizona is home to subterranean termites. The subterranean termite can severely damage structural timbers in homes, buildings, utility poles and other structures built with cellulose materials.