Question: Do termites only attack old, rundown buildings?

Answer: Termites have been found in buildings as early as four days after construction. Every building fabricated wholly or partly of wood is susceptible to termite infestation.

Question: Are there different kinds of termites?

Answer: Yes. Entomologists have identified over 2,300 species worldwide., 45 of which exist in the United States. Generally, homeowners only need to worry about two types: Subterranean and Drywood termites. Each must be dealt with separately.

Question: Are there other wood-destroying insects to worry about?

Answer: Besides termites, there are many other insects which can feed on wood in your home. Powder-post beetles are second only to termites in severity of their destruction. Like termites, they can also do extensive damage before their presence is known.

Question: If I've never seen any evidence of drywood termites or powder-beetles, does that mean my home is free from wood destroying pests?

Answer: Not necessarily. These pests work from the inside out and are extremely difficult to detect. Drywood termites are especially difficult because, with the exception of rarely seen swarmers, the other members of the colony spend their entire lives inside the wood.

There's no doubt that fire and weather cause a devastating amount of damage. And each disaster that occurs is highly dramatic and emotional. Less dramatic- but no less disastrous- is the damage caused by termites. In fact, termites cause more than 750 million dollars in damage every year. That's more than all fires, storms, tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes combined.
Unlike fire and weather catastrophes, termite damage begins slowly and may remain undiscovered for years. During those years, termites will leave an undetected path of destruction-eating away from the inside at everything from the rafters in your attic to the cabinets in your kitchen.

Most drywood termites live on the coast.
One particularly destructive termite is the drywood termite which thrives in warm, moist, coastal regions. As a result, most drywood termite infestations occur in the warmer regions of the US including Florida, California and Texas. If you live in any one of these areas, your house could become an appetizing meal for these wood-destroying insects.