15 Sep When Are Termites a Problem in Holly Springs, North Carolina?
Subterranean termites in the Holly Springs area can be a year-round problem because they live in the ground. The ground temperature changes much slower than the air temperature.
Termite Basics
When it is a brisk 30 degrees above ground, it can be a balmy 70 degrees below ground. This slow cooling of the ground can be seen on days when a few inches of snow accumulate in our yards and disappear the next day. But, eventually, the ground cools enough for snow to sit for a few weeks, usually at the end of January and throughout February. This is when we experience a little winter. But, 5 feet below the ground, subterranean termites can still be active, even when there are a few inches of snow on the surface. Termites can be active in temperatures as cold as 50 degrees. Today, we’re going to look at what happens when they get into our North Carolina homes.
Subterranean termites can live several feet below ground. That means they can be below the foundation slab of a home or underneath a crawlspace. If this is the case with your home, these termites can come up from the ground and feed on your property all year long. They’ll work their way up through cracks in your slab or squeeze in through cracks in your basement walls. They’ll build shelter tubes up hard surfaces to get to the wood of your home and often create these tubes in the dark voids of cement piers and other structures, where it is difficult or impossible to detect them.
Slowly, over time, more and more worker termites will come to feed, and they will feed 24 hours a day without ceasing. This could be happening right now without you knowing. The silent way these insects attack man-made structures is how they are able to do damage for years.
Termite Season In North Carolina
Some people refer to spring as the beginning of termite season but, as we’ve already discussed, there really isn’t a termite season. So why do people think this? It is because termites send out swarmers in the spring. Unlike the other termites in a termite colony, swarmers don’t have an aversion to light. In fact, termites swarmers are drawn to light. When they are given the command to leave their nest, they will work their way up through tunnels created by workers and seek the light. Sometimes, this brings them out inside a home. If you see hundreds of winged termites coming out of a hole in your dining room floor, you probably don’t need someone to tell you that you have an active termite infestation. But, when termite swarmers emerge on the outside of a home, they can sometimes be shrugged off.
If you come home from the grocery store and see dozens or more termite swarmers crawling around on the outside of your home, it is important that you understand what you’re looking at. Those termites are not likely to be an infestation that is about to occur. There is a much greater chance that they came from a nest that is already feeding on your home. So, spraying those termites to eliminate them is not going to protect your property. You’re not stopping termites from doing damage because those swarmers don’t eat wood. The workers eat wood. All you’re doing is removing the warning sign that termites are secretly moving beneath the ground and inside the wood on your property.
Spring is an important time of year. It is when homeowners may receive a warning sign. But termite swarms don’t last longer than 30 minutes, so that warning sign is going to come and go quickly, if it happens at all.
How Holly Springs Residents Stop Termites
What can you do about sneaky termites that live underground and tunnel inside wood? Employ a termite control solution that uses the behavior of those termites against them. At Ready Pest Solutions, we use trusted termite control options that are effective and long-lasting when protecting North Carolina homes. When worker termites come into contact with these control products, they pick up an active ingredient and share it with the other termites in their colony. This results in colony elimination. When it comes to eliminating termites or preventing termite damage, there is nothing more powerful.
If you live in our North Carolina service area, reach out to us. The team at Ready Pest Solutions is made up of certified professionals with a track record for protecting homes and businesses from the destructive impact of subterranean termites. Get started by requesting a free estimate.
5/5 stars 
