White ants - the erroneous name of termites, lifestyle and appearance reminiscent of true ants. Modern science lists not ants, but cockroaches as the closest relatives of termites.
These insects lead a social life, like ants, wasps, bumblebees. Sociobiologists are closely studying termites, trying to understand the laws by which they exist.
What kind of animal is a termite?
Termites got the name "white ants" among the people mainly for their whitish color and ant-like lifestyle. Externally, a termite from an ant can be distinguished not only by color, but also by the absence of a bridge between the breast and abdomen.
The size of a termite is not more than 1 cm. The length of the body and the weight of an individual depends on its belonging to a certain type of insect and the social status of the individual in the termite family.
Like other social insects, termites in the same colony are divided into castes, each of which does its job.
Female and male individuals of the reproductive caste, as follows fromits names are designed to maintain and optimize the size of the termite family. From termites of other castes, they are distinguished by the presence of organs of vision and the dark color of the body, as well as a pair of triangular wings, which will disappear after the first and last flight of the individual.
The rest of the white ants take on construction, military, security and other social functions.
Scientists have data on almost three thousand species of termites in nature. These insects prefer a hot climate, therefore only two species of white ants live in the south of Russia, in the countries of the former USSR there are only seven varieties. Some of them cause significant damage to private property and production.
Termites in nature
All the continents of our planet, except for Antarctica, can boast that certain types of termites live in their open spaces. The warmer the climate, the more freely the termites live.
Africa holds the record for the number of varieties of these insects. Multi-meter mounds have become a landmark and a hallmark of these hot places.
White ants build their own high-rise buildings for living, using soil, their own saliva and their own excrement as building material.
The huge size of such termite mounds is due to the tireless work of workers.
Don't expect good from cockroach relatives
Unfortunately, the impressive termite structures do not fully satisfy their occupants. Since termites prefer cellulose as food, the placetheir habitat can become not only the desert, but also human outbuildings, wooden houses. This is the reason for their appearance, because they are forced to constantly look for food.
Inhabitants of Asia, especially China, South America, Australia suffer most from termite pests. The damage caused by these creatures is estimated at billions of US dollars annually. The walls of wooden houses can fold like cards if termites are allowed to run wild, not to mention ruined furniture and outbuildings.
White ants in the apartment may appear if the house has wooden floors. If we are talking about the southern latitudes, even a concrete foundation will not protect against the invasion of termites, which will find a way to enter the house, even if this requires at least pave the way through the water pipes.
Are there termites in the house?
Small white ants can bring big trouble. To avoid complications and start the fight for your own home in a timely manner, you need to be vigilant. Pests will not build a termite mound in the middle of the living room, but traces of their presence can be detected otherwise.
The main sign of the appearance of uninvited guests in an apartment or house, in addition to a personal meeting with insects, is the presence of small holes in wooden elements. You should carefully examine the doors, window sills, railings and stairs, furniture, walls of a wooden house at the ground floor level, especially on the porch.front door, for traces of the past feast of white ants.
Here you can also find barely noticeable wood dust and reddish or black waste products of termites.
If voids appeared in the tree, a sign of which is a characteristic sound when tapped, this also indirectly indicates the work of termites.
If it was not possible to detect termites on your own, but doubts remain, you should call specialists who, using a thermal imager, can determine where insects accumulate.
Do-it-yourself termite control
It is not known what will cause more damage to the home, a fire or white ants in the apartment. How to get rid of annoying pests?
The main means of termite control are special poisons, mainly based on chlorine compounds, with the exception of those that, being harmless to humans and destructive to pests, can harm the well-being of other animals and plants, due to which even prohibited.
They also use mixtures of naphthalene, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol, turpentine, boric powder, sublimate, creosote and even tar, tree tar from coniferous trees.
Practice shows that self-control of termites is not always effective, so this matter should be left to professionals, and subsequently take care of preventive measures.
Professional termite control
Termite specialists have more powerful drugs in their arsenal than those available on the market. Destroying the sick andweak individuals, such products can even strengthen the colony of surviving termites.
Professional sanitation workers know exactly how to get rid of white ants in an apartment. To combat termites, gassing is used, puffing the treated surface with special substances. Of course, to achieve a perfect result, this method is only suitable for the treatment of portable wooden structures such as furniture, since fumigation is carried out in special chambers.
Sanitary services will not only process the house, apartment and other affected objects, but will also find and neutralize the nest of white ants that can live far from home. If termites have chosen an apartment or a house of neighbors, then the treatment of the entire residential sector will be more effective than targeted attacks on the enemy.
Unpleasant neighborhood with termites is a dubious pleasure. Therefore, when buying a home, especially in warmer regions, attention should be paid not only to the quality of repairs and the prestige of the area, but also to the signs of a possible "free application" in the form of such woodworms.
If it is planned to build a house, then the place for this should be chosen dry, the foundation should be poured higher, and a metal fence should be preferred. Also, for areas of high "termite risk", sanitation specialists can suggest preventive treatment of the house and its surroundings. These measures can minimize the risk of unwanted encounters with white ants in your own home.housing and manufacturing.
