Photo Album: Termite Control in Trenton, NJ

Today, I was sent to Trenton, NJ to treat a challenging termite infestation. Termites are subterranean insects that form underground nests. They feed on anything containing cellulose, which includes wood, processed wood products, cardboard, and many other materials found in a home. These armies of insects invade in silence, creating a series of tunnels in wood as they chew through it. One individual termite does little damage, but with the thousands of worker termites in mature colonies, they can do significant damage. Because termites eat wood from the inside out, the surface of the wood looks fine. But it’s all a facade! The wood easily crumbles if prodded with a screwdriver or other tool. In severe cases, we’ve seen hollowed-out building materials collapse from their own weight. Termites cause far more property damage than any other insect. They  are one of the few insects that, if left alone over a period of years, can completely destroy a home. While there are many wood-destroying insects, few actually consume and digest wood as do termites. Most other insects that destroy wood do not eat the wood. Rather, they bore holes into the wood to lay their eggs. Two common wood-borers that we treat for homeowners are carpenter ants and carpenter bees.