Termites are a type of insect that is very similar to cockroaches. Termites are very small insects; on average their size is around 4-10 millimeters which can make them difficult to spot and to deal with. However, the queens within the termites are usually much bigger with some of the largest being up to 10cm in size. Most termites don’t actually have eyes and so they cannot see, instead, they have an antenna that guides them through life. The antenna is important to termites as this is what allows them to function and controls things like their sense of touch, their sense of taste, heat perception, and their sense of vibrations. Like many other insects, termites start their lives as an egg but their development process is quite different as they have 3 stages of their lives, egg, nymph, and adult. The nymph stage is when the insect starts acting like a small adult, completing this stage and moving onto the adult stage takes a varying amount of time for each termite. One of the most common questions asked about termites is by people who are wanting to get rid of them who are wondering how long these insects can survive without food.
Termites and Food
Termites are like any other creature and to survive they need both food and water. One way people try to get rid of termites is to figure out how long they can survive without food and then prevent them from getting food for that period of time. Like every other living creature, termites can survive for less than 2 weeks without food which makes this one of the best termite control methods at homeout there if you want to get rid of termites without paying for pest control. Whilst termites can survive for up to 2 weeks without food, they can only survive a few days without water so if you can prevent them from getting water then your termite probably will be solved much more quickly. Other great at-home methods include using vinegar as the acid in it kills termites, if you have orange oil knocking about at home this too is great for killing termites as it contains lots of vitamin d which is deadly to termites or if it’s the summer then make sure you’re letting as much sunlight into your house as possible as this is also deadly to termites.
Why do you need to get rid of termites?
If termites are left to survive in your home, then they will continue to reproduce until the infestation is unmanageable and this can lead to them wreaking havoc on your home and causing some serious damage. Termites can live in almost any dark conditions and often they will live inside the structure of your house, for example, the walls, and often by the time you notice that you have termites they’ve already caused irreparable damage. You’ll want to protect your house so it’s important to take preventative measures and to be aware of any early warning signs that you have termites as this allows you to deal with them before they get out of control. Some of the things to look out for early on that may indicate that you have termites are you should keep your eyes peeled for any dropping from termites, often they are buried away but if you do see droppings get ready to call in pest control. You can also look out for windows or doors that are hard to open, loose tiles, and peeling paint, all may indicate a termite problem.
