Today, they are established throughout downtown neighbourhoods and also in pockets throughout the Greater Toronto Area including: Toronto, East York, Scarborough, York, North York, Etobicoke, New Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Thornhill, Markham, Newmarket, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa.

The termites found in Ontario are called “eastern subterranean termites”. They occur in large colonies that live underground and feed on available wood. They prefer damp conditions.

TOP 5 TERMITE SIGNS TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR HOME

1. Blisters in Wood Flooring. These areas or blisters can indicate termites feeding within or below.
2. Hollowed or Damaged Wood. Wood damage can be found below and behind surfaces like walls, floors and more.
3. Evidence of Swarms.
4. Mud Tubes.
5. Drywood Termite Droppings.

They thrive in most parts of southern Canada, especially along the coasts. Termites are commonly found in large cities like Toronto or Ottawa. The most common type of termite found in Canadian homes is the subterranean termite (in the East, Reticulitermes flavipes, in the West, Reticulitermes hesperus).

In addition to wood inside the home, termites are drawn inside by moisture, wood in contact with house foundations, and cracks in building exteriors. Different combinations of these factors attract different species. Additionally, geographic location plays a role in how likely homeowners are to deal with infestations.

There are more than 3,100 species of termite worldwide, only a handful of which are found in Canada — namely, the dampwood termite (Zootermopsis angusticollis), western subterranean termite (Reticulitermes hesperus) and eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes).

How to Get Rid of Termites

1. Eliminate Moisture Problems: Avoid moisture accumulation near the foundation.
2. Remove Termite Food Sources: Keep all wooden parts of the house foundation at least 6 inches above the soil, although an 18-inch gap between the soil and wooden portions of the building is ideal.

The 5 Best Termite Killers

• Taurus SC: Most Popular.
• Bifen XTS: Best Fast-acting.
• Spectracide Terminate: Best Bait.
• Termidor Foam: Best Direct Chemical Treatment.
• BioAdvanced Termite Killer: Best for DIY.

Some of the best ways to get rid of termites is to apply termite-killing products to your home’s exterior, use direct chemicals on the inside of your home, set up termite baits, and spray boric acid in your floors and walls.

Cinnamon, Other Essential Oils Other oils effective against termites, either as repellents or pesticides, are tea tree, clove bud, orange, cedarwood and garlic. Clove bud and garlic oils are two of the most effective oils for killing termites, according to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Vinegar is the wonder material for your home. Not only can you use it to clean everything from your kitchen counter to shower, but you can also use it to kill termites. Put it in a spray bottle and spray the mixture around the area where you suspect the termites. The acidic substance will kill the termites on contact.

Termites never sleep. One of the reasons is that they never sleep. Termites are simple organisms. They don’t have to recharge their batteries like many other creatures do. They are able to feed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without stopping.

Although this species of termite is confined to warmer or more tropical climates in states such as Florida and California, they can wreak havoc on wooden furniture such as beds, chairs, and more. Drywood termites can slip into crevices of wood furniture and other nearly invisible cracks and feed on the wood.

Termites are not known to carry diseases harmful to humans, either. However, people who are living in homes infested by termites may suffer from allergic reactions or even asthma attacks. Heating or ventilation systems can especially contribute to the spread of irritating particles and dust from termite nests.

Common signs of termite damage to a wall include:

1. Small pin holes, where termites have eaten through the paper coating on drywall and/or wallpaper.
2. Faint ‘lines’ on drywall.
3. A hollow sound when you tap on the wall.
4. Bubbling or peeling paint.
5. Baseboards that crumble under slight pressure.
6. Jammed doors or windows.

While the above-mentioned pests leave signs of their presence, termites often leave no visible signs and can go for years, or even decades, eating away at the wood of a home, completely undetected. But there are signs that termites leave behind, if you know what to look for and where to look.

Termites cannot damage a foundation made of concrete, concrete block or brick. However, termites can enter a home through small cracks in the foundation – gaps as tiny as the width of a business card. While termites cannot damage concrete foundations, they can damage nearby wood sources.

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to find piles of what they think is sawdust around their home and assume it was produced by termites. However, contrary to popular belief, termites don’t actually produce sawdust. The appearance of frass is a sign that insects – potentially termites – are infesting your wood.

Signs of termite damage include the following:

1. buckling ceilings or walls.
2. the appearance of water damage.
3. maze-like designs in wooden structures.
4. mud tunnels on home foundations.
5. swarms of termites themselves.

The average cost of a termite treatment ranges from $200 to $900 with a typical treatment costing around $560. This breaks down to anywhere from $3 to $16 per linear foot of home. There are several different methods of treating termites, each with its own benefits and ability to work for a specific species of termite.

If the frass stops appearing, it’s a good indication that the insecticides have effectively killed the termites. Although frass itself is not as dangerous as rodents or even cockroach droppings, its presence is an important alert of a termite infestation.

When a termite colony infests a home, it can take as little as three years for noticeable damage to occur. Of course, the rate of damage depends on the size of the colony. If the colony is large enough, it can destroy the wood components of your home within a period of eight years.

What Do Termite Droppings Look Like? Most frass are very small, about one millimeter long, and can look like saw dust or wood shavings. While the frass can be in obvious places like in wood beams in a basement, the frass can also appear in higher floors like the kitchen or in door entry ways.

Widespread drywood termite infestations can be extremely hard to treat yourself. You may even need to have your home tented and fumigated. Many professional pest control companies will give you a free or low-cost inspection if you need help determining your level of infestation.

There are potential benefits to buying a home with termite damage. As long as the problem has been treated and isn’t current, it may be worth it to buy the home if you’re trying to save money. To get the best price on a termite-damaged home, hone your bargaining skills.

Spot-treat the colony by injecting it with insecticide, or fumigate the area if the infestation is large or the infested cabinet contains multiple colonies. Once you’ve rid the piece of the infestation, repair or replace the wood in your cabinet with pressure-treated wood.

Q: Can you get rid of Drywood termites without tenting? A: Yes, exterminators can offer you various options if you don’t like the tenting treatment. They will usually employ spot treatments or the injection of orange oil or liquid nitrogen into the infested wood.

Boric Acid. Boric acid is one of the best at-home methods of treating termites because it’s inexpensive and safe to be used around humans and pets. While it’s not the fastest way to take care of termites, it is a great way to take care of a majority of any insect problems that you might have.

We recommend two effective ways to get rid of Drywood termites. One is via borate wood treatment using a product called Boracare. Secondly, you can drill and fill infested wood areas to eliminate drywood termite invaders with Fipro Foaming Aerosol.

Microwave. Microwave is an effective method for localized, drywood termite infestations. This quick method directs microwaves at the infested area, penetrating the wood containing the termites. The microwaves turn to heat, almost instantly killing the termites.