Monday, 21 May 2012

TERMITES! In Toronto Ontario!

Termites are a group of insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera. Along with ants and some bees and wasps, termites divide labour among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and take care of young collectively. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung.  However, about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species are known to cause SIGNIFICANT and serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests.

Welcome to Termite Extermination

Welcome to TermiteExtermination.ca. We are a professional extermination company with various locations throughout the GTA, most notably Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Milton Ontario. While many people associate termite problems and damage with areas outside of Southern Ontario, termites are very much a problem that we see daily.

The most common termite in Toronto is the subterranean termite (Reticulitermis flavipes - Kollar). This is arguably one of the most troublesome and destructive termite and can easily caused thousands of dollars damage to your home or business. In fact, this termite species has become such a problem in Southern Ontario that more than 20 municipalities have undergone significant infestation. Note: Infestation refers to the state of being invaded or overrun by parasites or pests

So what exactly is a Subterranean Termite?

Subterranean termites are the most destructive insect pests of wood in the Canada. They cause more than $7 milion in damage each year. While in their natural environment subterranean termites are actually beneficial (breaking down dead trees that would otherwise take years to rot; turning those trees into the soil as humus) problems happen when they come into contact with our man-made structures. The word subterranean is used because they often do in fact live under the ground, in the soil. They will feed on wood and return to their nests afterwards.

In Ontario subterranean termites were first reported in at Point Pelee in 1929. Throughout the past 80 years the termite infestation problem has spread to the Toronto area and extends beyond Toronto in a radius of approx. 30 kms.

Termite Damage

Most termites will find food in rotting wood. In the Toronto area termites have been known to cause extensive damage to homes, unprotected buildings and other wooden structures. While many people may not realize it, termites are alive and thriving in the GTA, Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Milton. Termites prefer to remain hidden which often leads to their presence remaining unknown until the damage to homes and buildings has become severe in nature. In addition to wood damage, termites do not limit themselves to just wood. Once termites have entered a building, they will also damage paper, cloth, carpets, and other cellulosic materials.