What do termites eat

Some termites love hardwood floors, bannisters, and smooth and dry furniture. Last but not least, expect termites to feast on your paper-based items. These include your plasterboard lining paper and sheetrock. The sheetrock wall features paper that lines up the front.

Apart from the types of wood we discussed above, termites also have a secondary list of favourites. Do termites eat cedar? No, at least at first. Furthermore, termites also go for redwood tree timber, cypress tree wood, and teak. Take note that these three types of wood come with natural termite deterrents. This is the very reason why they belong to the category of secondary targets. But among their secondary preferences, it is plywood that they like best.

As long as the plywood does not undergo pressure-treatment, it is a viable target for termites. If termites love certain wood types, they also hate a few. Bamboo is one of those that termites look to avoid.

This shell makes it hard for termites to chew on them. OSB or oriented strand board is another one termites do not bother targeting. OSB features cement-bonded wood strands that termites cannot chew. Termites can destroy the natural beauty of forests, they can make homes unlivable, and they can even contribute to air pollution. But can termites consume any other material besides wood? You will never find a termite feeding on any plastic or metal objects, but then again, you may find termites feeding on objects that are not, strictly speaking, completely wooden either.

Of course termites consume wood, but, more specifically, termites consume an organic material called cellulose. These protozoa, known as mastigophoran flagellates in principle pest families of termites found in North America, Rhinotermitidae and Kalotermitidae have evolved with the termites throughout their evolution.

Newly hatched termites do not poses the protozoa, and must obtain them from an older termite. The process by which this is accomplished is called proctodeal feeding. Proctodeal feeding involves taking a small amount of liquid intestinal content from the anal opening of an older termite. Molting results in a loss of the protozoa as well, and requires the termites to replenish the hindgut through proctodeal feeding.

Termites are highly social insects that live together as a colony. Colonies start when winged reproductive, or allates, leave the nest in what is called swarming. Swarming takes place in spring to early summer, on warm days following a rain. Worker termites sense the environment for the right conditions and when the time is right, the swarm leaves the nest. Normally, termites will find this cellulose in plywood, so they'll eat it.

However, with a pressure treatment, the termites will no longer be able to sniff out their favorite food. Oriented strand board OSB is made of wood, but it is cement-bonded for extra durability. For this reason, termites aren't likely to eat it. The presence of the cement works to deter termites from the cellulose in the wood chips which make up the board, but also prevents decay. These two factors significantly decrease the likelihood that termites will eat OSB.

The paper which lines the front of a sheetrock wall is comprised of cellulose, so it's a nice appetizer for termites. While they don't like to eat the actual sheetrock itself, they'll begin to eat the outer layer and search inside for more cellulose.

Also, the walls behind the sheetrock layer in a home or a garage are primarily made of wood, so it's not unlikely that a termite will keep journeying straight through the sheetrock to find even more cellulose. Because particle board is made up of several different types of wood chips, sawdust, waste materials , termites LOVE to eat particle board. Another major attractant of termites to particle board is its ability to swell with moisture. Because some termites love dampened wood , wet particle board is like serving termites their favorite food on a silver platter.

Normally, live trees and bushes are not optimal sources of food for termites, as these insects feed on dead and decaying cellulose. However, Formosan Subterranean termites can take over some species of live trees, burrowing into the centers and making themselves at home inside. Cypress is another type of wood along with cedar and redwood which is naturally decay-resistant during its lifespan. However, once the tree dies, it will eventually break down. Also, the presence of moisture within the tree's trunk, branches, and roots can lead termites to a cypress tree.

Read Also: What're the different type of termites? There's a species of termite which feeds exclusively on dry, smooth wood such as hardwood floors, banisters, baseboards, and even furniture. The tunnels made by the termites' chewing are smooth and finished, as the drywood termites don't have the same serrated, jagged jaw that the dampwood termites have.

However, whether or not a termite colony will make its way into your wood depends on how well the wood was painted. If the pieces of wood inside the ground are bare, then this is a surefire way for termites to make their way inside the wooden structure.

Poplar wood is defined at utilitarian, working wood.