White ants - the erroneous name of termites, lifestyle and appearance resembling true ants. Modern science ranks among the closest relatives of termites are not ants, but cockroaches.
These insects lead a social way of life, like ants, wasps, bumblebees. Sociobiologists are carefully studying termites, trying to understand the laws by which they exist.
The name "white ants" termites received inpeople mainly for their whitish color and ant-like way of life. Externally, a termite from an ant can be distinguished not only by color, but also by the absence of a jumper between the breast and abdomen.
Like other social insects, termites in one colony are divided into castes, each of which is engaged in its work.
Женские и мужские особи репродуктивной касты, как follows from its name, designed to maintain and optimize the number of thermite families. The presence of organs of vision and dark color of the calf, as well as a pair of triangular wings, which will disappear after the first and last flight of an individual, distinguishes them from termites of other castes.
The remaining white ants assume construction, military, security and other social functions.
Scientists have data on almost three thousandspecies of termites in nature. These insects prefer a hot climate, therefore only two species of white ants live in the south of Russia, and only seven species in the countries of the former USSR. Some of them cause significant damage to private property and production.
All continents of our planet, except for Antarctica, can boast of the fact that in their open spaces there are different types of termites. The warmer the climate, the freer termites live.
Africa - the record for the number of species of these insects. Multimeter termite mounds have become a landmark and a hallmark of these hot spots.
White ants build for themselves original high-rise buildings for living, using the soil, their own saliva and their own excrement as a building material.
Such termitaries owe their enormous size to the tireless work of working individuals.
Unfortunately, the impressive structures of termites are notcompletely satisfy their tenants. Since termites prefer cellulose as food, their habitat can be not only desert, but also human outbuildings and wooden houses. This is the reason for their appearance, because they are forced to constantly look for food.
Жители Азии, особенно Китая, Южной Америки, Australia is most affected by termite pests. The damage done by these creatures is estimated at billions of US dollars annually. The walls of wooden houses can develop like a card, if you give free rein to termites, not to mention the damaged furniture and outbuildings.
White ants in the apartment may appear in volume.If the house has hardwood floors. If we are talking about southern latitudes, even a concrete foundation will not protect from the invasion of termites, which will find a way to penetrate the house, even for this it will be necessary to at least pave the way through the water pipes.
Small white ants are able to bring largetrouble To avoid complications and start fighting for your own home in time, you need to be vigilant. Termite in the middle of the living room will not build pests, but traces of their presence can be found otherwise.
The main sign of appearance in an apartment or houseThe uninvited guests, besides their personal encounter with insects, are the presence of small holes in the wooden elements. You should carefully examine the doors, window sills, railings and steps of the stairs, furniture, walls of a wooden house at the level of the first floor, especially on the porch at the entrance door, for traces of the past feast of white ants.
Here you can find barely noticeable wood dust and reddish or black waste products of termites.
If voids appeared in the tree, the characteristic of which is the characteristic sound when tapping, this also indirectly indicates the work of termites.
If you haven’t been able to detect termites on your own, but doubts remain, you should call in experts who can use the thermal imager to determine the places where insects accumulate.
It is not known what will cause more damage to the dwelling, fire or white ants in the apartment. How to get annoying pests?
The main means of combating termites arespecial poisons, mainly based on chlorine compounds, with the exception of those that, being safe for humans and harmful to pests, can harm the well-being of other animals and plants, which is why they are forbidden to use.
Mixtures of naphthalene, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol, turpentine, boron powder, mercuric chloride, creosote, and even tar, wood tar from coniferous trees are also used to fight.
Практика показывает, что самостоятельная борьба с Termites are not always effective, therefore, this business should be left to professionals, and then take care of preventive measures.
In the arsenal of experts in the fight against termitesstronger drugs than those that are commercially available. Destroying the sick and weak individuals, such funds can even strengthen the colony of surviving termites.
Professional health workersKnow exactly how to get rid of white ants in the apartment. To combat termites, gassing is used, fuming the surface to be treated with special substances. Of course, to achieve a perfect result, this method is suitable only in the case of processing portable wooden structures, such as furniture, since fumigation is carried out in special chambers.
Sanitary services are not only processedhouse, apartment and other affected objects, but also will find and neutralize the nest of white ants that can live away from home. If termites have chosen the apartment or the house of their neighbors, then the processing of the entire residential sector will be more effective than pinpoint strikes on the enemy.
Unpleasant termites neighborhood - dubiouspleasure. Therefore, when buying a home, especially in warm areas, attention should be paid not only to the quality of repair and prestige of the area, but also to signs of a possible “free application” in the form of such tree breeders.
If you plan to build a house, then the placeTo do this, choose a drier, pour the foundation higher, and prefer a metal fence over a wooden fence. Also, for areas of high "thermite risk," health service specialists can offer preventive treatment at home and its surroundings. These measures are able to minimize the risk of unwanted meetings with white ants in their own homes and at work.
