I want to spend some time discussing one of my pest peeves (I know I spelled that wrong). We are going to discuss termites in this blog, then treatments and then inspections.

Termites – We have several different types of termites (18) here in Arizona but will at this point only discuss two of them: #1) The Desert subterranean termite – Heterotermes Aureus. It is the most common termite in the Sonoran desert below 4000 feet. Both temperature and water appear to influence its distribution. Because the desert subterranean termite can tolerate both high temperature and desiccation, it is capable of inhabiting the hottest driest areas of the Sonoran desert. Structures infested with the desert subterranean termite can be identified by the presence of “drop tubes” from the ceiling and or “mud shelter tubes” built over materials like foundation stem walls. #2 The tube-building desert termite, Gnathamitermes perplexus. In Arizona it is an important decomposer feeding on a variety of dead grasses, weeds, small shrubs, and even “cow chips”. G.   builds “mud tubes” of sand, soil, and feces over desert shrubs, dead wood and grasses. Under the cover of these shelter tubes, it will eat away the exterior weathered portion of a desert shrub. They will not cause structural damage to a home and is capable of constructing “mud tubes” onto wooden structures or plants. Protected by these flatten tubes of soil and feces, they will feed on the exterior layer of wood. However, this damage is typically only cosmetic in nature. This information is from a website by The University of Arizona – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, in Tucson, Arizona http://cals.arizona.edu/pito/termites/homeowners.html and is intended for Homeowners here in Arizona – great articles and information.