Termites, termites, termites. Yes we have them here but not to the extent that they do down south. Why are we so concerned about termites? Well they eat wood or more specifically they like cellulose. Cellulose is a substance contained in the cell walls of plants that gives them their rigid structure. Termites have bacteria in their guts that contain the enzymes necessary to break down cellulose to survive on. Regrettably, they really don’t care when it comes to sources of cellulose, so any wet wood around your home will become a meal. So do they actually prefer certain types of wood over others? Termites are less attracted to cedar than other types of wood because cedar contains allelochemicals but only in the darker old growth or heartwood. The outside core of the cedar tree doesn’t contain any of this chemical and is not termite resistant at all. The termites that we have here are subterranean termites. These termites live underground and must have a moist environment with access to soil to survive. When it comes to food, they prefer the softer part of the growth rings in wood. They also prefer some species of trees over others say pine is generally preferred over cedar.
Go Green Pest Control owner Randy Bilesky is a long-time South Delta resident. Trained and certified, Bilesky has first-hand knowledge of the pest problems that local homeowners and business owners encounter.
