Cryptotermes dudleyi, also known as the West Indian drywood termite, is a common and major pest in the world. Cryptotermes dudleyi is mainly found in man-made wooden structures and also sometimes in natural dry wood structures. It is native to Indonesia, Java, and exotic to Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Sri Lanka. It’s one of the more interesting drywood termite species to observe. Read on to learn about rearing Cryptotermes dudleyi.
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Archives for drywood termites
Drywood Termite Control and Prevention Methods
Drywood termites are oftentimes a big problem, especially in coastal regions that are in tropical or semi-tropical zones. They seem to prefer coastal climates that are not too wet and yet breezy at the same time, and are the second most destructive termite type after subterranean termites. They nest inside wood that is often a part of a building’s foundation or structure. Or else, they nest inside wooden furniture and this often damages the furniture beyond repair. Their colonies are small, usually less than 1000 individuals, and scattered, making locating their nests quite hard.
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How drywood and subterranean termites differ
Mention the word “termites”, and most people will immediately think of some type of whitish colored insect that feeds on wood and can damage buildings. It is true that termites can damage wooden structures and that most of them eat wood, but when you consider there being thousands of species of termites in the world, it won’t be surprising to know that there are also major differences amongst each species or type. However, it is important to know how drywood and subterranean termites differ.
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Drywood termite treatment
Dealing With Drywood Termites Drywood termites pose rather different problems than the much more common subterranean termites. Drywood termites can cause extensive damage to any wooden structure, although the damage progression rate is a lot slower. Unlike subterranean termites that live underground and need moist conditions to survive, drywood termites feed on wood that is located above the ground and dry. If the infestations are left untreated, wooden structures can be harmed to the point where they may not be able to be repaired.
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Drywood termite damage
Drywood termites can cause heavy damage to wood if left undisturbed for a long time. The damage is correlated with their colony size. As the colony gets larger, the damage increases, even though it generally takes several years before the colony reaches a size large enough to cause noticeable damage.
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Cryptotermes – Drywood termites
The drywood termite genus Cryptotermes from the Kalotermitidae family is distributed worldwide, originally from tropical-subtropical regions, but many species are now known to migrate far out of their native home range, via infested furniture and other wood pieces. For example, Cryptotermes cynocephalus native home range is in South East Asia, but has now been confirmed to have spread to Australia and even Hawaii.
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Termite fumigation treatment
Termite fumigation treatment is a long used treatment method for the control and elimination of termites, specifically drywood termites. While it is always recommended that adequate controls be in place to prevent infestations, sometimes it is not always avoidable, and more drastic methods are needed. That being said, it does pose certain risks, and should only be carried out by a trained, licensed, exterminator. This is most definitely not a DIY procedure.
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Signs of drywood termites
Drywood termites can no doubt cause severe damage to wood if they are undisturbed for a long time. It takes several years before the damage becomes really advanced, because drywood termite colonies typically grow slowly, often taking 5 years to reach a mature stage. In the early stages, they usually go unnoticed. So how do you recognize the signs of drywood termites? What do you look out for?
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Drywood termites
Drywood termites are a group of termites that build their nests within moisture-free wood. They belong to the Kalotermitidae family (as are some dampwood termites) spanning several genera, and are considered primitive termites. Drywood termite genera include Cryptotermes, Neotermes, Glyptotermes, Incisitermes, and Kalotermes, but the most distinctive and widespread is probably Cryptotermes. Drywood termites are sometimes called powderpost or furniture termites due to being found commonly infesting furniture.
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The signs of termites
One of the most common questions people usually ask is what are the signs of termites? Understandably, early termite detection is vital if you want to prevent large scale damage to your home, of which a large colony is capable of accomplishing – in a few months. But if the colony is small, or if they are first starting out, it may be very difficult to detect their presence without the use of expensive acoustic or infrared equipment to probe the soil beneath the house.
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