Ask Dr. Bug - Termites

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What stage of its life cycle is the termite most destructive? If a fumigant only kills the adult termite, will the nymphs continue feeding and destroy the wood?

No structural pest has commanded more attention than termites. That is why it is important to understand the biology of the termite in order to offer an acceptable treatment solution. When you ask,"What stage of a termite's life cycle is the most destructive?", you don't mention the species of termites you are dealing with. Generally speaking, the caste system of all termites are the same. The nymphs or worker caste is the stage where they can not only consume the wood to extract the necessary nutrients to survive but also pass on these nutrients to the nest caretakers and soldiers. The nest caretakers in turn feed the queen to continue egg production. Some of these nymphs eventually become reproductive nymphs which, when mature, will swarm to start new colonies. So the nymph worker caste would be considered the most destructive.

When you ask about the use of fumigants for termite control, I assume you are dealing with dry or damp wood termites. Unlike subterranean termites, drywood and dampwood termites do not need soil contact to maintain their nests. When a structure is fumigated for drywood or dampwod termites and the proper amount of fumigant is used (according to the label) along with the proper hold time to allow the fumigant to penetrate all the wood members, the entire colony present (adults, nymphs, soldiers, queen) should be killed. Unfortunately, once the fumigation is complete, there is nothing to prevent a reinfestation, as the fumigant has no residual capabilities.

If a fumigation is done according to the label on a structure with subterranean termites the termites present in the structure will be killed. But without residual capabilities, the fumigant can not prevent the termites (workers and soldiers) in the soil from reinfesting the structure as long as they have access to an entry point. A liquid termiticide application or termite baiting program would be recommended to control the termites in the soil around the structure.