Termite Identification

Termite Control Services in Mid-Missouri

Have you noticed your walls sound a little hollow when tapped? Are there little trails of dust around the corners of your mid-Missouri home? It could be termites, and if it is, they need to be eliminated right away. As experts in the pest control industry, Steve’s Pest Control brings you the ultimate guide to termite infestations in the Central Missouri area.

Termite Guide

How to Tell if I Have Termites in My Mid-Missouri Home

Termites can sometimes be difficult to identify, as they can come in several different appearances based on their role in the colony. Overall, Eastern Subterranean Termites are the most commonly found in mid-Missouri homes, and the most destructive. There are three main types of termites in a colony: soldier termites, winged reproductive termites, and worker termites.

Different Types of Termites in Mid-Missouri

Soldier Termites

Soldier termites in mid-Missouri have a rectangular, orange-brownish head with large mandibles. Their job is to defend the colony, food gathering area, and the worker termites causing the real damage. While soldier termites do not take up much of the colony population, they have an important role in protecting worker termites and plugging mud tubes so they can continue to pass in and out of your mid-Missouri home!

Winged Reproductive Termites

Winged Reproductive Termites, or “swarmers,” are only produced by the queen once the colony has become a well-established termite infestation. The queen can produce as many as 20,000-30,000 swarmers per year! In the mid-Missouri spring, Winged Reproductive Termites will intuitively leave the current termite infestation to seek out a mate and start a new colony. It’s important to make sure Steve’s Pest Control finishes termite treatment on your mid-Missouri home before these swarmers take flight and spread even more colonies among the area!

Worker Termite

Worker termites are pale or white, and cause the majority of termite damage in mid-Missouri homes. Worker termites will consume and defecate soil to make pheromone-scented trails, also known as mud tubes. Look for these mud tubes along walls as a sign of termite damage to your mid-Missouri home! Once they find wood they quickly consume it, return to their colony and regurgitate it to feed the others. Before too long, worker termites will cause your home thousands of dollars worth of property damage.

Termite Control in Mid-Missouri
  • While there are over 2,500 species of termites around the world, only four species of termites naturally occur in mid-Missouri, all of which are subterranean. 


  • Worker termites live 4-5 years, but the queen of a termite colony can live up to 50 years and lay an egg every 15 seconds! That’s more and more opportunities for termites in your mid-Missouri home to continue wreaking havoc. 


  • In Missouri, there can be as many as 20 termite colonies in one acre of ground and up to 1 million members per colony. 



  • Termite problems in mid-Missouri typically originate from colonies located underground between 3-12 feet beneath the surface.

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Disclaimer: If you are in need of a pest inspection, additional service fees may apply. Please call today for more information!


Why are termites dangerous to my mid-Missouri home?

Termites infest over 5 million homes in the United States every year and cause over $5 billion in property damage annually. Surprisingly, termites cause more damage annually than most natural disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and thunderstorms. What’s worse, termite damage to mid-Missouri homes isn’t always covered by insurance companies! By the time you notice termite activity in your home, costly damage may have already occurred. In fact, the average termite damage repair cost in Missouri is between $3,000 and $11,000. 


If you think it’s cheaper to try termite treatment at home rather than call a professional, you’re wrong. The cost of damage repair resulting from inadequate DIY pest control far outweighs the cost of proper termite treatment. Call Steve’s Pest Control immediately if you suspect termites in your mid-Missouri home, or you will be facing a world of inconveniences.

Signs of termite damage in my mid-Missouri home

It’s important to be able to identify the signs of a termite problem in your mid-Missouri home before it’s too late. Luckily, Steve’s Pest Control offers thorough termite inspections from savvy pest control experts in case there are any clues you’ve overlooked. The most common signs of termite damage are: 



  • Hollow-sounding walls 
  • Intricate patterns in wooden furniture 
  • Holes or discoloration in drywall 
  • Mud tubes made of waste, saliva & soil along the walls of mid-Missouri home 
  • Wings left behind by swarmers 
  • Termite droppings with a sawdust appearance, a.k.a. “Frass” 
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Signs of Termite Damage in My Mid-Missouri Home
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