Everything to Know About Termites in Arkansas

Arkansas’ glorious mountains and lakes harbor a diversity of wildlife to enjoy, including black bears, deer, alligators, and more. One critter you won’t be so excited to find is termites. When termites find their way into your house, they are a destructive pest. That’s why we put together this guide on everything you need to know about termites in Arkansas.

Knowing how to identify signs of termites can help you detect a termite colony early on before they cause too much damage to your home. This guide will teach Arkansas homeowners what type of termites live in the state, how to get rid of them, and what preventative measures to put in place to protect your home.

Are Termites Common in Arkansas?

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but termites in Arkansas are fairly common. Termites prefer to make their home in southern states such as Arkansas since the temperatures are warmer in the South than they are up North.

Arkansas is in a humid subtropical region, and termites just so happen to love humid, warm conditions. Arkansas is categorized as having a moderate to heavy termite presence. 

• Subterranean termites are the most common type of termite in Arkansas. Eastern subterranean termites are especially common. Light southern subterranean termites are also common throughout the state of Arkansas, but they aren’t as prevalent in structures since they prefer nesting in trees and other outdoor spots.
• Dampwood and drywood termites are not native to Arkansas and are rarely spotted in the state. Occasionally, they might be transported to the state through infested furniture or building materials. But as foreigners in the state, they aren’t able to survive well in a state so far from their native territory.

Termites in Arkansas

You may not know what termites look like even if you see one. Termites can easily be mistaken for ants or other bugs that look like termites, so it’s easy to get termites mixed up with other insects. But it’s necessary for you to determine if you are dealing with termites in the home, since properly identifying a termite will let you know the best way to treat it. 

Identifying Characteristics

There are a few basic identifying features of termites. Look for these traits to help determine if you are dealing with termites:

• 2 straight antennae
• 6 legs
• Their bodies are segmented in 3 parts: head, thorax, and abdomen
• Straight waist (as opposed to ants, which have a pinched waist)
• Most termites are blind; only winged termites can see
• Soldiers have mandibles, which are sharp, protruding jaws that are usually black
• Reproductives have 2 pairs of wings of equal size

Coloration varies between termite species. In most cases, the workers, who make up the majority of a termite colony, are often a translucent, creamy white color. They have squishy bodies that are roughly the size of a grain of rice.

Caste Roles

Another thing you need to know is that not all termites look the same. Termite colonies are split into castes, and a termite’s physical appearance varies depending on their caste role. Each termite is born into a different caste:

• Worker: Workers search for food, carry food back to the nest, and take care of the eggs and young. They make up the majority of a termite colony, and they’re the termites you’re most likely to see. They’re also the termites that eat your wood.
• Soldier: A soldier’s job is to protect the colony from enemies. Termite soldiers use their mandibles and spray a liquid to fight off enemy insects such as ants or other termites.
• Swarmer: Swarmers are reproductive termites. They are also the only termites capable of flight. When swarming season begins, swarmers leave their home nest, find a mate, and start their own termite colony. After a pair of termite swarmers mate, they lose their wings and become king and queen of a new termite colony.
• King and queen: The king and queen don’t make up a separate caste, but they do play a special role in the colony. Most termite species have just one king and queen per nest (although some termite species have multiple kings and queens in the same nest). A termite queen’s job is to lay eggs to populate a colony. The king is her lifelong partner.

Diet

We’d all rather enjoy a delicious possum pie, but strange as it sounds, a termite’s food of choice is wood. The cellulose inside wood is an essential part of a termite’s diet. Termites eat anything that contains cellulose, including:

• Baseboards
• Cardboard
• Firewood
• Furniture
• Paper
• Structural components
• Wooden boards

That’s why homeowners are weary of finding these pests in their home. When left alone and untreated for long enough, termites chew away the wooden frame of your house and cause significant structural damage to your home.

Some types of termites that feed on rotten wood in Arkansas include subterranean and dampwood termites. They acquire moisture and food from eating rotten, damp wood. Drywood termites prefer dry wood rather than damp wood.

Nesting Habits

Termites don’t just live in residential or commercial structures. They also live in the wild, nesting in trees or underground in the soil. While drywood termites prefer to nest in dry wood aboveground, subterranean termites build their nests in the soil. 

Subterranean Termites in Arkansas

The most common type of termite in Arkansas is the subterranean termite. They are the most likely to invade structures. 

Unlike drywood and dampwood termites, subterranean termites nest underground and build mud tubes to food and water sources. They usually build tunnels leading into your home. Once inside your house, they use the wood in the walls of your home to supply the colony with food.

The main species of subterranean termites in Arkansas:

• Dark southern subterranean termites (Reticulitermes virginicus)
• Eastern subterranean termites (Reticulitermes flavipes)
• Light Southern subterranean termites (Reticulitermes hageni)

Subterranean termite appearance:

• Workers have slightly translucent skin that is creamy or white-colored.
• Soldiers’ bodies are a pale cream or light brown. Their heads, which are a honeyed brown color, are a darker color than the rest of their body. Their mandibles and large heads set them apart from other termite castes. 
• Swarmers are either black or dark brown. They have white wings. 

Size:

• Workers are 1/4 inch long
• Soldiers are 1/4 inch long
• Swarmers are 3/8 to 1/2 inch long, including their wingspan

Treatment methods:

• Baiting systems
• Termiticides

When Do Termites Swarm in Arkansas?

Swarmers require moisture and warm temperatures to swarm. Usually, subterranean flying termites swarm on a warm spring day after a rainfall. 

Here’s what happens during the swarming season and how a new termite colony starts:

1. Swarmers leave their home colony and set out on their own. 
2. They find a mate. 
3. Once mated, a swarmer pair loses their wings. 
4. The new queen lays eggs, and the king and queen take care of their first young. 
5. Once their young mature, the workers begin to care for the queen, king, and their young instead.
6. The queen continues to lay eggs throughout her life to populate the colony. 

When swarming season occurs varies depending on the termite species and geographic location. Typically, termite swarming season in Arkansas occurs in the springtime when the weather starts warming up. The typical time frame for termite swarming is between March and May. 

Here’s the swarming season for the main species of termites living in Arkansas:

• Dark Southeastern subterranean termites swarm from March to June. They are daytime swarmers. 
• Eastern subterranean termites swarm from March to May. They are daytime swarmers.
• Light Southeastern subterranean termites swarm from August to October. They are daytime swarmers. 

Be aware that swarming season isn’t the only time that termites are active in Arkansas. Termites are active all year round. But swarming season is the time of year when termites are most likely to move in, since that’s when swarmers set off to start their own colonies.

For this reason, homeowners should rely on termite prevention and be extra watchful for termites during the spring and summer.

Signs of Termites in Arkansas

Nothing can substitute for a professional termite inspection, but there are signs of termites that homeowners can keep an eye out for.

Whether you’re in the process of trying to determine if there are termites in your home or you simply want to inform yourself on how to stay on the lookout for these wood-eating pests, here are the common signs of a termite infestation in your Arkansas home:

• Mud tubes: Termite tunnels are brown tubes about the thickness of a pencil. You might notice these skinny brown ridges crawling along your walls.
• Blistering paint: Warping wall paint may indicate that termites are nesting behind your walls. Check your walls for blistering, bubbling, or peeling paint. 

• Holes in wooden surfaces: Holes in furniture, walls, floors, or other wooden structures may have been caused by termites. These termite holes might be tiny and difficult to spot.
• Crumbling baseboards: Baseboards that crumble at the slightest touch were probably eaten by termites.

• Termite droppings: It’s easy to mistake termite droppings, or frass, for sawdust. However, the powdery substance is actually termite poop. You’ll usually find frass at the base of the wall, on top of baseboards, or on top of windowsills. These are an indicator of a drywood infestation.
• Clicking sounds in the wall: Strange as it sounds, termites emit clicking sounds by banging their heads. This noise warns other termites of danger. So if you hear faint clicking sounds coming from behind the walls, it might be termites.

• Discarded termite wings: Termite wings lying near entry points like a doorway or a windowsill might have been left behind by a mated pair of swarmers who just moved into your home.

• Dead swarmers: A homeowner might find bodies of termite swarmers lying near entryways or in light fixtures. A dead swarmer indoors is a sign that termites have found their way into your house. 
• Wood that sounds hollow: If you tap the walls and it sounds hollow, it might be because termites have eaten away the wood, leaving only empty space behind the drywall. 

• Sagging floors: When floors warp or sag, it could be due to the presence of termites. Termites require a lot of moisture to thrive, and that moisture might warp the floor. 
• Doors or windows that are hard to open: When a home has suffered significant structural damage, it can result in doors and windows being difficult to operate. It’s not a good sign if you find the doors of your house often get stuck or are difficult to open. It’s likely a sign of severe structural damage in your home. 

Those are the warning signs that homeowners should keep an eye out for. However, merely knowing the signs of a termite infestation is no substitute for a professional inspection, so make sure that it’s not an excuse to skip out on getting an annual termite inspection for your home.

Where Do Termites Live in Arkansas?

Termites live all over Arkansas, including all the major cities:

• Fayetteville
• Jonesboro
• Little Rock
• Pine Bluff
• Rogers

While termites live throughout the state of Arkansas, they are most prevalent in south Arkansas. In general, termites prefer southern areas that are closer to the coast, since coastal areas provide hot, humid conditions.

In the northwest regions of Arkansas, you’ll find that termites are most active in the spring and summer months, which is when swarming usually begins. 

How to Get Rid of Termites in Arkansas

Once you know what type of termite species you have in your home, you’ll be able to pick the best treatment method. Different termite species have different nesting habits, which affects the impact of how effective (or ineffective) a termite treatment will be. Termiticides and bait stations are the best ways to get rid of subterranean termites.

Termiticides 

Termiticides, a specialized termite-killing chemical that is effective at killing termites, can be applied anywhere there are termites. Here are some of the ways termiticides are used:

• Spot treatments: Termiticides are applied to hot spots where termites travel or gather food. Sometimes foam termiticides can be used to seal off entry points, such as cracks or around pipes or dryer vents.
• Drilling treatments: Because termites often hide behind drywall or in other hidden spots, it’s not always easy to reach them. For that reason, it is sometimes necessary to drill a hole into a structure to apply termiticide directly onto the colony. 
• Soil drenching: Drenching the soil with liquid termiticides acts as a preventive or curative chemical barrier. This termite protection is especially effective for subterranean termites, since they nest in the ground.
• Construction pre-treatments: Newer homes are now usually treated for termites before construction even starts. A construction pre-treatment involves drenching a home’s foundation and the surrounding soil to create a chemical barrier that will keep termites away.

Baiting Systems

Homeowners often prefer baiting stations since they are an eco-friendly termite control method that doesn’t use chemicals. 

Baiting stations contain cellulose laced with insect growth regulators (IGRs). Once worker termites carry the bait back to their nest, all termites who consume the bait will be killed. Baiting stations are placed around your property, roughly 10 feet apart or so. 

• In-ground bait stations can be used for termite prevention or to eradicate existing subterranean colonies.
• Above-ground baiting stations should be used to combat existing termite infestations inside the walls of your home.

The baiting method is effective, but it requires time and patience. You will also need to have a termite control professional to check the baiting stations regularly to make sure they are still performing by keeping termites off your property. 

Other Termite Treatments

While subterranean termites are the most common termite species in Arkansas, they aren’t the only type of termite you may encounter. Here are the termite treatment methods professionals  use to get rid of drywood or dampwood termites that have hitched a ride into your home:

• Borate, a chemical treatment also known as boric acid, can be applied to termite trouble spots. It kills termites by dehydrating them. 
• Freezing uses liquid nitrogen to expose termites to freezing temperatures of -20 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Because they are unable to withstand extreme cold, termites are eventually killed by the freezing temperatures. 
• Heat treatment and microwaving are termite treatment methods that kill termites by exposing them to extreme heat. 
• Remove infested or damp wood. Sometimes getting rid of the termites in your house is a simple matter of removing infested furniture or other wooden components and replacing them. 
• Termite tenting is the process of putting a giant tent around a home and then pumping toxic fumigant gas inside. The gas seeps through the house, killing all termites inside. While termite tenting is the most effective method for drywood infestations, it’s also the most expensive and intensive. For that reason, it’s usually reserved for severe infestations.

How to Prevent Termites in Arkansas

While a termite-proof house is almost impossible, there are multiple precautionary measures you can take to greatly reduce the chances of termites appearing in your home:

1. Get a termite inspection. Schedule a termite inspection once a year. 
2. Give your lawn proper care and maintenance. A healthy lawn is one of the best deterrents to lawn pests (and fungal diseases). Implement proper lawn care procedures for your grass and check that your yard has good drainage. There shouldn’t be any sources of pooling water in your yard.
3. Remove debris in your yard. Wood sources on your lawn, from wood mulch to fallen tree branches, will attract termites. Do your best to keep your lawn clean and debris-free. It also helps to clean your gutters regularly. 
4. Store firewood properly. All firewood should be stored above the ground and kept at least 20 feet away from the house. Never store firewood where it is in contact with the soil or your house. 
5. Seal off cracks in the home. Finally, caulk areas of your house where there are cracks for termites to slip through.
6. Check all wood furniture before bringing it indoors. Sometimes homeowners unwittingly carry in infested furniture, bringing termites right into their home. So inspect furniture closely before you bring it inside.

Termite prevention does a lot to help homeowners keep these wood-eating pests away from their home.

FAQ About Termites in Arkansas

Are There Formosan Termites in Arkansas?

There are no Formosan termites in Arkansas. However, Formosan termites live in the surrounding states:

• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Tennessee
• Texas

Because Formosan termites live in such close proximity to Arkansas, it’s possible that one day Formosan termites might migrate into Arkansas.

Should I Worry About Finding Termites in My House?

Don’t panic if you find termites in your house. It takes three to eight years before termites cause significant structural damage to your home.  So as long as the termite infestation was caught early on, termites won’t have a chance to wreak a lot of destruction on your house.

Is It Safe to Stay in a Home with Termites?

Yes, it’s safe to stay in a home with termites. They are not aggressive towards people, and they rarely bite. The only problem is that staying in a home with termites can worsen respiratory problems such as allergies or asthma.

Ready for a Termite Treatment?

Arkansas is the proud home to treasures like the Folk Music Capital of the World and the Crater of Diamonds State Park. What the Bear State isn’t so proud to be home to is termites. Fortunately, these nuisance pests can be eradicated through treatment, and you can enjoy a termite-free home once more.

If you have discovered termites in your home, don’t hesitate to contact a termite control company near you. They provide termite inspection, prevention, and treatment services for local clients.

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